Electronic scrap reclaimers are producing a rising tide of plastics. How can more of this material be recvcled?

Transcription

1 Electronic scrap reclaimers are producing a rising tide of plastics. How can more of this material be recvcled?.esin);jearly_al he &maindecof ~lasticsare conk nated with pai :onnectors or foi )r consist of twc nore types of plashat have been this material is produced in homo$e:eneous streams (only about one-quarter of all the plastics generated in disassembly are contaminant-free material of a single type of All ~ffw&@j@0v@-f0fwl'd The results of a yea-long project involving dozens of businesses and governmental agencies show that the recycling of the plastics plastics from electronics, including resin makers, original equipment manufacturers, plastics converters and molders, electronics scrap reclaimers and end users of reclaimed Resource Recycling January 2002 a

2 plastics. The result of the dialogue among more than 70 organizations was a series of recommendations on where to head. Four major impediments The group concluded that the recycling of engineering thermoplastics (ETPs) from electronics is limited by four significantbarriers. The collection system needs to improve. To achieve the volumes of recovered plastics needed for cost-effective processing and market development, the number of collection efforts needs to expand and the collection system needs to become more efficient. The economics of plastics recycling need to be more attractive. The economics of recycling engineering thermoplastics is marginal, with the price of recycledcontent resin often greater than the price of virgin plastics. The lack of a continuous supply of recycled resin is a market impediment. Some potential consumers of recovered engineering thermoplastics from used electronics are hesitant to commit to using such plastic due to the lack of a steady stream of high-quality resin. Design protocols and material specifications are needed. Little good, consistent information is available on the characteristics and quality of plastics recovered from Discover the Resource on Plastics Recycling: Answers to common questions about "All Plastic Bottle" recovery programs. A complete listing of more than 1,500 products made from recycled plastics everything from garden and landscape to building and construction products. A guide designed to help businesses, recyclers and local governments evaluate opportunities for recovering plastic films for recycling. A summary report on plastics recovered from residential electrical and electronics equipment. Visit our Web site for these publications and much, much more! American Plastics Council@ Reader service # 209 ~ e s o u r c erecycling January 2002

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4 electronics and their potential applications, especially information focusing on the characteristics and quality of mixed resins. regional plastics consolidation, sorting and densification facilities that subsequently feed larger scrap plastics processors. Collection and processing Material characterization and development Stakeholder work groups that convened to address these concerns identified a key element to improving recovery efficiencies and economics - the opportunity to develop recovered materials, useful data on the characteristics and quality of the recyclable plastics is lacking. The availability of such information is vital for the trade of recovered material and for the development of new markets. As a result, the task force produced the EETP Recycled Material Guidelines that The recovery and use of electronics engineering thermoplastics is an emerging industry. Similar to the growth curve for other Keep America I Reader service X 208 5th International Electronic Products Recovery and Recycling (EPR2) Conference March 12-13,2002 Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel National Safety Council 1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, #I200 Washington, DC Candace Levitt, (202) levitt@nsc.org, Council" ~ e s o u r c Recycling e January 2002 MBA Polymers (Richmon Tufts University (Medford, demonstrate the performance high-impact polystyrene (HIP used electronic equipment as comp to that of virgin-grade HIPS in mat sting and molding trials of consum For example, IBM successful troduced a workstation, the Intellistat o, manufactured using 100 percent re plastic at no extra cost. And, in Chi ycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styren S) is used in the production of consume ctronic parts such as camera casings tery boxes and compact disc trays. These applications illustrate the pot opportunities to reintroduce plastics h-quality, single resins -recoveredfr ctronics into new products, notwi standing market perceptions and volu constraints. While these represent significant challenges that must be addressed, perhaps an even greater need exists for novel applications of contaminated and resins from used electronic waste streams. Available technologies can remove metals, clean plastics and separate olastics bv resin type, but this route is not always cosceffective given transportation and processina costs. One promisino application for mixed tics from electronics; as well as other recovered thermoplastic resins, is Plasphalt, a product introduced by Paving Technologies (Bath, Pennsylvania). Plasphalt is a hot mix asphalt concrete containing 1 to 2 percent (by weight) ground recycled thermoplastic resins treated with a proprietary process to improve the bond strength between the plastic and asphalt binder. The process can accept mixed plastic resins, including plas. tics #I-7, ABS and HIPS, which replacf some of the stone and gravel used in asphalt This technology is a potential opportunitg for the recycling industry that also may offel benefits and lower costs for the paving industry, making it a win-win situation. One particular benefit of Plasphalt, as demonstrated in laboratory and field studies, is improved rut resistance compared to traditional paving products. This characteristic could translate into lower roadway mainten

5 define a common language, quality grades and specifications for recovered engineering thermoplastics from disassembled electronics. The task force now is working with trade organizations: such as the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (Washington), to establish the guidelines as industry standards. Market development For demand for electronics engineering thermoplastics to grow, better information is needed on current and potential recovery levels and recycling applications. A plastics sourcing study is being undertaken by Tufts University and the International Association of Electronics Recyclers (Albany, New York) to determine the types and amounts of plastics available from used electronics, including resin types, quantities, sources, forms, quality and geographic location. Also underway is the development of information on current and promising applications for electroni'cs engineering thermoplastics resins (see Table 2 for a listing of some of these applications). The greatest market need is for mixed resin streams, since it is not always economical or feasible to separate different resins. This is particularly true in the near term as processors handle scrap electronic equipment originally designed 10 to 20 years ago, before the advent of "design for disassembly." Prornising end markets for mixed resins can be found in the construction and transportation markets (see sidebar). Increasing volumes of plastics will be generated from electronic-scrap recovery efforts. This recent project shows that government and industry have numerous opportunities for the development of an effective and efficient system to recycle this material. RR Details about E-Scrap News are available at Patricia Dillon of the Gordon Institute at Tufts University contributed to this article. She may be reached at (978) or dillon@seacoast.com. COMING SOON! rialsinto quality grades based first on source (residential/commercial or industrial) and form. The lowest quality grade is loose plastics, followed by baled material, shredded plastics and clean granulate. Each of these broad categories is further broken down into mixed, TV, computer and single-resin grades, in order of increasing quality. Original product identification is used in the guidelines as a "crude" sort criteria, since research has shown that dominant resin types vary by product. For example, a sample of televisions is likely to contain a high percentage of HIPS, while more ABS will be found in discarded personal computers. F~nally, for each grade of material, the guidelines list more specific material quality variables or properties. These include, for example, we~ght, color, plastic type and contaminants. NAPCOR will release requests for proposals 4 L for PET bottle L recycling projects for the 2002 has provided nearly $3oo,ooo in grants to local recycling programs. Isn't it time YOUR. community expanded its For more information contact LPCOK at 704 I or visit i Reader service # 240 Kesollrr.r Rec~.cling January 2002

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