Commercially viable process to remove BFRs is needed to meet WEEE directive

A UK-led consortium is developing a process to extract brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from waste plastics to leave an “acceptable” level in the plastic for recycling.

Removing BFRs from waste plastics is a key step towards meeting the recycling targets imposed by the waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) directive. “No process to extract BFRs from WEEE polymers has yet been proven to be commercially viable anywhere in the world,” said Axion Recycling, the consultants leading the consortium.

The Wrap-funded project will involve collaboration with commercial partners including Dead Sea Bromine Group, Sony Visual Products Europe, BT, and Brother Industries UK. Trade associations participating are European Brominated Flame Retardant Industry Panel, British Plastics Federation and Plastics Europe.

Axion director Keith Freegard said: “There’s an urgent need for this project. The WEEE directive encourages closed-loop recycling of polymers by electrical and electronic equipment manufacturers in order to meet the tough recycling targets set by the directive.

Axion’s Roger Morton said the first stage of consultation involves contacting product designers and compounders to set the criteria for the process. “We would welcome calls from anyone involved in specifying the plastics content in products,” he said.