Plastics are versatile, but ecologically problematic. As a large amount of primary resources must be used for their production and use, plastic recycling is a focus of political and regulatory efforts to recycle as much plastic waste as possible. For example, 55% of plastic packaging in the European Union is to be recycled in a value-preserving manner by 2030. The extent to which recyclates are suitable for the production of high-quality packaging products and when it makes economic sense to switch to recycled plastics has been investigated by the VDI Centre for Resource Efficiency as part of a current ecological and economic evaluation study, which was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the Öko-Institut e. V. and the cyclos-HTP GmbH institute. The study is aimed in particular at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the plastics processing industry that are considering starting to use recycled materials and is therefore also relevant for designers in this field.
The prerequisites: In order to increase the reuse rate of recycled plastic waste in the packaging sector and close plastic loops sustainably, recyclates are required that have the lowest possible fluctuation range in terms of quality. In addition, the prices for recyclates must be competitive in comparison with virgin plastics. This is where the VDI © PantherMedia/Peryn ZRE study “Ecological and economic assessment of resource consumption – use of recycled plastics in packaging materials” comes in. According to the information provided, the study offers “a practical overview of aspects of the use of recycled plastics for the manufacture of high-quality packaging products – also for areas of application with high demands on dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties”. Using a case study, the production of injection-moulded paint buckets with lids, the environmental impact of new and recycled polypropylene is compared.
The study includes a comparative life cycle assessment (in accordance with VDI guidelines 4800) and a sensitivity analysis. It also provides a cost comparison for the two plastic-based packaging variants and makes recommendations for evaluation. From an ecological point of view, it is shown that the product made from recycled polypropylene (PP) leads to 25% less greenhouse gas emissions than that made from virgin PP. From an economic point of view, the purchase price has the greatest influence on the overall specific operating costs. At the time of the survey, they totalled 54% for the product variant made from recycled polypropylene and 62% for the product made from primary PP. The study was commissioned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).
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