Green and Sustainable Chemistry ConferenceBerlin 6th April 2016
Recirculation: a new concept to drive
innovation in green product design
James [email protected]
Lorenzo Herrero-Davila, Thomas Farmer & James Clark
Open-bio is developing test methods and recommendations for European standards describing bio-based content, biodegradation, recycling strategies, as well as labelling and procurement tools, and evaluating social acceptance. www.biobasedeconomy.eu/research/open-bio
• Our goal is to assist the growth of the European bio-based product market.
• Started in November 2014 as a 3 year FP7 project.
www.greenchemistry.net
EN 16575:2014 Bio-Based Products Vocabulary
Biomass:Material of biological origin excluding material embedded in geological formations or fossilized
Renewable material:Composed of biomass and can be continually replenished
Resource
www.greenchemistry.net
Bio-based product:Product wholly or partly derived from biomass
EN 16575:2014 Bio-Based Products Vocabulary
Bio-based content:Fraction of a product that is derived from biomass (carbon or total mass basis)
Products
www.greenchemistry.net
Waste
‘Renewable’ materials and bio-based products(as defined in EN 16575:2014) are not necessarily renewed
www.greenchemistry.net
Recirculated:Returned to use within a certain timeframe by an anthropogenic process and/or a natural process.
Open-Bio D3.4 Definitions for renewable elements and renewable molecules
Cycles
Renewable:Comes from renewable resources and is returned to use within a certain timeframe by a natural process.
Returned to use within a certain timeframe by an anthropogenic process.
Recyclable:
Reusable:Returned to use within a certain timeframe without modification to the parent article or loss of performance.
Report available online at http://www.biobasedeconomy.eu/research/open-bio/publications
www.greenchemistry.net
Bio-based Recirculated SustainableComplex with many relevant
criteria
Hugely challenging to
implement
Describes biomass
utilisation
Environmental impact is not considered
Incorporates full life cycle coverage
Easily validated and understood
Increasing complexity
How does ‘recirculation’ fit within bio-basedproduct standardisation?
www.greenchemistry.net
Fossil reserves
Not recirculated
Bio-based carbon
Fossil carbonC
CSustainability criteria (FprEN 16751)
Bio-based content(CEN/TS 16640)
Biomass sustainability(e.g. PEFC ST 1003) &waste feedstocks(e.g. ISCC PLUS 260-05)
End-of-life options:•Mechanical recycling•Chemical recycling•Biodegradation
Vertical standards (e.g. CEN/TS 16766)and ecolabels
C
C
renew looprecycle loop
reuse loop
Design principles of the following categories have been adapted from 30+ standards:
General manufacturing and feedstock considerationsDesign and development:Incorporating environmental aspects into product designComponentsRaw material selection and bio-based content:Feedstock choice and declarationBio-based contentFeedstock sustainabilityConsiderations for the manufacturing processes:ProcessesWastePackaging
Product use phase and communication requirementsUse:
EcodesignFit for purposeReuse:Optimal lifespan (including repair)DisassemblyRemanufactureReconditioning
End-of-life requirementsMechanical (physical) recycling criteria
Feedstock (chemical) recycling criteriaOrganic (biological) recyclingEnergy recovery by incineration
Reporting of recirculation characteristicsClaims
Self-assessmentCommunication
EN 13427EN 13428EN 13429EN 13430EN 13431EN 13432EN 13437ISO 14001EN ISO 14006ISO 14020ISO 14021ISO/TR 14062EN ISO 14855-1EN 14995EN 15343EN 15347CEN/TS 16398ISO 16620-2CEN/TS 16640FprEN 16751EN 16760
CEN/TS 16766EN 16785-1prEN 16785-2EN 16807EN 16848prEN 16935FprCEN/TR 16957NTA 8080-1NTA 8080-2BS 8887-1BS 8887-2BS 8887-220BS 8887-240BS 8903
Design of the product shall allow for easy disassembly in accordance with relevant recirculation principles.Avoid any combination of materials that will hinder mechanical recycling (e.g. metal inserts in plastic parts, adhesion of parts with different end-of-life pathways).Specific compostability standards shall be used for relevant product types where available (e.g. EN 13432 for packaging and EN 14995 for plastics).
Use of renewable materials shall be maximised, especially ubiquitous and abundant materials, locally sourced if possible.
Open-Bio D3.5 Recirculation test method
Product design is crucial: Switchable adhesives for carpet tiles: a major breakthrough in sustainable flooring, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 798.
Carpet tiles are designed to be replaced on an individual basis.
A renewable adhesive (esterified starch) allows the carpet tile to be separated with an alkali wash.The adhesive is naturally flame retardant.
Adhesive prevents separation, meaning 65 million kg of carpet tile waste in Europe each year.
Carpet
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PLA
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Biomass
Fermentation
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Esterification
(C6H10O5)n
Polymerisation
BiodegradationChemical recycling
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Feedstockrecycling
PLA is biodegradable,but also easy to chemically deconstruct.
Chemical recycling can complement organic and physical recycling.
PLA
The circular economy will prompt chemical designers to value materials not transient products
Recirculation principles could be effective in maximising resource efficiency and longevity
CONCLUSION
I would like to thank the Open-Bio consortium for their input and hard work on the [email protected]