WASTE PLASTICS RECYCLING A GOOD PRACTICES GUIDE

BY AND FOR LOCAL & REGIONAL AUTHORITIES

facilities available for sorting and recycling, and the availability of markets for recycled
products
legal obligations
Public authorities have adopted many approaches to collect and treat plastics waste and it would
be pointless perhaps even undesirable - to attempt to develop a universal strategy for all L/RAs.
The objective of this Guide is to offer L/RAs an insight into the socio-political, environmental,
economic and technical aspects of waste plastics management, with reference to practical examples
and case studies. This Guide will:
explain the environmental, economic and social dimensions of waste plastics collection,
sorting and recovery
help bring about an improvement in the recycling performance of waste plastics in those
L/RAs where schemes already exist
encourage the development of a broader commitment by L/RAs to plastics recovery and
recycling
An independent report1 , commissioned by APME (Association of Plastic Manufacturers in Europe)
has investigated the feasibility of mechanically recycling plastics from a number of waste streams
and identifies a number of economically (and environmentally) viable waste plastics and recycling
schemes. Supported by that study, this guide does not address all plastics waste streams, only those
considered the most significant for L/RAs. These include:
general plastics from municipal waste
waste plastics from the distribution and the smaller-scale retail sectors
waste plastics from small industries and businesses
waste plastics from the construction and demolition (C&D) sector
waste plastics from the agricultural sector
This Guide has a three-fold structure. The first element gives a general description of waste plastics
management in Europe. The second develops more specific information focusing on specific flows
or techniques. The third provides illustrations through descriptions of local experiences.

1- " Best Practice for the Mechanical Recycling of Post-user Plastics " (2000). TNO Report (Commissioned by APME)

WASTE PLASTICS RECYCLING A GOOD PRACTICES GUIDE

BY AND FOR LOCAL & REGIONAL AUTHORITIES

CHAPTER 2
Why recycle plastics ?
Since the 1970s, the consumption of plastics has grown dramatically and, consequently, so has the
creation of waste plastics. Associated with this growth and reflecting changes in production and
consumption, the composition of the waste bin has also changed; the proportion of organic matter has declined, while plastics have increased.
GROWTH IN WASTE PLASTICS ARISING
Between 1991 and 2002, the per capita consumption of plastics increased in Western Europe
from 64 to 95 kg/inh/year, an average growth of 3 per cent per year (pa) .
The example of the evolution of municipal waste in Paris is illustrative. In the 1940s, the
Parisian citizen created 240 kg pa MSW. This contained almost no plastics, which started to
appear in the 1950s. By 1970, waste arising had grown (to 415 kg per inhabitant pa) and
plastics comprised almost 5 per cent of the average rubbish bin. In 1980, the proportion had
risen to 8 per cent (of 477 kg). In 1990, 11 per cent (of 558kg) of the waste comprised
plastics and in 2000 the figure had reached 13 per cent (of 588 kg).
Figure 1 : Evolution of the plastics in the Parisian waste bin

In USA1 , the evolution of the waste plastics is similar. In 1960, waste plastics formed no part
of MSW, while today they represent 9.9 per cent. During this same period, total MSW
arisings grew from 88 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) - 491 kg/inh/year to 217 Mtpa
(775 kg/inh/y), while the plastic component increased from 0.4 Mtpa (2.2 kg/inh/year) to
21 Mtpa (76 kg/inh/year). In 40 years, the total weight of waste plastics increased by a
factor of 55 and per capita waste plastics generation rose by a factor of 35.
In 2002, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimated
that the waste plastics represents 8 per cent of the mass but 20 per cent of the volume of MSW in Western Europe.