two for one: resin identification code & bioplastics david cornell technical director, apr 4...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Two for One: Resin Identification Code & Bioplastics David Cornell Technical Director, APR 4 October 2011 14 th Annual Texas Summit](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062517/56649e8e5503460f94b9274f/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Two for One:Resin Identification Code &
Bioplastics
David CornellTechnical Director, APR
4 October 201114th Annual Texas Summit
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1. Resin Identification Code
Created in 1988 to help recyclers identify the primary resin in a package
– Not intended to define recyclability
– Intended initially only for bottles between specific sizes
– Listed 6 common resins plus a catch-all ‘other’
– Self-policing
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Resin Identification Code
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RIC Characteristics
• Uses a triangle of chasing arrows
• Uses a number• Uses an acronym
• FTC says the Code cannot imply an environmental claim or advertisement, so must be inconspicuous, i.e. hard to read
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RIC FunctionThe Code is used today for
1.Consumer education “Give us all your 1’s”
2. Recycler assistance “ The code says that is a PP bottle”
3. Taxation“ #7’s are taxed at XX rate”
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RIC Function
• The Code is also used for limitations,
4. “ # X should not be used because Y”
• Contrary to some beliefs, all are not the same.
v
Some are other resins. Some are mixtures. Some are multi-layered constructions
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What the Code is Not
• Not an indicator of recyclability
• Not an indicator of ‘collected for recycling’
• Not an indicator of recycled content
• The Code identifies the resin of the sidewall of a bottle.
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Problems
• Are all #1’s equally recyclable? No.
• Are all #2’s the same resin? No.
• Are all bottle parts recyclable? No.• Will necessarily be collected? No.
• Should we start over with just a recyclability code? probably not
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Recyclability Means . . . . . • “Stuff” is recycled when there is
enough, identifiable, consistent, and valuable material.– There is a Critical Mass minimum– The material must be identifiable *– The stuff must have value
• Recycling has a Technical side and an Economic side. Both must succeed.
* The Code only addresses the Technical Identification issue.
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ASTM
• ASTM D7611, ‘Standard Practice for Coding Plastic Manufactured Articles for Resin Identification’ is issued. Adopts the SPI Code
• D-20.95 Working Group is examining what else should be done.
All are welcome at $75 per year to join.
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Probable Results ?
“”Personal Opinion””•Triangles will stay.
•Chasing arrows should go.
•Current numbers stay.
•New numbers added on petition and with criteria. Likely add PLA and LLDPE.
•The “+” for multilayers will stay
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Possible Other Results ?
• May see subclasses, like “#2-A” for subsets that are generally incompatible with the primary bottle resins.
• May see some indication of additives included beyond some level.
• Color not indicated by the Code.
• Composting or other end-of-life scenarios not included.
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What about other Codes?
Personal Opinion•“Recyclability Codes” either lock in today or guess tomorrow.•‘Locking in’ means no new items collected•‘Guessing tomorrow’ very difficult to get timing right.
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2. Bio-Plastic
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Biopolymers
• “Biopolymer” means the source material is a plant.
• Some commercial polymers can be bio-sourced or petro-sourced [polyethylene]
• Some polymers identified as ‘biopolymer’ [PLA] could be made from petroleum.
• Biopolymer does not mean ‘can or will degrade’
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How New are Biopolymers?Biopolymers have been around a long time•Rayon in 1894•Cellulose acetate in 1910•Cellophane in 1912•Polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid in 1970’s•Polyethylene from sugar in the 2000’s•PET from bio-sources in the 2010’s
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Fuzzy
• So some ‘petro-plastics’ could be also bio-plastics.
• Some ‘petro-plastics’ can degrade, but are not used to make packages
• Some ‘bio-plastics’ do not degrade.
For the sake of argument, bioplastics means those packaging plastics primarily from plants. [PLA, PHA, PHB]
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Biopolymers
• Packaging Biopolymers will not
– Fix the federal deficit
– Save the planet from asteroids
– Reverse aging, grow hair, or cure flat feet
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Biopolymers
• Biopolymers are just another set of thermoplastics, subject to the same economic & performance rules as are other thermoplastics
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BiopolymersPlastics Recycling Scorecard
• Technology
• Profitable products
• Investors
• Good raw material
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BiopolymersPlastics Recycling Scorecard
• Technology Can probably use PET PCR technology,
[NOT WITH PET]
• Profitable products Probably some
• Investors Probably
• Good raw material Opps, not enough
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HDPE History Lesson – mid 1980’s• 400,000,000 lbs of HDPE milk bottles used
x 30% of population with recycling options,
x 40% participation rate
x 80% recognition of milk bottles
=
~40 M lbs of bottles for recycling, enough for two lines of business for middle-sized reclaimers to stay in business in the early years
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Biopolymer Projection• If 100,000,000 lbs of new USA polymer
containers (< 1% of total in market)
x 70% of population with recycling options
x 60% participation rate
x 35% recognition of biopolymer bottles (very generous)
Then
15 M lbs of bottles PER RESIN for recycling, barely enough for an independent business opportunity today
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Biopolymer Recycling Future
• Can biopolymers “beat the system”?
– Maybe, automatic sorting can lower the level of needed critical mass
– BUT, the material that requires a special separate sort must pay for that sort
$0.01/lb sort cost @ 5% biopolymer in special stream could equal up to $0.20/lb extra to sort biopolymer.
Biopolymers must pay their own way
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Biopolymers and PET
• Biopolymers and PET sink in water
• Biopolymers PLA and PHA are incompatible with PET processing and PET product. They must be kept separated.
Color, haze, and melting issues
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And What About Biological Degradation?
• Any degraded biopolymer is worth little for recycling because of inconsistent properties.
• Degradation runs counter to recycling. Recycling conserves, Degrading loses resources.
• Degradable additives must be considered harmful until proven otherwise.
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Conclusion
• Biopolymers are just another group of material and EACH must justify its use by properties and cost and be plentiful enough to make recycling economically attractive.
• Biopolymers can be a problem for existing PET recycling
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Take away
• Biopolymers may be an opportunity for
current reclaimers as a sideline IF the
value exceeds costs and IF the presence does not disrupt current operations.
• Unique Biopolymers should target product applications not currently OR LIKELY to be included for current recycling.
• Bio-PE and Bio-PET are not problems.
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Thanks