Transcript APR Design for Recyling Guidelines

Designing Plastic Bottles to
be Recyclable
APR Design for Recycling Guidelines
Keith Bechard, Entropex
[email protected]
October 22nd, 2008
Background
The Association of Postconsumer Plastic
Recyclers, APR, is the trade association for
recycling used plastic bottle.
While APR offers information in good faith,
APR does not certify or guarantee recyclability.
Plastics Bottle Recycling
• Two factors influencing recovery:
• Critical mass and
• Compatibility.
Plastics Bottle Recycling
• What to recycle?
• Focus on PET and HDPE bottles
because of critical mass.
• Emerging Brand Owner and
chemical industry interest to
recover polypropylene (PP).
Plastics Bottle Recycling
• Compatibility means:
• Minimal disruption of the recovery
process and
• Minimal effect on the recycle
product.
Design for Recycling Program
Design Guidelines
for Plastic Bottle Recycling
Written 1997;
updated 2003, 2006, and 2008
Design for Recycling Program
Design Guidelines
for Plastic Bottle Recycling
available at
plasticsrecycling.org
PET-Color
• Transparent colors:
• Green & light blue OK,
• Others are generally undesirable.
• Some reclaimers tolerate amber
bottles.
• Avoid translucent and opaque
colors
PET – PVC parts
• NO
PVC closures;
PVC closure liners;
PVC labels (including shrink labels);
PVC sleeves (shrink sleeves) and
PVC safety seals on PET bottles.
PET – labels
• Only FLOATING labels, please
• Paper labels undesirable
• “See through” full body sleeve for
autosortation
PET – closures
• All closures MUST float in water.
• PP closures preferred.
(no ‘mineral filled’ PP, please)
PET – inks and adhesives
• Adhesives release in hot water.
• No adhesive residue on PET
• Avoid inks that bleed in hot water
PET – direct printing
• Only date coding, please.
• No direct print label.
(less common today)
PET – barrier layers, coatings, &
additives-1
• Avoid additives that discolor and/or
haze PET after remelting.
No yellowing, please
PET – barrier layers, coatings, &
additives-2
• Blends of PET and other resins are
acceptable
if
they are compatible with PET
recycling.
(few are)
PET – barrier layers, coatings, &
additives-3
• Non-PET layers and coatings are
acceptable,
if
they are compatible with PET or
easily separate from PET in
conventional recycling systems.
PET – barrier layers, coatings, &
additives-4
• EVOH, nylons, carbon, and silicon
oxide barrier layers or coatings are
currently tolerated
provided
the layers/coatings readily separate
and can be isolated or have been
shown not to be a problem.
PET - attachments
• Attachments discouraged;
• RFID’s on bottles discouraged.
(Silver paint could be a health problem)
PET – recycled content
• Use postconsumer PET in bottles.
Copolymer HDPE
• Non-HDPE components should be
compatible with the base resin
(copolymer HDPE)
or
easily removed (sink in water).
Copolymer HDPE –
closures & attachments
• HDPE preferred;
• No PVC closures or closure liners;
• PP closures and attachments at 5%
or less of package weight;
• RFID’s on bottles discouraged.
Copolymer HDPE – labels
• Paper labels are undesirable;
• Shrink sleeve labels preferred, no
adhesive and
• “See through” full body sleeve for
autosortation
(opaque labels problematic)
Copolymer HDPE – inks and
adhesives
• “Hot melt” adhesives should
readily separate from the plastic
and does not cause problems to the
process or product.
Copolymer HDPE -layers
• Avoid non-HDPE layers, unless they
are compatible or easily separable
• Minimize EVOH or nylon layers.
Copolymer HDPE -additives
• Limit additives, such as calcium
carbonate, so the HDPE plastic still
floats in water;
• (max CaCO3 under 3%).
HDPE – natural and pigmented
Recycled Content
• Use postconsumer HDPE in bottles.
Polypropylene
• Any non-PP component of a bottle
should be compatible with the base
resin (PP) or removed efficiently in
conventional separation systems.
Polypropylene - color
• Unpigmented PP bottles are
generally preferred.
Polypropylene - attachments
• PVC is undesirable;
• HDPE or LDPE attachments should be
less than 5% of the bottle weight
PVC bottles
• PVC bottles are undesirable IF
bottles are included with bales of PET
or HDPE bottles.
PVC bottles
• APR recommends the following:
 Avoid PET attachments;
 Closures of polyolefin;
 Labels of PVC or polyolefin, not PET;
 No bleeding inks
Other Resins
• For established infrastructure, bottles
made from resins other than PET or
HDPE will generally introduce
contamination
• unless compatibility demonstrated
or separation assured.
Other Resins
• New bottle resins should follow the
same general recycling guidelines
established for other resin types.
Other Resins
• Unpigmented bottles best;
• PE or PP label and closures;
• Compatible or readily separable
attachments, layers, and additives;
• Postconsumer content encouraged.
Other Resins
1.
2.
3.
4.
To be recycled as that resin, need
At least 50 M lbs collected (which has
meant at least 200 M lbs in market);
Need uniform collected material;
Need efficient recycling process and
Need end market to offset recovery.
Design for Recycling Program
Design Guidelines
for Plastic Bottle Recycling
available at
plasticsrecycling.org
“Sustainable means recycling.
Plastics recycling means APR”
www.plasticsrecycling.org