The APME says the majority of plastics cannot be efficiently recycled

The APME says the majority of plastics cannot be efficiently recycled

Attempts to increase plastics recycling met criticism at last week’s Plastic Recycling Europe conference, organised by EPN and PRW. The Association of Cities and Regions for Recycling secretary-general Kit Strange told delegates: “There are social, environmental and economic advantages to increased levels of recovery for many waste plastics.

“Waste plastics are more recyclable than current performance suggests. Clearly we can be doing better – there is more scope for plastics recycling.” This view was echoed by the chief executive of US firm MBA Polymers, who claimed to have proved plastics recycling could be profitable on a large scale. Dr Michael Biddle said his firm had succeeded in selling 100% post-consumer plastic back to the companies they originated from.

“We will see more plastics recycling plants because it is the economically viable thing to do. It is cheaper than making virgin plastic.” But Neil Mayne, head of the technical and environmental centre at the Association of Plastic Manufacturers in Europe, disagreed. “The majority of plastics cannot be efficiently recycled. For example, when recycling domestic retail film, you use more energy than you would do making new polymer.”

Referring to the relatively low plastics packaging recovery target of 22.5% by 2008, Mayne added: “We believe 22.5% is right on the limit of what makes sense.”