Date of Report <25/08/2005> < INTEGRATED RECYCLING PLANT FOR AGRICULTURAL PLASTICS > Project Details

Transcription

1 LIFE Prject Number <LIFE03ENV/E/000076> LAYMAN DISSEMINATION REPORT Date f Reprt <25/08/2005> < INTEGRATED RECYCLING PLANT FOR AGRICULTURAL PLASTICS > Prject Details Lcatin f prject: Prject start date: Prject end date: Ttal duratin: Ttal budget: EU Cntributin: (%) f ttal csts: (%) f eligible csts: DON BENITO (BADAJOZ) <01/06/2003> <31/05/2005> <24> mnths 3,740,730 (budgeted) 656, Name f Beneficiary: Cntact persn: Full address: Prject address: Telephne nº: Fax nº: Website: Beneficiary s Details GENPLAST S.L RAFAEL CUENCA CÁCERES POLÍGONO INDUSTRIAL SAN ISIDRO, PARCELA DON BENITO (BADAJOZ) Aptd.crres 90 POLÍGONO INDUSTRIAL SAN ISIDRO, PARCELA DON BENITO (BADAJOZ) Aptd.crres Mbile: rcuenca@genplast.es y Infrme Layman de difusión

2 Prject Summary and Objectives The gal f the prject is t cnstruct and cmmissin a pilt agricultural plastic recycling plant that will serve as a catalyst fr ther plants, whilst prving the viability f implementing an innvative prcess fr slving the prblems assciated with the dispsal f plastic waste. The prcess itself, which is the first f its kind in Eurpe, cmbines recycling technlgy with transfrmatin technlgy. As part f this prject, GENPLAST, S.L. will recycle agricultural plastic waste t create prducts that can reused in the hrticultural industry (mulch film, tunnels/small tunnels, greenhuse film, hses, etc.), using new generatin technlgy t ensure that the new prducts have special prperties and are crrectly adapted t the particular characteristics f the gegraphical areas in which they will be used; this is indispensable in rder t ensure that the riginal prperties f the prduct are maintained fr as lng as pssible. The aim f the prject is t design a prcess that invlves treating the raw material (nngranulated chippings) t create the final prduct whilst als transfrming the material (single prcessing), This is the first time this prcess, which efficiently cmbines recycling technlgy with transfrmatin technlgy, will be implemented in Eurpe. The effrts t prmte the prject have included rganising and participating in wrkshps, trade fairs and exhibitins. At the same time, highly interactive teaching materials and disseminatin prgrammes have been develped (the website, CD-cards, etc). Likewise, varius meetings and discussin have been held with the cmpanies and rganisatins invlved in the plasticulture industry, as well as the crrespnding envirnmental bdies, with a view t prmting the Life-Genplast prject. These cntacts have helped t publicise the prject s that it will act as a catalyst fr similar initiatives in ther Spanish Regins and Member States f the E.U. Infrme Layman de difusión 1 de 9

3 Intrductin Over the past few years, there have been majr develpments in the hrticultural sectr, which have been largely due t develpments in the plastics industry. There have been majr develpments in the systems used t imprve crps prductin (mulch film, tunnels and greenhuses) as well as ther applicatins such as irrigatin netwrks, shade nets, raffia strings, etc. Plyethylene is the mst widely used plastic material, fllwed by PVC. In Spain, the use f plastic has encuraged the develpment f the natin s hrticultural industry as the climate permits earlier ripening than the much clder znes f central and nrthern Eurpe. Indeed, it may be said that plastic has enabled Spain t becme ne f the majr suppliers fr the Eurpean ecnmic area. In 2001, 196,244 tnnes f plastic raw materials were used t make prducts fr the agricultural sectr in Spain alne. Hwever, at the end f their life span (greenhuse cvering plastic usually has a duratin f tw years), these plastic materials becme waste prducts, and have a cnsiderable impact n the envirnment, due t the serius prblems invlved in dispsing f them. This waste is hard t manage and at present, these prducts are usually abandned, incinerated (usually in an uncntrlled way) r sent t a landfill site. As a result, it is imperative t take urgent steps t reslve this prblem and cmply with the targets defined in the Cmmunity and natinal legislatin n waste management. In rder t help slve this prblem a pilt agricultural plastic recycling plant has been cnstructed and cmmissined. The plant will serve as an example and prve the viability f the innvative prcess, which will prvide a slutin t the waste dispsal prblems, by creating a prcess that integrates special recycling technlgy with transfrmatin technlgy. The prcess is a pineering initiative and will be reprducible in ther member states. The mst imprtant result will be the recycling f tnnes f agricultural plastic waste per year, preventing its uncntrlled discard, incineratin r dumping in landfill sites. As a result, the technical and financial viability f the prcess has been prved and this shuld serve as a catalyst fr the cnstructin f ther plastic recycling plants that emply this technlgy in ther Eurpean states. The prject will als help t reduce the impact that agricultural plastic waste has n the envirnment. Infrme Layman de difusión 2 de 9

4 Technlgy Recvery prcess Dry separatin Cleaning Centrifuge Drying Transfrmatin Strage Clean plastic Transfrmatin Extrusin Prducts Prductin f granulated material Blwing Cmmercialisatin Cnsumptin in the plant Manufacture f film Unificatin f prcesses = mre ecnmic Currently, the plastic recycling sectr is frmed by handlers and reclaimers that limit themselves t cllecting and recycling plastics, and cmpanies that use the recycled plastic film t manufacture prducts. Genplast, hwever, integrate these prcesses int ne and Infrme Layman de difusión 3 de 9

5 apply it t agricultural plastic, making the prject the nly ne f its kind in the wrld, in technlgical terms. The recvery prcess invlves the fllwing prcedures: Dry separatin: This part f the prcess cnsists f a shredder that grinds the material and a cnveyr belt (knwn as a visualisatin belt ), which has a metal detectr attached. There is anther shredding machine t further grind the material and anther cnveyr belt that takes it t the vibrating sifter, where sand and ther particles are separated. The sifted material is then placed n a third cnveyr belt that takes it t the high-speed washer. Cleaning and centrifuge: The material then enters a steel Inx tank that cntains a rtating disc with small hammers n the sides, where it is cleaned and the plyethylene chippings are chaffed in cntinuus cycles. The material has t be cleaned with ht water in rder t remve labels r ther adhesives (pst-cnsumptin), which is why the machine has a biler (that is nly used fr this prcess). The material is then laded int a sift that separates the cntaminated water frm the prcess material. Subsequently, after the extractin screw has cllected the chippings frm the shift, the material is passed n t the cleaning and decanting tank. The material passes thrugh a cleaning centrifuge where it is washed by a rtr with blades that rtate at high speeds in the centre f the grill. The cleaning prcess invlves tw centrifuges. The waste (water, paper, mud, etc.) is then separated and treated, befre the remaining material is finally decanted. Drying and strage: Tw mtrised ventilatrs remve the material frm the centrifuges, taking it t the first cyclne. The first cyclne then passes the material t the secnd cyclne thrugh a perfrated pipe. Having undergne these prcesses, the material is put int strage, where it is ready t be used. The transfrmatin prcess is then applied t create the final prduct, which can then be sld n t custmers. The fllwing equipment is used in this prcess: - Raw materials strage machinery and equipment. - Film prductin line (excepting extruders). - Plastic recycling plant. - Varius pieces f machinery and equipment. The plastic recycling prcess has been perfected by incrprating tw new extruders in the plastic extrusin line. This technical imprvement means that it is pssible t prduce threelayer film using agricultural plastic waste. The three-layer film is frmed by jining three plastic layers (as the name implies). The resulting film prvides better thermal perfrmance, with excellent ptic and mechanical prperties. Develpment f new materials and prducts New materials and prducts, perfectly adapted t the plasticulture industry, have been develped using the recycled plastic, by applying the plastic film multi-layer technlgies. The multi-layer film has the prperties f any ther high-quality prduct, which means that the value f the prduct resulting frm the prcess is increased. The fllwing prducts have been designed and develped: Infrme Layman de difusión 4 de 9

6 LDPE mulch films and LDPE tunnels/small tunnels. Sheets fr small greenhuses and tubular film fr irrigatin channels Tubular film prtectrs fr cuttings Sheets fr silage Flexible hse fr nn-pressurised water pipes Lng-lasting sheets fr small irrigatin pls Highly resistant hses t perfrm cncrete pipes Retractile film fr bundling Sheets fr curing cncrete pavements. Recycled granulated chippings fr the plastics transfrmatin industry (excess prduct). Infrme Layman de difusión 5 de 9

7 Reprductin ptential and transferability LIFE GENPLAST develps a treatment prcess fr a waste material (agricultural plastic waste) that is currently fund in every cuntry due t the astnishing develpment f plasticulture within the hrticultural sectr in recent years. The ever-grwing vlume f this type f waste and the almst ttal lack f apprpriate dispsal r management methds make the cncept f this prject highly applicable in Spain, in Eurpean member-states r anywhere in the wrld. The validatin f an innvative transfrmatin prcess (quality based n innvatin) that allws us t prduce new materials fr agriculture, frm recycled agricultural plastic (by taking advantage f the abundance f this waste, which is underused, cntaminant and f an insignificant cst), in a single prductive prcess, permits a reduced use f resurces and will result in benefits fr the sectr The new recycled material pens the way fr ther new prducts, with a further benefit f psitining the cmpany t meet the expected grwing demand fr recycled plastic materials in the cming years All f these initiatives are implemented with a view t achieving the bjectives f plasticulture, but whilst als prmting sustainable develpment and making it pssible. Sustainable develpment is nly pssible if tw specific measures are implemented: reducing cntaminatin (by develping bidegradable films) and managing waste prperly (by revaluing the prduct). Plastic recycling is budding market, in which the demand is currently much higher than the supply and the technlgy is still under develpment. The market will cntinue t expand, in almst all cases, until a clsed lp cycle is established; in ther wrds, when recycled agricultural plastic is reused fr agricultural purpses (film). Having managed the cmplexity f this prject, which invlves the whle value chain and the whle life-cycle f plasticulture film, Genplast intend t cntinue implementing the Life prject and t begin designing, develping and implementing an Integrated Waste Management System fr the Integrated Plasticulture Film Prductin and Transfrmatin Prcesses. Prfitability. Envirnmental cst/benefit rati The prject is highly prfitable in ecnmic terms. The highly innvative technlgy applied requires a sund market strategy that cvers: A csts strategy (market vlume, with lwer prductin and distributin csts scale ecnmy -). Differentiatin strategy (alternative and/r new prducts based n recycled materials) In effect, the prfit margins invlved are much higher than they wuld nrmally be in this sectr and they are a direct result f the extensive knwledge f custmer habits and the highly innvative technlgy invlved. The cmmercial strategy is based n the technlgy available and the ttal prductin capacity, fllwing the prfitability criteria, and this will permit the parties t benefit frm the reduced csts (scaled ecnmy). Whereas the csts f prducing film and chippings are the same, the film can be sld at a price that is duble that f the chippings Infrme Layman de difusión 6 de 9

8 Frm a marketing pint f view, selling chippings is easy (in terms f timeframes and methds), given that 100 % f the prduct can be sld frm the very start. Hwever, a welldesigned business plan culd result in increasing film sales and decreasing chippings sales, which wuld maximise the prfits and prvide a larger quta f new recycled plastic-based prducts cming nt the markets. One f the prject s main aims (quality based n innvatin) is t cmbine the chippings extrusin prcess with the waste extrusin prcess t frm a single prcess, thereby reducing the transfrmatin cst by 50 %. Yet anther ne f the main aims is t supply the pst-agricultural prcess waste recycling plant, thereby helping t slve an imprtant envirnmental issue, whilst using a raw material that has an insignificant cst (in cmparisn with pst-industrial waste). Therefre, if we extraplate the results that wuld be btained frm the new prcess and apply them t ur specific case (the cmbinatin f the chippings extrusin prcess and the waste extrusin prcess t create a single prcess), we find that the csts f transfrmatin prcess, which is fundamental fr btaining the final prduct, wuld be halved. Evidently, the final prducts are created precisely t satisfy the custmer, and they are mre useful in this frm than they wuld be if the separate resurces had nt been transfrmed. Thus, the price that the custmers pay fr the final prducts is higher than what they wuld pay fr the separate resurces. Cnsequently, in the final analysis, custmers wuld benefit in tw ways with the prducts created using the new prcess: n the ne hand, they wuld be btaining a final prduct with better quality but at a lwer cst; and n the ther, they wuld knw that they are using recycled prducts that have a psitive effect n the envirnment. As a result, we can say that the applicatin f this principle t the use f plastics and the life cycles f plastics creates a new cncept: SUSTAINABLE PLASTICULTURE. Frm this, it fllws that the Prductin System itself is an element that generates wealth. The market pays mre fr the transfrmed prduct than it wuld pay fr the resurces. This ecnmic exchange is knwn as Added Value and it gives the Prductin System its wn financial means fr creating new resurces with which it can generate mre final prducts. As a result, using recycled materials increases the added value btained with the new prcess. Infrme Layman de difusión 7 de 9

9 Envirnmental Benefits Indirectly, there are massive envirnmental benefits. A waste matter that is difficult t eliminate by cnventinal means is made t disappear, but abve all, it supplies the market with a new prduct which makes it unnecessary t use the traditinal virgin plastic material, with the ensuing envirnmental advantages. This cnstitutes a strategy that reduces the negative effects during the prduct s life cycle, whilst deterirated prducts can be recycled t develp new prducts. This new prduct des nt create waste. In ther wrds, deterirated prducts can be recycled int the prductin prcess fr new prducts. The pssibility f recycling the used material ver and ver again gives these prducts an ptimum envirnmental behaviur In the light f the extremely large number f cycles fr every new item placed n the market, the abve-mentined saving n raw virgin plastic granules is actually even higher: any prducts that becme unusable are replaced by thers that are made frm exactly the same prduct, thus even further reducing the demand and explitatin f nn-renewable resurces. The prcess prevents the generatin f a waste material that pses a hazard in its eliminatin. The envirnmental cst f the space ccupied by this material, and abve all the pssibility f highly txic substances being released int the air by uncntrlled burning, make this slutin envirnmentally undesirable. Furthermre, value-adding this material ensures ptimised energy usage, thus prducing a further pprtunity fr indirect energy saving which is squandered by the current dispsal system. Benefits include: - Preventin f tnnes f abandned r dumped plastic waste per year. The envirnment cst (emissin, nise, risks, use f fssil fuels, etc.) caused by transprt t landfill sites will als be eliminated. - Saving n cnsumptin f nn-renewable energy (fssil fuels). - Reductin f air pllutin by aviding the need t prduce new plastic and reducing the incidence f uncntrlled burning f waste material. - Disseminatin f the prject t all public and private bdies interested in the prblem f agricultural plastic waste management. Infrme Layman de difusión 8 de 9

10 Innvatin The initiatives cvered by this prject will cnstitute the cmmissining f an innvative recycling scheme fr agricultural plastic waste which is used t manufacture new prducts with special prperties, adapted t the particular characteristics f each gegraphic area. The prductin f the apprpriate type f film t the envirnmental features f the target area is indispensable in rder t ensure that the riginal prperties f the prduct are maintained fr as lng as pssible. The plastics industry clearly distinguishes between recycling and transfrming cmpanies. In the case f LIFE GENPLAST, the tw prcesses are merged, giving rise t the dual-facet cmpany that prduces and supplies film fr agriculture n the ne hand and acts as a waste management firm at the same time. This is a unique prject fr Eurpe. It is a highly efficient slutin fr the mechanical recycling f agricultural plastic waste, with the value-added dimensin f develping new prducts that will innvate the transfrmed plastics market. The new recycled material pens the way fr ther new prducts, with a further benefit f psitining the cmpany t meet the expected grwing demand fr recycled plastic materials in the cming years This prject will result in an integrated treatment frm the raw material t the final prduct, generating the material in just ne transfrmatin (single prcessing), using nn-granulated plastic as the raw material. This is an innvative prcess in Eurpe which uses exclusive recycling technlgy in an efficient cmbinatin with transfrmatin technlgy. The prject s cntributin t the implementatin f the Eurpean Unin s envirnmental legislatin. This prject will cntribute t the implementatin f the Cmmn Plicy n the Envirnment, especially n waste management under Cmmunity Directive 91/156/CEE n wastes and its transpsitin t Spanish law under the Waste Act 10/98 f 21 April, bearing in mind the ecnmic and envirnmental aspects with a clearly psitive balance in cmparisn with existing management alternatives fr the treatment f plastic waste This prject thus presents a slutin t an envirnmental prblem that is widespread in the Eurpean Unin and aggravated in the peripheral regins. At the lcal level, the initiative taken by GENPLAST is ging t be an example fr ther ptential cmpanies which perceive the excellent grwth prspects in the immediate future and may wish t make the mst f this type f waste material. Infrme Layman de difusión 9 de 9