Two for One:Resin Identification Code &

Bioplastics

David CornellTechnical Director, APR

4 October 201114th Annual Texas Summit

1. Resin Identification Code

Created in 1988 to help recyclers identify the primary resin in a package

– Not intended to define recyclability

– Intended initially only for bottles between specific sizes

– Listed 6 common resins plus a catch-all ‘other’

– Self-policing

Resin Identification Code

RIC Characteristics

• Uses a triangle of chasing arrows

• Uses a number• Uses an acronym

• FTC says the Code cannot imply an environmental claim or advertisement, so must be inconspicuous, i.e. hard to read

RIC FunctionThe Code is used today for

1.Consumer education “Give us all your 1’s”

2. Recycler assistance “ The code says that is a PP bottle”

3. Taxation“ #7’s are taxed at XX rate”

RIC Function

• The Code is also used for limitations,

4. “ # X should not be used because Y”

• Contrary to some beliefs, all are not the same.

v

Some are other resins. Some are mixtures. Some are multi-layered constructions

What the Code is Not

• Not an indicator of recyclability

• Not an indicator of ‘collected for recycling’

• Not an indicator of recycled content

• The Code identifies the resin of the sidewall of a bottle.

Problems

• Are all #1’s equally recyclable? No.

• Are all #2’s the same resin? No.

• Are all bottle parts recyclable? No.• Will necessarily be collected? No.

• Should we start over with just a recyclability code? probably not

Recyclability Means . . . . . • “Stuff” is recycled when there is

enough, identifiable, consistent, and valuable material.– There is a Critical Mass minimum– The material must be identifiable *– The stuff must have value

• Recycling has a Technical side and an Economic side. Both must succeed.

* The Code only addresses the Technical Identification issue.

ASTM

• ASTM D7611, ‘Standard Practice for Coding Plastic Manufactured Articles for Resin Identification’ is issued. Adopts the SPI Code

• D-20.95 Working Group is examining what else should be done.

All are welcome at $75 per year to join.

Probable Results ?

“”Personal Opinion””•Triangles will stay.

•Chasing arrows should go.

•Current numbers stay.

•New numbers added on petition and with criteria. Likely add PLA and LLDPE.

•The “+” for multilayers will stay

Possible Other Results ?

• May see subclasses, like “#2-A” for subsets that are generally incompatible with the primary bottle resins.

• May see some indication of additives included beyond some level.

• Color not indicated by the Code.

• Composting or other end-of-life scenarios not included.

What about other Codes?

Personal Opinion•“Recyclability Codes” either lock in today or guess tomorrow.•‘Locking in’ means no new items collected•‘Guessing tomorrow’ very difficult to get timing right.

2. Bio-Plastic

Biopolymers

• “Biopolymer” means the source material is a plant.

• Some commercial polymers can be bio-sourced or petro-sourced [polyethylene]

• Some polymers identified as ‘biopolymer’ [PLA] could be made from petroleum.

• Biopolymer does not mean ‘can or will degrade’

How New are Biopolymers?Biopolymers have been around a long time•Rayon in 1894•Cellulose acetate in 1910•Cellophane in 1912•Polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid in 1970’s•Polyethylene from sugar in the 2000’s•PET from bio-sources in the 2010’s

Fuzzy

• So some ‘petro-plastics’ could be also bio-plastics.

• Some ‘petro-plastics’ can degrade, but are not used to make packages

• Some ‘bio-plastics’ do not degrade.

For the sake of argument, bioplastics means those packaging plastics primarily from plants. [PLA, PHA, PHB]

Biopolymers

• Packaging Biopolymers will not

– Fix the federal deficit

– Save the planet from asteroids

– Reverse aging, grow hair, or cure flat feet

Biopolymers

• Biopolymers are just another set of thermoplastics, subject to the same economic & performance rules as are other thermoplastics

BiopolymersPlastics Recycling Scorecard

• Technology

• Profitable products

• Investors

• Good raw material

BiopolymersPlastics Recycling Scorecard

• Technology Can probably use PET PCR technology,

[NOT WITH PET]

• Profitable products Probably some

• Investors Probably

• Good raw material Opps, not enough

HDPE History Lesson – mid 1980’s• 400,000,000 lbs of HDPE milk bottles used

x 30% of population with recycling options,

x 40% participation rate

x 80% recognition of milk bottles

=

~40 M lbs of bottles for recycling, enough for two lines of business for middle-sized reclaimers to stay in business in the early years

Biopolymer Projection• If 100,000,000 lbs of new USA polymer

containers (< 1% of total in market)

x 70% of population with recycling options

x 60% participation rate

x 35% recognition of biopolymer bottles (very generous)

Then

15 M lbs of bottles PER RESIN for recycling, barely enough for an independent business opportunity today

Biopolymer Recycling Future

• Can biopolymers “beat the system”?

– Maybe, automatic sorting can lower the level of needed critical mass

– BUT, the material that requires a special separate sort must pay for that sort

$0.01/lb sort cost @ 5% biopolymer in special stream could equal up to $0.20/lb extra to sort biopolymer.

Biopolymers must pay their own way

Biopolymers and PET

• Biopolymers and PET sink in water

• Biopolymers PLA and PHA are incompatible with PET processing and PET product. They must be kept separated.

Color, haze, and melting issues

And What About Biological Degradation?

• Any degraded biopolymer is worth little for recycling because of inconsistent properties.

• Degradation runs counter to recycling. Recycling conserves, Degrading loses resources.

• Degradable additives must be considered harmful until proven otherwise.

Conclusion

• Biopolymers are just another group of material and EACH must justify its use by properties and cost and be plentiful enough to make recycling economically attractive.

• Biopolymers can be a problem for existing PET recycling

Take away

• Biopolymers may be an opportunity for

current reclaimers as a sideline IF the

value exceeds costs and IF the presence does not disrupt current operations.

• Unique Biopolymers should target product applications not currently OR LIKELY to be included for current recycling.

• Bio-PE and Bio-PET are not problems.

Thanks