The production of plastics will continue to grow.
The pilot facilities in Lieskovec near Zvolen and Lučenec have shown that chemical recycling is a functional solution, writes the director of the Union of Mixed Plastic Waste Processors Vladimír Daniška.
At the beginning of April 2021, the newspaper Odpady-portal.sk published the reaction of Monika Medovičová from the association Priatelia Zeme SPZ to my March article also published on Odpady-portal.sk. The statements that I made in my article as the director of the Union of Mixed Plastic Waste Processors were called false by the author despite the fact that I allowed myself to base myself only on valid legislation and experience from real operation.
The Union of Mixed Plastic Waste Processors is the protector of its members and compliance with applicable legislation in waste management. Therefore, it cannot allow the distortion and adaptation of valid legislative standards, nor the questioning of the real and demonstrable efforts of Union members in research and development of new technologies aimed at supporting and solving the development of plastic waste recycling.
The Union cannot be indifferent if someone who should support any effort to solve the plastic waste problem discredits such an effort with statements without concrete means of proof.
For that reason, we decided to respond to the opinions presented in M. Medovičová's article.
In the section "Impacts are not sufficiently investigated", M. Medovičová states: "Precisely V. Daniška's claim about the environmental friendliness of chemical recycling and the high efficiency of its products is currently in no way true."
In light of this, it is requested to remind that in Act no. 79/2015 Coll. §6 states about waste:
The hierarchy of waste management is the binding order of the following priorities:
- a) preventing the generation of waste,
- b) preparation for reuse,
- c) recycling,
- d) other recovery, for example energy recovery,
- e) disposal.
Pyrolysis using components as chemical substances is recycling according to the Waste Act. The claim about the environmental friendliness of chemical recycling (it is more friendly than both energy recovery and landfilling) is therefore true in terms of the Waste Act. This applies, of course, in compliance with other legislation, for example in compliance with emission limits, which is self-evident from our point of view. We still consider only those technologies that are able to comply with the valid criteria.
In this context, I would also like to remind you of the diagram from ISO STN Norm 15 270, which clearly explains how chemical recycling should be perceived.
Source: STN 15 270
Plastic waste = chemical raw materials
The data on which I am based also come from my several years of experience in trial operation of a prototype chemical recycling facility. Therefore, our subsequent opinions are not based on the experience of any prevention or control, resp. from reports from theoretical scientific authorities, but from the actual operation of a chemical recycling facility.
During this real operation at the input of 100 kg of sorted mixed plastic waste consisting of PE, PP and about 5% of other admixtures, 12 - 15 m3 of own process gas produced in the process (calorific value 1 m3 about 13 kW) and a maximum of 44 kW of electricity were consumed. , obtaining effluents in the form of a liquid fraction (light and medium) of about 80 liters and a solid residue (with a carbon content of 30-50%) of about 5 kg.
We have the results of laboratory analyzes, which prove the usability of the liquid fraction as a chemical in the petrochemical industry, but also as a secondary fuel.
If we considered the output only as a secondary fuel, in that case the calorific value (specific sample) was determined in the laboratory to be 42.718 MJ / kg.
The specific weight of this particular sample was 806 kg / m3. This means that 80 liters represents 64.48 kg, which means 2,754.45 MJ. In conversion, this represents 765.13 kW.
This balance shows that with a maximum consumption of supplied external electricity of 44 kW (consumed gas is its own product), a product with a calorific value of 765.13 kW was produced, which without any doubt represents a high energy efficiency of the process.
The chemical recycling process is practically energy self-sufficient. External energy is only required by the process to drive electrical equipment. The resulting product has a much higher efficiency in its use than a chemical substance (a member of our Union has contractual specific customers for this substance).
In this case, there is also a significant reduction in the carbon footprint that would arise from oil extraction and processing. Thus, the statement about the high efficiency of the chemical recycling process is also true.
Landfilling plastics is the worst option
In January 2021, Friends of the Earth stated in their article "Microplasts around us and in us": "Their disintegration in the environment is caused by the effects of sunlight, humidity and mechanical action. In this way, plastics break down into smaller and smaller particles. "
However, in his recent article in the daily Odpady-portal.sk, M. already objects to my claims in the following way:
"Given my several years of experience as an inspector of the Department of Integrated Prevention and Control of the Slovak Environmental Inspectorate with the operation of landfills, I still consider it necessary to mark V. Danišek's statement on landfilling of plastic waste" This will not only achieve plastic waste, which is associated with the uncontrolled release of harmful substances into the air and groundwater, but also obtains very valuable and irreplaceable natural raw material resources, "for the wrong."
The author apparently did not find out, within the framework of her several years of experience as an inspector, that there is also sunlight, humidity and mechanical action on landfilled plastics in landfills. The most harmful is that we even store plastics in a landfill, which according to some data can make up to 50% by volume.
The country's friends should never be proponents of landfilling. If Ms Medovičová considers the claim that the reduction of landfilling represents a positive environmental impact to be wrong, then she cannot be a Friend of the Earth.
Chemical recycling has worked well
In her article on Odpady-portal.sk, M. Medovičová further states:
"Slovakia has had unfortunate experience in the past with plans for thermal depolymerization of mixed plastics. At least two European-funded thermal splitting plants for plastics have also been completed. However, these operations were eventually stopped due to technological failures and problems with the placement of output products. "
In this case, the author does not realize that she is talking about devices that were manufactured in 2010. This means at a time when chemical recycling was not even in the diapers. The equipment he mentions was structurally demanding. The use of heat for process heating was poorly addressed and with high heat losses, which made these devices energy intensive.
Due to the robust construction and its mechanical parts, there was also a high consumption of electricity to power these units. The inputs were solved by manual dosing, while in order to create a plug for gas transfer, it was necessary to dose at least 30% of the foil from the total inputs, which are still easily recyclable and thus well sold on the market.
At the beginning of the activity, the companies operating these facilities bought these films at a price of 300 euros / t, even more expensive. Therefore, they could not be economically viable. The facility in Lieskovec near Zvolen was destroyed by fire and its repair was not profitable. The facility in Lučenec, despite being in bankruptcy, is still in operation.
Despite the problems these pilot plants had, they fully demonstrated the functionality of the chemical recycling process, as they had been in operation for several years or were still in operation. Their operation complied with the prescribed emission limits and other requirements, because otherwise their operation would be suspended by the relevant state administration body, resp. canceled.
Stopping growth is sci-fi
Medovičová considers published reports on new technologies in the field of chemical recycling to be "sensational headlines." However, it should be noted that science and technology do not sleep in this area either.
The decade is long enough for news of new technologies not to be seen as "sensational headlines," but as a portrayal of many years of research and development in this area.
It is clear that companies such as BASF and other petrochemical companies would not be involved in the development of chemical recycling facilities if they did not see the prospect.
At the end of the article p. Medovičová suggests ways to solve the current situation:
"We cannot be satisfied with the claim that the discovery of reliable recycling technologies will solve the problem of increasing plastic waste. Sustainability in the plastics industry means not only limiting the production of plastics from indigenous fossil sources, limiting the production of non-recyclable or difficult to recycle plastics, but also halting the disproportionate growth in plastics production in general. "
We should finally wake up and stop pulling honey twine under our noses. Stopping the disproportionate growth of plastics production is a goal that falls into the category of science fiction.
The Union of Mixed Plastic Waste Processors has only realistic goals. Therefore, it supports recycling in every possible way and actively seeks new opportunities in support of research and development of new technologies.
It is clear to the Union that discovering reliable recycling technologies will not solve all the problems of plastic waste, but on the other hand it is clear that any initiative that will help increase recycling rates, especially non-recyclable plastics, and reduce landfilling is important for waste management and the environment. environment is desirable because the members of the Union are true friends of the Earth.
Recycling takes precedence in the hierarchy
The European Strategy for Plastics in the Circulating Economy states in relation to the development of plastics production:
"Global plastics production has doubled since the 1960s, reaching 322 million tonnes in 2015. It is expected to double further in the next 20 years. "
It is clear from this that the EU is not even considering the possibility of reducing the growth in plastics production. Therefore, it is necessary to address what is solvable.
For Friends of the Earth we have a request:
Do not question the legislation in force in the EU and Slovakia. If recycling (including pyrolysis) is given priority over energy recovery and landfill within the current hierarchy, then respect this.
It is clear from the article by M. Medovičová that he prefers energy recovery and landfilling to chemical recycling. The question is - why?
Set realistic goals within your capabilities, abilities and reach that you may have behind the door, you just need to open them. The goal of halting the growth of plastics production is an unnecessary waste of time and energy for Friends of the Earth, which they could use to create business opportunities aimed at improving the quality of the environment in the regions, as other non-profit companies with a similar focus do.
Finally, I add a few links about promoting recycling:
Vladimír Daniška
Director of the Union of Mixed Plastic Waste Processors
