Postconsumer packaging

Recovery, and in particular recycling of postconsumer packaging wastes, does not stop further generation of wastes. First, not all the collected material is recycled and, second, the product made from the recycled material will end up being a waste sooner or later as well. As for incineration of postconsumer packages, it may mean a volume decrease of 20 to 40 percent. 

In the United States, the collection of plastic postconsumer packaging from households is mostly confined to HDPE and PET bottles [13, 20]. This is reasonable... 

Estde Lauder Company through its Origins brand encourages consumers to return postconsumer packages to the store and compensates them for the effort. 

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is one of the most extensively recycled polymeric materials. In 1995, 3.5 x 104 tons of PET were recycled in Europe.1 The main reason for the widespread recycling of PET is its extensive use in plastic packaging applications, especially in the beverage industry as plastic bottles. The consistency in terms of volume and availability of postconsumer bottles from sorting facilities and its high material scrap value create an excellent economic environment for PET recycling. 

Franklin Associates (2010). Final Report. Life cycle inventory of 100% postconsumer HOPE and PET recycled resin from postconsumer containers and packaging. 

Contaminants in recycled plastic packaging waste (HDPE, PP) were identified by MAE followed by GC-MS analysis [290]. Fragrance and flavour constituents from first usage were detected. Recycled material also contained aliphatic hydrocarbons, branched alkanes and alkenes, which are also found in virgin resins at similar concentration levels. Moreover, aromatic hydrocarbons, probably derived from additives, were found. Postconsumer PET was also analysed by Soxhlet extraction and GC-MS most of the extracted compounds (30) were thermally degraded products of additives and polymers, whereas only a few derived from the original contents... 

The EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste sets a recovery target for used packaging of 25% by 2001 and 50-65% by 2005. It is likely that recycling of postconsumer plastics will require substantial polymer/additive analyses. 

Identification of the materials of construction (i.e., plastics, paper, metal, glass, elastomers, coatings, adhesives, and other such materials) should be identified by a specific product designation (code name and/or code number) and the source (name of the manufacturer) alternate materials of construction should be indicated postconsumer recycled plastic should not be used in the manufacture of a primary packaging component, and if it is used for a secondary or associated component, then the safety and compatibility of the material for its intended use should be addressed appropriately... 

Special collection systems are generally provided for large-scale or commercial postconsumer applications such as for agricultural films, chemical containers, automotive parts, carpets, and polystyrene foam packaging. Since most of the plastic is collected as multimaterial or in commingled forms, the collected plastic waste has to be sorted, separated, and cleaned, and most of this is done at material recovery facilities (MRFs). 

Some of the most common sources of recyclate wood feedstocks suitable for composites include [269] (a) primary wood wastes (such as wood wastes from sawmills (b) secondary wood wastes (generated when wood products, such as furniture, cabinets and doors are made) and (c) postconsumer wood wastes (which can include anything from construction and demolition debris to packaging, crates and pallets. Primary and secondary wood wastes are the key materials used for WPC production in the U.S.A. 

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