Chemical Engineering March 2014 - 21

Newsfront
sconverters.eu) trade association,
even in volumes as small as 2%,
degradable plastics can be significantly
detrimental to the quality
of recycled materials. This is especially
concerning in the case of
recycled materials intended to be
used for long-lifetime end products,
such as HDPE pipes or geotextiles
used for highway construction, because
the risk for degradation creates
liability. Part of the problem is
a lack of transparency, says APR's
technical director, David Cornell,
as plastics with degrading additives
are not readily identified as
containing the additives. " Plastics
recyclers do not know if a given
package contains the additives or
not and are reluctant to knowingly
use a category of packaging known
to include the additives, " says Cornell.
He goes on to explain that the
APR provides testing guidelines
and protocols for companies who
produce polyethylene, polypropylene
and PET with degradable additives.
The intent is to give companies
the ability to evaluate the
feasibility of using their products
for certain recycled applications.
European Bioplastics concurs, also
emphasizing the importance of
adequate labeling for bioplastics
and degradable plastics for recycling
purposes. Nonetheless, alternative
plastics with biological or
degradable characteristics will be
an important piece of the plastics
industry, and recyclers and manufacturers
will likely need to work
together toward feasible end-oflife
solutions.
Looking ahead
While there are an increasing number
of new processes for recycling
polymers, the reality is that a majority
of recyclable materials still
end up in landfills or get incinerated,
due to logistical or geographical
issues, lack of awareness and a
lack of appropriate, readily available
processing facilities. Plastics
Europe (Brussels, Belgium; www.
plasticseurope.org), a trade association
representing Europe's
plastics industry, has embarked
on an ongoing project called " Zero
Plastics to Landfill. " As the name
suggests, this ambitious project
aims to completely banish plastics
waste from European landfills by
2020. Obviously, as plastics manufacturing
and consumption continues,
this challenge will fall mainly
in the hands of recycling companies.
New innovations and support
for recycling will ne needed. The
technologies and processes covered
here are just a small portion of the
recycling capability in the industry
today. Companies will continue find
innovative ways take advantage
of these abundant and valuable
waste feedstocks.
■
Mary Page Bailey
W E ' R E EN H A N C I NG THE
ELEMENTS
OF S TR E N G TH .
Corzan®
Industrial Systems get their strength from
our science. That's because The Lubrizol Corporation's
superior CPVC compounds create every Corzan pipe
and fi tting. With the power of mechanical strength
and corrosion resistance, Corzan pipe and fi ttings
exceed the demands of industrial and commercial
applications. Plus, every Corzan system has delivered
MORE INSIDE™
for more than 20 years-giving
you access to Lubrizol's unmatched R&D, technical
expertise, global capabilities and a network of
customers who are industry-leading manufacturers.
Enhance the strength of your next industrial
job. Visit corzancpvc.com or call a piping
systems consultant at 1.855.735.1431.
Follow us on Twitter
@LZ_CPVC
© 2014 The Lubrizol Corporation, all rights reserved. All marks are the property of The Lubrizol Corporation.
The Lubrizol Corporation is a Berkshire Hathaway company.
GC 121100
Circle 23 on p. 68 or go to adlinks.che.com/50974-23
ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com marCh 2014 21
http://www.sconverters.eu http://www.corzancpvc.com http://www.plasticseurope.org http://adlinks.che.com/50974-23 http://www.Che.Com
Chemical Engineering March 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering March 2014
