From PP Waste to High-Quality Products - Comparing Contamination Levels of Different Waste Streams in Mechanical Recycling Processes

Description

In high-quality plastics recycling, the effectiveness of recycling processes relies on the quality of the input, which is waste. This study examines the contamination levels of the plastic material throughout the entire mechanical recycling chain for two different post-consumer polypropylene (PP) waste streams. One stream was collected from mixed waste in the Netherlands while the other was sourced from separate plastic waste collection in Austria. The objective is to compare the mechanical recycling processes conducted with these two waste streams, focusing on their contamination levels at various recycling stages. To achieve this, advanced analytical techniques, specifically Analytical Thermal Desorption Gas Chromatography coupled with Flame Ionization Detection and Mass Spectrometry (ATD-GC-FID/MS), were employed to assess the composition and concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOC) released from the material. Variations in waste composition and sorting practices did not majorly affect the VOC emissions of the PP material. The findings highlight the impact of cross-contamination on the overall efficiency of the mechanical recycling process. Additionally, the study shows the highest quality of recycled post-consumer PP which is currently achievable through mechanical recycling with state-of-the-art technologies. Thus, this research identifies potential adjustments to improve the mechanical recycling process of PP from the initial waste collection to the final product, ensuring compliance with regulatory and product requirements.

Period	23 Apr 2025
Event title	40th International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society
Event type	Conference
Location	Auckland, New ZealandShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International