Regulation recycled plastics

This subject effects designers since many products have the requirement by regulations or otherwise to use recycled plastics. Different methods are used to recycle materials to provide plastics with a continuing life. Method used is influenced by factors such as costs, quantity involved, weight involved, size and shape, complexity of mixed types of plastics, extended of contamination such as metallic particles, continued availability of material, etc. (Recognize that they can also be used as energy sources through incineration that can be combined with production of electricity and/or hot water for example). 

The high consumption of plastics in developed countries (over 50 million tons in the year 2001 and an increase of 4% year-1 is expected) explains the great interest for exploitation of post-consumer plastics. Taking into account that the environmental regulations prohibit their exploitation by combustion, thermal decomposition or pyrolysis is one of the procedures for recycling plastic with best perspectives for obtaining feedstock and fuel. 

It is generally known that only a very limited number of packaging materials such as glass or metal provide absolute protection properties concerning the penetration of chemical compounds from layers behind or from the environment. In the case of multi-layers with plastics materials as functional barriers there occurs, in most cases to a certain extent, an unavoidable mass transfer from the plastics layers into the product. This must be understood as a functional quantity which, however, must comply with food regulations. Therefore it is necessary firstly to understand functional barrier characteristics and mechanisms and, secondly, to define the functional barrier efficiency in relation to food safety and to establish appropriate test methods. This is especially important with those food packaging applications where recycled plastics are covered by plastics functional barriers. 

Sustainable grocery bags can be made with biobased or recycled plastics, produced without regulated heavy metals or toxins, made with clean manufacturing principles, and produced fair employment and safety... 

Sustainable plastic bottles can be made with biobased or recycled plastics, produced without regulated heavy metals or toxins, and made with clean manufacturing principles, and fair employment and safety practices. LCA can be used to provide a sustainable plastic bottle. The LCA process can include key elements of LCA, which features consistent functional units, energy, GHGs, waste, and pollution that include eutrophication, acidification, toxic chemical release, and end-of-life. 

It should be underlined that food safety is the most significant consideration in the use of recycled plastics in food contact applications. Regulatory requirements have been a major factor in controlling the development of recycling processes which can demonstrate the production of recycled plastics suitable for food contact applications. Without such regulations, it is not possible to gain approval or nonobjection for any process that recycles PET back into food contact applications. 

The presence of adjuvants which may not comply with the regulations for the use of recycled plastic in food contact products. 

What is more, in 2001, just 16,000 tonnes of rPET were used to produce containers, almost all for nonfood. The passing of EU Regulation 282/2008 on recycled plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food means that all EU member countries will allow rPET, from approved plants, to be used in food contact containers. Large and small brands used 163,000 tonnes of rPET in containers and pallets in 2008 [11]. 

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