non-packaging plastics environmental good practice guide ... - Wrap

Non-packaging plastics – Good Practice Guide 10Non-packaging plastics from wasteelectrical and electronic equipment(WEEE)The main sources of non-packaging plastics from waste electricaland electronic equipment (WEEE) are:n single polymer streams from manual dismantling systems; andn mixed polymer streams from bulk shredding of WEEE.There are a number of potential problems with recyclingnon-packaging plastics that are recovered from WEEE. The WasteElectrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006, set outby the Waste Management Licensing for England and Wales (asamended), require that potentially hazardous brominated flameretardant (BFR), used as additives in some plastic products, beremoved before recycling.Important note:It is difficult to identify materials containing BFR as they are rarelymarked and specialist analytical equipment is required. It is thereforevital that the collector takes measures to identify whether or notit contains BFR and identify an end market for the material beforecollection. BFR is mainly found in WEEE plastics but may also bepresent in non-packaging plastics used in buildings and vehicles.Collectors should take the following measures to prevent theprocessing of polymers containing BFRs:n determine whether the non-packaging plastic contains BFR.If so, the waste must be treated to remove the BFR before it canbe recycled;nnnon-packaging plastics containing BFR are classified as hazardouswaste and therefore the Hazardous Waste Regulations Directive2005 will apply; andcollectors of WEEE non-packaging plastics should identify anend market (such as a plastics reprocessor or a companyoperating a polymer separation facility) before undertaking thecollection.At present much of the non-packaging plastics recovered fromWEEE are produced by large scale, bulk shredding facilities, resultingin a mixed stream of polymers. These can be highly contaminatedwith non-plastic materials including dust, metal and glass and oftenneed to be pre-treated to remove these materials before processing.Cleaner, single stream polymers are produced by manual dismantlingsystems but this is labour intensive.Sensible managementof non-packaging plasticwaste leads to positiveenvironmental andeconomic impacts.