LABELLING AGRICULTURAL PLASTIC WASTE FOR VALORISING THE WASTE STREAM. Alexandre Dangis EuPC (European Plastic Converters)

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1 LABELLING AGRICULTURAL PLASTIC WASTE FOR VALORISING THE WASTE STREAM Alexandre Dangis EuPC (European Plastic Converters) 1

2 Workprogramme EuPF AGRI TWG Prepare input for EU Commission Labelagriwaste project Recommendations for legal requirements to EU Commission Stimulate local/regional collection systems of plastics agricultural waste Define input specifications together with PE films recyclers by working with EuPR Film group Maximum 2 meetings/ year Participation limited to EU AGRI film producers & recyclers Duration 36 months Industry leader: spanish company tbc 2

3 Participants - consortium IAG's: Industrial Associations/Groupings Partic. no. Participant name Participant short name Country 14 EUROPEAN PLASTICS CONVERTERS ASSOCIATION EUPC B 2 EUROPEAN PLASTICS RECYCLERS ASSOCIATION EUPR B 3 CICLOPLAST CICLOPLAST E 4 PANHELLENIC CONFEDERATION OF UNIONS OF AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES PASEGES EL 5 CONFAGRICOLTURA CONFAGRI- COLTURA I 6 FEDERATION LANGUEDOCIENNE DE LA COOPERATION DES FRUITS ET LEGUMES FLCFL F 7 PANAGROTIKOS SYNDESMOS CYPRUS PANAGROTIKOS CY 3

4 Participants and consortium SMES Group Partic. no. Participant name Participant short name Country 8 ALFA EDILE R.R.L. ECOLOGY DEPARTMENT ALFAEDILE I 9 INDUSTRIAL SEVILLANA RECICLAJE DE PLASTICOS S.I. INSERPLASA E 1 PATI PATI I 11 SUOMEN UUSIOMUOVI OY SUOMEN FI 12 POLYECO S.A. MANAGEMENT AND VALORIZATION OF WASTE INDUSTRY POLYECO EL 4

5 Participants and consortium RTD Performers Partic. no. Participant name Participant short name Country 1 AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS AUA EL 15 CENTRE NATIONAL DU MECHANISME AGRICOLE, DU GENIE RURAL, DES EAUX ET DES FORETS CEMAGREF F 16 FUNDACION GAIKER GAIKER E 17 UNIVERSITY OF BARI PROGESA DEPARTMENT UNIBA I 18 UNIVERSITAET STUTTGART USTUTT D 19 TITAN CEMENT SA TITAN EL 5

6 Agricultural plastics 6

7 Agricultural plastic wastes Today: A large portion of agricultural films are left on the field or burnt uncontrollably by the farmers releasing harmful substances with the associated negative consequences to the environment. Aesthetic pollution and landscape degradation of regions of natural beauty. South Europe only? Safety of the food produced in such fields? IMAGE ISSUE FOR PLASTICS 7

8 LABELAGRIWASTE: Objectives (1) Develop standardised procedures and integrated methodologies to label the agricultural plastic waste streams in order to facilitate their routing to the best alternative processing and final disposal: most environmental friendly and economically valuable and technically feasible solution 8

9 LABELAGRIWASTE: Objectives (2) Transforming used agricultural plastics into a commodity that can be transported across boundaries, traded in the open market and routed to the best alternative processing and disposal. Developing a systematic labelling scheme and policy recommendations for the appropriate disposal and/or utilisation of the agricultural plastic wastes. This will support relevant standardisation CEN and/or other legislation activities for cleaner environment and economy of natural resources. 9

10 LABELAGRIWASTE: Objectives (3) Developing farming practices that will improve the quality of the waste Maximizing the range of the specs a waste stream should meet to qualify for a processing/ disposal option. 5 Work Packages have been set up by the consortium 1

11 WP 1. Critical parameters and legal framework of agricultural plastic wastes chain Objectives Analyse the generation, collection and disposal practices of agricultural plastic wastes over Europe. Identify and analyse the technical and economical critical parameters affecting the quality / value of the agricultural plastic waste stream through the agricultural plastic waste generation-collection-disposal scheme. Document the European, international, national and regional legal framework concerning several aspects of the agricultural plastic waste management (composition of the waste, agrochemicals, transportation of waste, water and air pollution prevention) and identify the legal differences across national barriers and any conflicts or gaps in legislation. Investigate analytical methodologies and labelling schemes already applied in other industrial sectors that could be adopted in the agricultural plastic waste streams and compatibility/synergetic schemes with other waste streams. 11

12 WP 2. Pre-normative research aimed at overcoming scientific challenges for consolidation/ validation of agricultural plastic waste labelling scheme to maximize valorization of the waste stream Objectives Correlate / quantify the quality of the agricultural plastic waste stream to its initial composition, use, collection/ treatment, storage and transportation in order to quantify the key control parameters and establish the quality assurance system supported by the labelling scheme. Expand the range of acceptable material for each disposal option by eliminating technical hurtles and investigating differences between waste disposal plants. Determine the constraints and conditions to be applied in the form of specifications for each disposal alternative and develop a simple classification methodology of wastes labelling criteria per disposal option aimed at the environmental safe, technically feasible and cost effective disposal. 12

13 WP 3. Testing labelling alternatives / evaluation and validation of the alternatives Objectives Organize and carry out pilot tests to implement the results of the previous work package, putting into practice the alternative technical guidelines for the final users. Evaluate, optimize and validate the collection scheme in the farm, the labelling methodology and the operating range of the disposal processes based on the extended pilot effort. Get feedback from the SMEs group and the interested parties that will lead to the optimization and enhancement of the entire system. 13

14 WP 4. Dissemination, Exploitation and Policy Recommendations Objectives Manage the information flows between partners and establish the strategy to disseminate the labelling scheme and the obtained results of the project. Raise awareness of the dimensions of the agricultural plastic waste problem and force the creation of a critical mass to solve research issues and technological problems related to the development and implementation of legislation. 14

15 WP 5. Training Objectives Training is the capital element leading to the adoption and implementation in the long run of the labelling scheme. While the dissemination (WP 4) will focus on why the SMEs should adopt the proposed scheme (merits of the scheme), the training will focus on how to adopt the proposed recommendations. Training to be conducted mainly by the IAG's, directed firstly to their SME-members: to bring the scientific recommendations to the level of the user and to answer all the questions that arise from the particularity of their members. Technical assistance for the training will be provided by the RTD performers. 15

16 Articles included in the Project Films Pipes Rigid and flexible (High Density Polyetilene) Coated Fabrics (i.e. protective plastic for trucks) Plastic nets (i.e. birds and insects) Plastic pots Plastic bags for fertilizers and agrochemicals.. 16

17 Articles included in the Project Agriculture thick film Agriculture stretch film Potato thin film 17

18 Some information about Spain The following charts have been prepared by Cicloplast (E) and have been provided into the consortium Labelagriwaste is developping similar information & knowledge about this plastic market in the EU 27 18

19 Consumption Agriculture Plastics Consumption Agriculture Plastics 99-4 (ton) 24., 23., ton 22., 21., , 19.,

20 Consumption agriculture by polymers. Consumption Agriculture Plastics by Polymers ( 24) PVC 33% OTROS 4% PEBD 42% PP 6% PEAD 15% 2

21 Agriculture Plastics in Spain. FILMS Mulching Tunnel Greenhouse Silage 47% Pipes 31% Others Meshes Agrochemicals Packaging Others 22% TOTAL 1% 21

22 Spain vs Europe EUROPE 24: TOTAL PLASTICS CONSUMPTION= 31.4 KT AGRICULTURE PLASTICS= 85 KT AGRICULTURE PLASTIC FILMS = 4 KT SPAIN 24: TOTAL PLASTICS CONSUMPTION= =3.749 KT AGRICULTURE PLASTICS = 235 KT AGRICULTURE PLASTIC FILMS = 11 KT Spain represents 28% of the total agriculture plastics in Europe. Films includes Mulching, Tunnels, Greenhouse and silage 22

23 Crops Quantities REGIONS MULCHING TUNNELS GREENHOUSE GALICIA MADRID 398 COM VALENCIANA REGION DE MURCIA PAIS VASCO 19 ASTURIAS CANTABRIA LA RIOJA 53 BALEARES CATALUÑA NAVARRA ARAGON 7 CANARIAS CAST y LEON 61 CAST la MANCHA EXTREMADURA 5.15 ANDALUCIA TOTAL SPAIN

24 Mulching quantities. 53 Ha 4.7 ha 279 Ha Ha 5.15 Ha Ha 4.42 Ha 88 Ha Ha 9.5 Ha Total: Ha 24

25 Tunnel quantities. 19 Ha 1 Ha 7 ha 157 Ha 61 Ha 398 Ha 14 Ha 4.69Ha Ha Total: Ha 25

26 Greenhouses quantities 174Ha 493 Ha 678 Ha 12 Ha 2.55 Ha Ha Ha Total: 5.222Ha 5.86 Ha 26

27 Main Crop Areas in Andalucia 27

28 Andalucia Crops ANDALUCIA CROPS(% ha) 1% 8% 6% 4% 2% % MULCHING TUNNEL GREENHOUSE 28

29 Evolution of Plasticulture in Spain Evolution of Plasticulture in Spain. ha Mulching Tunnel Greenhouse 29

30 Farmplastics in the UK* Each year about 55, tonnes of non-natural wastes are generated on farms in England, of which it is estimated that about 85, tonnes is waste plastic. Over 9% of holdings produce plastic waste, with packaging waste estimated to be about 21, tonnes each year and non-packaging plastic waste estimated at about 65, tonnes per year. This latter figure is bolstered by the high levels of contamination (soil and other debris) associated with silage wrap and horticultural films *Website DEFRA 3

31 Interesting websites The website in the UK enables farmers to search for collectors of plastic waste in their area, and for collectors to find suitable processors of agricultural waste plastics. 31

32 Conclusion Via EuPC (EuPF) and EuPR the plastic films extruders & recyclers can influence and/or contribute to this project. They can furthermore analyse together the increasing use of plastics in the agricultural market Farmers are eager to find alternative markets for the use of their products but a lot needs to be done to communicate with their farmers community on the responsable use of plastics in order to have a good image for plastics 32