PVC RECYCLING
Continuous increase across Europe / UK accounts for over 20% of total / Recovinyl report
The UK contributed over 20%, or 88,648 t, of PVC to the total recycled in 2013 through the Recovinyl European recycling scheme (Brussels / Belgium; www.recovinyl.com). According to figures recently published by VinylPlus, PVC recycling continues to grow across Europe, with a total of around 440,000 t recycled last year (see Plasteurope.com of 16.05.2014).
 Waste PVC-U profiles accounted for almost 60% of the UK’s recycling effort in 2013 (Photo: Veka Recycling) |
According to Recovinyl, PVC-U profiles waste comprised 50,421 t of the UK’s recycling effort in 2013, with pipes, rigid and flexible PVC films and cables accounting for the remainder. The recycled profiles are estimated to be equivalent to the replacement of 3m individual frames, or over 300,000 homes, based on an average of ten windows per house. Jane Gardner, project manager at Recovinyl’s UK agent Axion Consulting (www.axionconsulting.co.uk), said: “These latest figures show that PVC recycling is maintaining its upward trend, with demand continuing to grow for good quality recycled material that can be reused in a variety of new products, from windows to flooring and advertising banners. Once again, the UK has made a significant contribution to the success of PVC recycling, thanks to ongoing commitment from the sector and sustained investment in recycling infrastructure across the country.”
Significant volumes of PVC recycling were achieved through the “Vinyl 2010” scheme and Recovinyl said that its present strategy is to consolidate and increase the steady supply of PVC waste being recycled in Europe by creating demand – a “pull-market” for recycled PVC material – from the converting industry.
One of the objectives of the VinylPlus voluntary commitment, of which Recovinyl is the operational arm, is to recycle 800,000 t of PVC waste annually by 2020, including 100,000 t of difficult to recycle PVC through innovative recycling technologies. Additional potential new recycling opportunities for PVC include non-infectious medical PVC waste from hospitals, such as IV fluid and oxygen bags. This type of waste is the focus of a new “VinylPlus”-funded research project being undertaken jointly by Axion Consulting and the vinyls group of British Plastics Federation (BPF, London / UK; www.bpf.co.uk).
Significant volumes of PVC recycling were achieved through the “Vinyl 2010” scheme and Recovinyl said that its present strategy is to consolidate and increase the steady supply of PVC waste being recycled in Europe by creating demand – a “pull-market” for recycled PVC material – from the converting industry.
One of the objectives of the VinylPlus voluntary commitment, of which Recovinyl is the operational arm, is to recycle 800,000 t of PVC waste annually by 2020, including 100,000 t of difficult to recycle PVC through innovative recycling technologies. Additional potential new recycling opportunities for PVC include non-infectious medical PVC waste from hospitals, such as IV fluid and oxygen bags. This type of waste is the focus of a new “VinylPlus”-funded research project being undertaken jointly by Axion Consulting and the vinyls group of British Plastics Federation (BPF, London / UK; www.bpf.co.uk).
23.06.2014 Plasteurope.com [228531-0]
Published on 23.06.2014