Demetres Briassoulis AUA-DNRAE Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Sustainability Transition Assessment and Research of Bio-based Products Grant Agreement Number 727740 Proposed techno-economic sustainability criteria for alternative end of life options and recirculation of post-consumer bio-based products
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 2
for recirculation and long lasting loops of reuse following repair, remanufacturing and refurbishing and also recycling, and upcycling
1 Zuin, V.G. & Ramin, L.Z. Top Curr Chem (Z) (2018) 376: 3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41061-017-0182-z 2
1 European Commission, A sustainable bioeconomy for Europe: strengthening the connection between
economy, society and the environment, Updated Bioeconomy Strategy, 2018; doi:10.2777/792130
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 3
By-products, Post-industrial Products, market, Post-consumer
a) Material recovery:
b) Organic recycling
c) Energy recovery
By-products, Post-industrial Recovered bio-based materials = New bio-based raw materials
Products, market, Post-consumer
The Circular Economy Package (EC) sets new EU recovery targets by 2030:
Recycling: 65% of municipal waste; 75% of packaging waste; Landfilling: Binding max 10% of municipal waste; Ban landfilling of separately collected waste
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 4
assessment of any EoL option
industrial bio-based plastics
1 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sustainable_development.svg
source: 1
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 5
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegrad stab.2017.12.011
➢ Bio-based equivalents to conventional polymers: follow recycling streams of the corresponding conventional plastics ₋ Non-recyclable non-biodegradable bio-based plastics: routed to energy recovery in the form of SRF ➢ Biodegradable plastics: limitations apply when these materials are to be treated by mechanical recycling ₋ Non-recyclable biodegradable plastics: organic recycling
DOI:10.1109/CONECCT.2014.6740338
➢ If collected separately into mono-streams or sorting efficiency is high: ⁻ mechanical recycling becomes the most attractive EoL option ⁻ chemical depolymerization recovers high quality / price monomers
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 6
Mechanical Recycling Processability ➢ Thermal stability:
₋ first prerequisite for any polymer
➢ Contamination by non-compatible polymers:
₋ processing problems and degraded quality of recyclate
₋ presence of contaminants, degradation etc.
doi.org/10.1038/s41570-017-0046
₋ high recovery rates of high quality monomers/chemicals is crucial
➢ A low efficiency process needs improvements :
⁻ design and production of innovative depolymerization catalysts ⁻ development of chemically recyclable polymers, etc.
Compostability
➢ Conformity to standard specifications for industrial composting ➢ Lack of standard specifications: ₋ major barrier for the development of the anaerobic digestion
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 7
₋ Mechanical recycling is the first priority alternative EoL route or not ₋ Chemical recycling becomes a valuable alternative recycling route in the near future ₋ Requires support by research & development activities ₋ Organic recycling and/or AD are suitable EoL options for biodegradable plastics depending on infrastructures availability
Availability of bio- based plastic waste ➢ Economic viability depends on:
₋ constant supply of commercial mono streams of bio-based post- consumer plastics ₋ sufficient quantities to ensure good planning and operation of the facilities at maximum capacity
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 8
Recovered materials quality - mechanical ➢ Degradation characteristics of recyclates of conventional and bio- based non-biodegradable plastics :
₋ defined by relevant standards
₋ no standards exist
Recovered materials quality - chemical
ISO 15270:2008
➢ The feedstock nature affects the economic feasibility of the chemical recycling processes
₋ Pure polymer streams result in high value products by chemical depolymerisation processes (original monomers recovery) ₋ Thermochemical recycling processes, usually end up in products characterized by low quality (mixtures of various hydrocarbons)
Organic recycling products quality
➢ The presence of bio-based compostable plastics in bio-waste should not affect negatively the final products quality (compost and biogas) : ₋ relevant specifications (European Fertilizing Products Regulation) ₋ specifications for biogas generated
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 9
Market of recovered bio-based materials ➢ Market price for a specific quality of recovered bio-based materials:
₋ A materials recovery process is not economically viable if the prices
Market of biodegradable products for organic recycling ➢ Availability of market for organic recycling of post-consumer products
₋ The gate fee for post-consumer biodegradable plastics routed to organic recycling together with bio-waste streams depends on availability of markets for the end-products (compost, biogas)
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 10
Estimated financial feasibility
https://www.rathandeep.com/case- study-importance-financial- feasibility/
➢ Based on economic data describing the profitability of the processes: ₋ existence of data is very limited for bio-based post-consumer products ₋ mechanical recycling: extrapolation from available data for conventional plastics ₋ chemical recycling: no data are available even for conventional plastics (processes have not been commercialized yet) ₋
biowaste directly applicable for bio-based products (except for the gate fee and biodegradation characteristics of the compostable plastics)
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 11
https://www.epbp.org/design-guidelines
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 12
1European Commission, A European
Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy, Communication from the Commission to the EP&C, the European Economicand Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Brussels, COM(2018) 28 final
manufacturing and the return flow of recycled/ recovered materials
economy 1
economy to develop, new rules have been proposed by the European Commission 1
➢ Improving the plastics packaging design for recyclability, aimed at increasing the recycling levels and therefore decreasing the cost of recycling plastic packaging waste by half ➢ All plastics packaging should be mechanically recyclable by 2030. ➢ More closely harmonised rules on the use of extended producer responsibility (EPR)
A basic requirement for techno-economically sound recirculation potential of post- consumer /industrial bio-based products
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 13
Factors affecting the recirculation potential
Peter Christensen et al./Berkeley Lab doi.org/10.1038/s41557-019-0249-2
➢ Strong impact on the recirculation potential : ₋ Physical and chemical characteristics of specific post-consumer /post-industrial products ₋ Mechanical recycling conditions affecting the maximum number of possible reprocessing cycles / quality ₋ Depolymerization conditions affecting the monomers/oligomers recovery efficiency/ quality
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 14
https://www.elsevier.com/physical-sciences- and-engineering/chemistry/journals/new- chemistry-research/plastics-in-the-circular- economy
➢ Standards for recovered materials: ₋ The European plastics recycling industry needs uniform standards & certification schemes: strengthen secondary raw materials market ➢ Chemical recycling legislation: ₋ produced material’s quality and recirculation potential to be clearly defined and distinguished from energy recovery
Traceability schemes of secondary materials market
➢ Traceability schemes: ₋ Better product control and tracking of materials in the secondary market ₋ Enhancement of confidence between producers and end users for reprocessed /recovered materials
EN 15343:2007
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 15
This project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and innovation action under grant agreement No 727740 with the Research Executive Agency (REA) - European Commission. Duration: 36 months (May 2017 – April 2020). Work Programme BB-01-2016: Sustainability schemes for the bio-based economy
Virtual Final STAR-ProBio Workshop, 28/4/2020 Agricultural University of Athens-DNRAE 16