TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR WEEE PLASTICS

There are several options for end-of-life management of plastics. These range from landfilling, to mechanical recycling, incineration and to the use of waste plastics in other thermal or recovery processes like cement kilns or smelters and finally to other processes which are currently under development. The table below gives a good overview of those processes.

Also, for an overview on the best solutions for the treatment of BFR containing plastics under the new EU WEEE framework, please click here.

Process-Installation	Definition: Energy Recovery/material recycling or disposal	Cost of Operation Euro/ton	Issues
Mechanical recycling	Material recycling	?	Sorting quality, economics, end market
Feedstock recycling (FS)	Material recycling/Energy Rec	150-400	Economics, reliability new technique
FS: Dehalogenation	Material recycling	?	Economics, new technique
FS: Haloclean	Material recycling	?	Pilot scale
Solvolyse process	Material recycling	High
Super Critical Water Oxidation	Material recycling	High	Economics, pilot scale
Metal smelter	Energy recovery with material recycling (metals)	Low?	Definition or energy recovery/ type of smelter
Cement kiln-fuel replacement	Energy recovery or after EU hearing material recycling as option	Low?	Corrosion/ energy recovery
Plastics with BFR's as additive	Energy recovery or after EU hearing material recycling as option	Low?	Definition of energy recovery?
House hold waste incinerators cocombustion	Energy recovery	50-130	Pollitical expectants, max 3% WEEE plastics

The current practice today is that most of WEEE plastic is going to landfill and < 20% is being combusted in waste-to-energy plants. Less than 1% of WEEE plastics is today mechanically recycled.

Please click on any of the following links for further information:

- Reuse of equipment - under construction
- Mechanical recycling
- Thermal processes
- Landfill disposal - under construction