A senior figure in the packaging manufacturing industry has told plastics sector delegates that recyclers must not be fixated on developing food packaging from recycled pots, tubs and trays in order to meet packaging recycling targets.
The comments came from David Baker, general manager of rigid plastic packaging firm RPC, speaking at the Recoup AGM and conference in Peterborough yesterday (September 26) who said that the industry should look to other uses for the material to increase demand.
Some have argued that with collection rates for plastic bottles reaching a plateau collections of less widely recycled plastics such as polypropylene pots, tubs and trays will have to increase if the UK is to meet the target to recycle 57% of plastic packaging waste by 2017.
However, demand for PTT is low with some industry experts arguing that a lack of end markets means it is not economically viable to collect the material in large quantities.
This is in part due to the difficulty in manufacturing recycled PTT into new food packaging, as European regulations prohibit PP which has been in prior contact with cosmetics or cleaning products being recycled into new food grade PP.
Sorting
Tests have shown that the technology able to automatically sort PP packaging on a large scale is still some years away (see letsrecycle.com story), which according to Mr Baker means that the industry must focus on non-food markets for the material.
He said: We have got to develop markets for recycled plastics. If we have nobody to use that processed, clean material it will only end up in landfill or on a boat to China, and to do that we will have to think outside the food box.
There is a lot of good work going on in PET and HDPE people understand what happens to that. A lot of work is going on about recycling PP for food use and that is more of a challenge because it used for a huge variety of products – in real terms recycled PP for food use is some way off. We need to think about other markets that are non food markets.
Products
Among the examples Mr Baker gave for non-food uses for PP was paint cans produced by RPC on behalf of AkzoNobel Decorative Paints which contain 25% recycled PP polymer.
Edward Koisor of crushing and screening specialist Nextec challenged Mr Bakers view, arguing that one of the key drivers for recycling is the economic value of the material, and said that if a market for food grade PP were to open it would help to encourage a high level of collection and recycling of the material.
Infrastructure
In response Mr Baker added that the recycling of the material could be viable in the long term, but said that it is likely that it would not be possible to develop the infrastructure in time to meet the 2017 packaging targets.
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He said: I dont think we should give up on recycled PP for food use. The problem is that the targets we have are relatively short term, so you need to work with other things as well and find non food applications.
The food use argument is very important but I am concerned that it wont arrive in time to be the cavalry coming over the hill to get us the tonnage we need.
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