This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Estudio de las tendencias actuales en reciclaje de plásticos

Europe produces more than 21 million tons per year of waste plastic postconsumo, of which only 16.5 per cent is recycled

Study of current trends in plastic recycling

26/03/2008

Demand for plastics is growing in United States, Europe and China, but the way in which each region focuses on recycling is radically different. For manufacturers of plastic, variations that may arise in recycling trends will have a significant effect on your bottom. To understand and know well to respond to these trends, the manufacturers have to study the current attitudes of consumers and the role of Governments and private institutions in the global discussion of recycling.

This article is the result of an initiative of USA Joint Research Strategies in United States and EMG in Europe and China. Both firms were consulted the leaders of the sector to make an estimate of the current levels of recycling and predict the direction of the industry in the next five years.

Panorama of the recycling of plastics in Europe

Europe produces more than 21 million tons per year of waste plastic postconsumo, of which only 16.5% is recycled. Within the market of plastics, packaging and the packaging industry is the largest consumer of plastics in Europe, with a share of 37 per cent (15 million tonnes) of the plastics market.

The leaders of the sector in Europe agree that, although consumer interest in the environment is high, Government programmes are fundamental to the success of the recycling. In Germany grew the involvement of consumers following the launch of a campaign by the Government for the recycling of plastics. Many EU countries have been increasing their levels of recycling after its accession to the EU and its application of European legislation on this subject.

The strict regulations of the European directive on end of life, which obliges manufacturers to assume more responsibilities with regard to the processing of waste products, have also had a significant impact, as for example the design innovations that allow dismantling and easier reuse of products at the end of its life cycle.

Buying recycled products

Consulted experts in the sector agreed that consumers are willing to buy products made with recycled materials provided they have the same appearance, tact and price of products made with non-recycled materials. However, very few consumers are willing to pay more simply because packaging is made from recycled materials.

Although consumer interest in the environment is high, government programs are essential to the success of the recycling

Prospects for recycling in the EU

The general concern for the environment is encouraging consumers to recycle, but what has most motivated sustained good levels of recycling has been Government legislation. The industry experts agree that the rate of recycling in Europe will continue to increase due to these laws. Moving a little further, initiatives such as Novpol will help Europe increase its level of plastic recycling and it will continue to demand improved product life cycles.

Panorama of the recycling of plastics in United States

In United States, plastics manufacturers have taken firm steps to transform its surplus, in their own factories which improve manufacturing practices. However, in that country, recycling postconsumo at the end of the life cycle of the product is well below European levels.

In Europe, recycling part of the daily lives of consumers. In United States, consumers still prefer comfort to recycling. On the other hand, the companies have no strong motivation to recycle. In the case of glass and metal, it is now less expensive and more efficient to use recycled materials, in terms of raw materials. In addition, the glass and metal are left to recycle well. But in the case of plastics, should still be separate manually, the process of recycling is expensive and time-consuming. Since the business of recycling does not give great benefits, companies are few incentives for recycling.

However, it has been a growing trend in favour of 'sustainability', which is the effort to ensure that the life cycle of a product does not destroy the source that produces the product and the environment. For plastics, this means that the industry leaders should consider the environmental impact of the practices of production, the use of renewable resources, overall minimization of resources and, above all, the recycling at the end of the life cycle of the product.

The progressive interest in sustainability has led to an interest renewed for the recycling of plastics and has also led an effort to reduce the overall consumption of plastics. For example, Walmart, the largest retailer of United States Group, has launched a campaign in favour of sustainability which is committed to reducing the size of the packaging and to increase their use of recycled materials in an effort to save energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Project Novpol

Despite the increase in the levels of recycling due to government legislation, the recycling of plastics continues to face obstacles. Most of the recycling plants must proceed to a careful manual of plastics separation because the different properties of each polymer require different techniques of recycling. The EU has been started 'Novpol', a research initiative that has been undertaken in several European countries with the aim of creating a recycling system that can recycle a mixture of a minimum of five different polymers.

The Novpol project intends to finish in the summer of 2007. If the objective, the recycling plants may increase the speed that transform the plastics, which would make most economic and efficient recycling of these materials.

Alternatives of bioplastics in United States

With the recycling of plastics, there are environmental groups that support the use of biorresinas in preference to the resin derived from oil. Products made with biorresinas must be deposited in the conventional trash, not in the bin. In California, the State Government supported a comprehensive programme of education citizen on bioplastics. From stores of natural food to the sporting facilities, most consumers know that, if you wear a green bar, the container has to go away and not to the container for recycling.

However, outside of California, the majority of consumers do not know the options based on biomaterials and do not understand the concept. In addition, within the framework of sustainability has been that the biorresinas are not automatically good for the environment. While plastics made from a renewable resource, a fundamental point of sustainability, biomaterials are they marketed as biodegradable and that is only true if the garbage composting, but not if it goes to the landfill. Given that United States remove most of the trash in landfills, many products made with biomaterials not never have the opportunity to biodegradarse. Bioplastics they have potential to cause sustainable plastic manufacturing options in the future, but the sector has left many obstacles ahead.

Prospects for recycling in United States

Despite the initiative of Walmart and other sustainability efforts, the majority of experts in the sector do not expect virtually no increase in trends in recycling of United States due to lack of motivation in enterprises.

A legislative push to create a collection for recycling infrastructure would enhance the participation of consumers, but, taking into account the current political climate, consulted experts in the sector agreed in stating that it was highly unlikely that the Government approve any new law on the subject.

Overview of recycling in China

Like United States, China has been growing interest in the overall lifecycle of products made from plastics. In the last ten years of rapid growth, the Chinese plastic industry focused on productivity, the expansion and technological improvements, and is now the country has begun to focus on the relationship between industrial development and environmental protection.

There are few regulations or special policies to promote the development of the recycling industry. As in United States, without a motivation of profit or governmental intervention, Chinese companies are going to find little incentive to support recycling initiatives.

Effect of imports of plastic resins

China depends on imports of plastic resins. In 2005, there was an annual consumption of more than 40 million tons of plastic, of which 20 million tons of plastic material were imported. This consumption led to more than 10 million tons of plastic waste.

To increase the recycling of plastics would make china much less dependent on imports to the plastics industry. However, the industry leaders agree that there are still several major obstacles that China must overcome before increasing recycling levels.

The most important is that very few Chinese consumers know that national enterprises depend on the import of some plastics that consumers could make by recycling. In addition, education on environmental issues has only started in China. Although the majority of consumers are increasingly more concerned by the environmental impact of the industry, there is a lack of general awareness on recycling. Many consumers cannot distinguish between the products which can be recycled and which cannot. The main motivation to recycle the give the programs of repurchase offering financial compensation to the consumer. In contrast to Europe, there is a strong ecological motivation to recycle.

As the Government has not launched any programme for the promotion of recycling, consumer education is the responsibility of the foremost companies in China, are mostly small and medium-sized enterprises. They have neither funds nor technical support to enhance the efforts of recycling and educate about environmental issues. Recycling technology is shared, so that problems with the waste of resources and the new pollutants generated in the process of recycling continue to pose major problems for the sector.

Prospects for recycling in China

In general, there is a trend towards raising awareness about the impact that the industry has on the environment, but the formation of the consumer in China is in its infancy. Chinese consumers are unfamiliar with recycled plastic products or have any strong motivation to recycle. However, the dependence on the sector of plastics with regard to imports of resins could spur to Chinese industry to increase levels of recycling.

Conclusion

In all cases, there is motivation of consumers for recycling. However, without government intervention, the trends of recycling does not change. In Europe, manufacturers can still expect new recycling laws, but in United States and China, manufacturers will not see any change in the trends of recycling in the next five years. n

This report is the result of an initiative of EMG-Europe, EMG-China and USA Joint Research Strategies.