All to play for in the UK’s state shuffle at the top

A new study on plastic pyrolysis has outlined key requirements for feedstock, to help greater collaboration between chemical and mechanical recyclers.

The research, conducted by Eunomia Research & Consulting on behalf of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, confirmed that operators required well-sorted, clean feedstock comprising about 85% polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).

Martyn Tickner, chief adviser of the technical solutions centre at the alliance, said:  “We hope this white paper serves as a starting point for discussions between pyrolysis operators and material suppliers on the types of recycling systems and feedstock that need to be developed.”

The study interviewed 32 plastic waste companies across Europe, Asia and North America, identifying key requirements for feedstock.

Chemical recycling has been the subject of controversy in recent weeks. While detractors claim the process emits high carbon emissions and should not be considered recycling, its backers argue that new technologies will be essential to increase recycling rates, particularly of hard-to-recycle plastics.

“Improving our knowledge of feedstock requirements for pyrolysis can help to progress the industry’s understanding of how chemical recycling and mechanical recycling can work alongside each other,” said Tickner.

Eunomia’s study aims to provide clarity on feedstock requirements – already largely available for mechanical recycling, argues the alliance, to enable greater alignment between recyclers, collectors, and producers.

Tickner said: “Stakeholder groups ranging from packaging manufacturers to Government agencies are interested in the potential of chemical recycling to add a new dimension to plastic waste recycling, with the expectation that the technologies will complement increasingly advanced mechanical recycling.”

The alliance explained that as much as 45% of household waste comprised complex plastic packaging items but that new technologies have yet to be widely adopted.

“Changes to collection and sortation systems will generally be required to address film collection which is anticipated to be a main feedstock for pyrolysis operators,” added the report.

Further requirements identified that feedstock should be free of contents and rinsed; have a maximum moisture content of 7%; and should not exceed 1% PVC/PVDC, 5% PET/ethylene vinyl alcohol/nylon, 7% PS, 7% rigid metal or glass, or 10% paper and organics. The report noted that contaminants should not exceed 15%.

Eunomia acknowledged that these requirements were a baseline, and could vary between different recyclers and as processes evolve.

The report concluded by saying the main advantage of pyrolysis over mechanical recycling was its ability to process both PE and PP as well as films, in low concentrations.

Earlier this week, a coalition of companies – including Danone, Mondelēz International, PepsiCo and Unilever – called for 800,000 tonnes of chemically recycled materials by 2030.

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