Category: Market Development

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The Current Situation of PET Recycling in Africa: A Journey towards Sustainable Solutions

Introduction:

Africa, with its rich biodiversity and growing population, is facing a significant challenge when it comes to managing its plastic waste. Among the various types of plastics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles pose a considerable environmental threat due to their non-biodegradable nature. However, in recent years, Africa has been making strides in PET recycling, aiming to mitigate the adverse effects of plastic pollution and create a sustainable future. This blog explores the current situation of PET recycling in Africa and the efforts being made to address this pressing issue.

Challenges Faced:

The recycling landscape in Africa faces numerous challenges, including limited infrastructure, inadequate waste management systems, and a lack of awareness among the general public. These factors have contributed to the significant accumulation of plastic waste, including PET bottles, in many African countries. Insufficient recycling facilities, lack of proper collection systems, and limited access to recycling technologies have hindered the efficient recycling of PET.

Emerging Solutions:

Despite the challenges, Africa is witnessing the emergence of innovative solutions to tackle the PET recycling issue. Several initiatives and organizations have been working tirelessly to promote recycling practices and create a circular economy for plastic waste.

  1. Awareness and Education: Efforts are underway to raise awareness about the importance of recycling and proper waste management. NGOs, governments, and local communities are organizing campaigns, workshops, and educational programs to educate the public on the detrimental effects of plastic waste and the benefits of recycling PET bottles.
  2. Collection Infrastructure: Investments are being made to improve waste collection infrastructure, particularly in urban areas. The establishment of recycling centers, collection points, and drop-off stations encourages individuals and businesses to participate in PET bottle recycling.
  3. Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Innovative entrepreneurs are finding opportunities in the recycling sector. Start-ups are being launched to collect and process PET bottles, creating employment opportunities while simultaneously addressing the plastic waste problem. These ventures often employ innovative technologies, such as plastic-to-fuel conversion and 3D printing using recycled PET.

Success Stories:

Africa has witnessed success stories that demonstrate the positive impact of PET recycling initiatives. For instance, Plastic Recycling Africa taking part in joint ventures and working closely together with local partners in Burkina Faso, Tanzania, Mali and Zimbabwe has achieved remarkable results by implementing business knowledge at local start up plants and comprehensive PET recycling programs. Through collaboration with industry stakeholders, they have significantly increased PET recycling rates, leading to the establishment of a thriving circular economy for PET bottles.

Additionally, some African countries, like Kenya and Rwanda, have implemented plastic bag bans and strict regulations to reduce plastic waste. These measures have stimulated the development of recycling systems for PET bottles and other plastic packaging materials.

Conclusion:

While challenges remain, the current situation of PET recycling in Africa shows promising signs of progress. With increased awareness, improved collection infrastructure, and innovative approaches, Africa is working towards a more sustainable future. Collaboration between governments, NGOs, private sector entities, and local communities is vital to achieving effective PET recycling and reducing the environmental impact of plastic waste. By fostering a culture of recycling and embracing innovative solutions, Africa can pave the way for a cleaner and greener future for generations to come.

Join us at our mission in Africa

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Recycled content in PET beverage bottles in Germany has increased significantly since 2019

Below some positive news for all of us who are driving circularity!

The article is translated from German and was originally published on https://www.euwid-recycling.de/ at 05.04.2023 by Stefan Lang.

Higher use of recycled material in PET beverage bottles

The proportion of recycled material in PET beverage bottles has increased significantly. According to a study by GVM (= Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung), an average of 44.8 percent PET recyclate was used in the production of beverage bottles in Germany in 2021. In the last survey for 2019, it was still 34.4 percent.

However, the consumption of PET for bottle production fell by 4.5 percent or 21,400 tonnes to 446,000 tonnes compared to 2019. One reason for this is that the bottles are becoming lighter and lighter, according to the study “Aufkommen und Verwertung von PET-Getränkeflaschen in Deutschland 2021” (Volume and recycling of PET beverage bottles in Germany 2021), which was commissioned by Forum PET and the IK (= Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen). But declines in demand and substitution by glass bottles would also have resulted in a decrease in PET volumes.

According to the study, the recycling rate of all PET beverage bottles was 94.8 percent on average in 2021. The recycling rate for PET bottles with a deposit (one-way and refillable) was as high as 97.7 percent. The return rate for PET bottles with a deposit (single-use and reusable) reached 98.7 percent.

Around 438,000 tonnes of PET beverage bottles, including imports, were recycled in Germany. Of this, the largest share (190,500 tonnes or 44.7 percent) ended up in the production of new bottles, while the film industry took about 114,000 tonnes (26.8 per cent). Other sectors such as non-food bottles, tapes and injection moulded products recycled more than 73,000 tonnes of PET recyclate, while the fibre industry took another 48,000 tonnes (11.3 percent). About 33,600 tonnes of PET from bottle sorting and reprocessing as well as misdirected into residual waste were incinerated.

According to GVM, recycling capacities in Germany exceed the available PET quantities. In order to exhaust the recycling capacities, the import of bottles is necessary. GVM puts the import surplus at 15,000 tonnes.

Although the price for PET recyclates increased very strongly in 2021, bottlers used more recyclates in beverage bottles than in previous years. According to GVM, the reason for the higher use rates was, among other things, the commitments made by large bottlers to use recyclates.

IK sees great potential through expansion of deposit systems in Europe

For the IK, high quotas are “proof of the efficiency” of the German deposit system for beverage bottles. “We see great potential across Europe and hope that more European countries will also establish deposit systems close to the future,” says IK Managing Director Isabell Schmidt. Since 1 January 2022, juice bottles have also been included in the deposit system. With milk bottles, which will follow in 2024, all PET beverage bottles, returnable and non-returnable, will be subject to a deposit, according to the IK. The beverage industry expects the use of PET recyclate to continue to increase in the coming years. On the one hand, the manufacturers and distributors of PET beverage bottles want to achieve the sustainability goals they have set themselves. On the other hand, the EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) requires that from 2025 onwards, PET single-use beverage bottles throughout Europe have an average recycled content of at least 25 percent.

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All Uncategorized Market Development PET materials

Dutch PET Recycling BV is the first company in the Netherlands to obtain the global Ocean Bound Plastic (OBP) certificate.

Official OBP Logo

Dutch PET Recycling BV (DPR) is a plastic recycling company with a focus on recycled PET bottles/flakes (RPET). From our social responsibility point of view, contributing to solving global pollution has a high priority. Dutch PET Recycling connects local recycling companies with the demand from the circular plastic industry. With over 30 years of experience in recycling, a huge network and knowledge base in secondary raw materials has emerged. Headquartered in the Netherlands, and with global partners and local agents, we are serving customers worldwide.

Photo: Jan Mones (Lead Auditor at Control Union) handing over the certificate to Ton van den Oever (CEO at Dutch PET Recycling) in front of big bags with Ocean rPET

OBP certification

The vast majority (80%) of plastics that pollute oceans originate from land. Needless to say, it is easier and cheaper to collect these plastics before they end up in the oceans, than once they have sunk to the bottom of the oceans or are dispersed as a soup of micro-particles for the plastics that remain floating. It is therefore logical and important that we focus our efforts on removing Ocean Bound Plastics from the environment before it is too late.

To reinforce this commitment, Control Union (CU) has set up the OBP certification program together with NGO Zero Plastics Oceans. Detailed information can be found here and on https://www.obpcert.org/.

For Dutch PET Recycling, certification means that all the conditions for the quality mark have been met enabling DPR to sell their products with the claim “OBP certified”. And also that, together with our successful certified suppliers we can cover a large part of the chain.

But there is more:

Added value

The added value of OBP certification lies mainly in the transparency of the entire recycling process. The new end product or the new raw material for a producer can be demonstrably traced back to the moment it was collected as waste, before it threatened to end up in the ocean.

The sad images of the ‘plastic soup’ are in everyone’s mind. Fortunately, there are good initiatives to clean it up. By preventing plastic from disappearing into the ocean in the first place, the time will come when the oceans will be clean and remain so. Contributing to improving the environment appeals to everyone. Both consumers and producers that work with OBP material also want to be associated with it.

The added value extends throughout the chain. From a better infrastructure for solid waste management, major benefits for the local economy and public health, to better working conditions for the collectors of the waste.

There is also added value in being certified by Control Union. CU is a global company that is independent of any other company in the entire process. The OBP certificate is therefore, provided the audit has been passed successfully, an irrefutable proof of transparency and professionalism. The assessment criteria are tough and contribute to further awareness of a transparent process, a higher quality level and the right to use the OBP logo.

Dutch PET Recycling is proud of the certification it has achieved!

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All Uncategorized Market Development PET materials

PLASTICS and CLIMATE Change: a Deal for the FUTURE!

This article gives you good examples why plastics and climate are an ideal combination. Especially using recycled PET or Food Grade pellets.

Save the planet

When it comes to climate change mitigation, plastics have a great story to tell.

The change will only succeed if it drives also the transition towards a low carbon, resource efficient and circular economy. For this to happen, plastics enable the innovations that are needed by a sustainability strategy – such as the European Green Deal – to deliver.
 

Example 1. Building & construction (renovation)

Plastics are a springboard for the renovation wave in the building sector as they enable big energy savings and are carbon efficient. Plastic insulation improves the energy efficiency of your home, which translates into a positive impact on climate.

In fact, it saves up to 80% of your energy consumption and 250 times more energy than used to produce it.

Example 2. Sustainable mobility

You may not be aware of where plastics are used in your car, but they are doing their job for you – in car body parts, airbags, carpets, electrification, under the hood, to name but a few.

Thanks to its lightweight properties, plastics contribute efficiently to fuel savings which translate into lower CO2 emissions in diverse fields of transport, including electric mobility.

Plastics enable up to 35% fuel savings compared to components made from other materials.

Example 3. Preserving food from farm to fork

Food waste is one of the biggest challenges of our society. Plastic packaging saves food by protecting it from external factors – damage, deterioration, spoilage from farm to fork and ensuring hygiene.

Research shows that, if food were packed in a material other than plastics, the related energy consumption would double, greenhouse gas emissions would nearly triple, overall weight of packaging would quadruple, and food waste would increase.

The weight of plastic packaging has been reduced by more than 35% over a 20-year period. Lightweight packaging means lighter loads or fewer lorries needed to ship the same amount of products, helping to reduce transportation energy, decrease emissions and lower shipping costs.
 

Example 4. Transforming the energy sector

Plastics enable the production of clean and renewable energy as windmill blades and solar panels are made with plastics.

In a nutshell, plastics can make the difference by providing solutions for affordable renovation of households, sustainable transport, easier access to safe food, clean, reliable and affordable energy.

Let’s drive circularity together!

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All Uncategorized Market Development PET materials

Chemical industry feels pressure on plastic recycling

We would like to share some thoughts within the chemical industry on plastic recycling. It is based on an article of Joseph Chang from ICIS.

The chemical industry must accelerate investment in plastics recycling to achieve scale as activist and government pressure mounts. The pace of change is too slow. The industry has to move a lot faster before society looks to the producers as the problem and who have to fix it.

There is no technical challenge. Thermodynamics – the science behind the process – is sound. There are plenty of prototypes, catalysts and small-scale but fully developed chemical recycling processes that can convert plastics to pyrolysis oil, and this can then be used to make pellets.

The real challenge is an economic solution and an infrastructure to collect the plastic waste, sort it and bring it into the process. Activists and industry have to come together to solve this. Also public policy has to play a role. Some kind of fund has to be established so that consumer behaviour can be changed to collect these plastics and bring them to recycling locations. The industry thinks it has a lot of time to solve this problem. But something has to be done rather quickly. Likely public policy will force action, restricting the sale and export of virgin plastics. That would be an option – basically don’t allow exports unless the pellets have a recycled content of at least 30%!

Another challenge is the social impact in local municipalities. Companies and governments must also consider the social impact of waste collection and plastics recycling. Having large-scale chemical recycling facilities where plastic waste is directed to may not be feasible. Building an ecosystem can technically be done. But is it also possible to influence consumer behaviour in less than a year?

The whole original article by Joseph Chang, 13-Apr-21, can be read on www.icis.com (News/Insight & Analysis).

Let’s drive circularity together!

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Egypt’s Suez Canal blockage. Disruption within Sea Freight!

Egypt’s Suez Canal has been blocked by a massive container vessel, which ran aground the key waterway, and cause delays in global shipments of commodities.

The vessel “Ever Given” got stuck in the southern end of the canal while making a turn on Tuesday. The vessel is still stuck in the canal, which provides the shortest marine route between Europe and Asia. Several tugboats have been deployed to help shift the container ship but didn’t succeed so far. “Ever Given” is 400-metre long and 59-metre wide container ship with a total carrying capacity of around 200.000  tons. The container ship has blocked off a lot of other vessels and tankers from traversing in either direction. The canal is a critical chokepoint because of the large volumes of energy commodities that flow through it.

Photo: Map of the Suez Canal (Source: Google Maps)

It is still not clear how long it will take to free “Ever Given” from the spot. Ships heading both ways and shipment through the canal will be badly affected by the bottlenecks. “Ever Given” is carrying containers bound for Rotterdam in the Netherlands from China.

The good news is that carriers can show their skills in the requested higher level of information services. I received a mail the day after!

Email received of carrier

The bad news is, this won’t be the last time a vessel, with an immense loading capacity, will run into trouble. Shippers are looking for alternatives more and more. For example using the silk road, using the multi modal rail option.

Faster, greener and more reliable container rail services between China and Europe are at the moment also more cost-efficient than the all-water alternative. Urgent container capacity shortages and intense sea freight rate inflation are giving an extra push to rail cargo service links between China and Europe. The traffic recently increased with 10-15% in loads moving overland between China and Europe. With transit times between 16-18 days comparing to around 35 days for Shanghai-Rotterdam 40ft high-cube container moves by sea, speed is certainly a key advantage for rail.

Another alternative you might see at the bigger companies chartering their own ships. Smaller, still expensive but more agile and reliable.

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All Uncategorized Customer Journeys Market Development PET materials

Industries are increasing the amount of RPET

Large companies, organizations and trade associations join initiatives to increase the amount of recycled polyester content to their products. Last week you could read in an article of ICIS about Textile Exchange working together with the United nations to “commit to bring the percentage of recycled polyester up from 14% to 45% at 17.1 million metric tonnes by 2025.” PET is the most widely used fibre in the apparel industry.

So this is very good news for all the PET Recyclers.

Bottles from our production side

This week UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe announced that beverage packaging will be fully circular by 2030. Meaning PET bottles will be made from 50% recycled and/or renewable PET by 2025, and move to 100% by 2030. These targets go above and beyond the EU’s mandate of 25% recycled content in all PET bottles by 2025, rising to 30% recycled content by 2030.

UNESDA also presented a wish list of areas for support from the EU and national governments, including:

  • long-term perspective and legal certainty as well as protecting the single market;
  • a well-functioning secondary raw materials market that gives the soft drinks sector access to sufficient high quality rPET in order to meet its obligations under EU law, without compromising on safety standards and avoiding downcycling;
  • increased investment in waste management and recycling infrastructure;
  • an EU framework enabling innovative recycling technologies;
  • EU minimum requirements for new DRS across Europe
  • clear definitions of recyclability that foster innovation and investment

Finally we are accelerating for a circular economy, especially within the RPET business!

Let’s drive circularity together!

Also read the whole stories on www.icis.com:

  • “Textile Exchange wants 45% recycled polyester content by 2025” by Matt Tudball, 16-Feb-21
  • “UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe sets members target of 100% R-PET by 2030” by Matt Tudball, 23-Feb-21
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Take it or leave it : Increased prices and delays

Chaos in container shipping!

Container shipping costs have jumped drastically along some routes as the coronavirus pandemic remaps traditional trading patterns and issues at European ports. Add the delays in the region and you’ll understand our worries. Read the highlights of the market impact, disruption, congestion and container shipping alliances in article by Tom Brown of ICIS.

Source: ITF based on Alphaliner, Shanghai Shipping Exchange.

The recovery of multiple key Asian markets from the pandemic, relative to the ongoing struggles faced in the west, has led to a surge in exports from the region to the rest of the world, with less product going back the other way.

The shift in demand patterns has led to containers returning empty to Asia as demand for exports from the region significantly outstripped demand for imports, increasing costs and lead times for orders.

Shipping lines cut capacity drastically during the first wave of pandemic-related lockdowns, and have failed to boost it sufficiently as demand bounced back.

Container availability has been disrupted by too many full containers being stuck in distribution chains west of Suez or in congested ports of entry, with logistics slowed down because of manpower shortages related to coronavirus lockdowns.

MARKET IMPACT

Normally freight costs are around $1,500 for a 20ft container. Now you talk about $5,000. It changes every week! The extent of demand has led to shortages in Asia, with shipping firms going so far as to send additional empty containers to the region just to alleviate some of the pressure.

Sources spoke of shipping freight rates for dry cargo rising three- or four-fold, and lead times dragging from six weeks to eight, at a point where demand patterns are extremely difficult to determine due to the trading volatility seen in the market outlook.

Lockdown measures in many European countries are creating additional headaches for the shipping sector, Some sources report the use of smaller vessels to cut down on mooring fees but resulting in reduced vessel space, and shipper terms changing fast.

All the Asian countries are producing and exporting and not importing, because of Covid etcetera.

Shipping lines are saying they can’t respect their contracts. They say: pay or we won’t ship!

DISRUPTION TO PERSIST INTO 2021
Some Asia sources have expressed expectations that freight container tightness in the region is likely to persist until February 2021.

The Chinese say it will last until March or April 2021, then the cycle of containers should go back to normal.

PORT CONGESTION
Trade disruptions, bulk orders of medical equipment by governments and geopolitical issues such as the UK’s imminent expected departure from the EU customs union, is also causing congestion at ports and storage issues.

Other key European ports have also had issues, with Rotterdam suffering from delays to arrivals and discharges of shipments due to issues with a new IT system.

The practicalities of operating during the pandemic are also exacerbating delays at European ports, with additional health and safety checks, furloughing, and social distancing also slowing the speed that product moves through the ports.

Lockdowns are expected to ease in most European countries but, with the virus still circulating at high rates and restrictions expected to be temporarily eased for a spell over the Christmas break, controls on contact and the potential for staff shortages from illness remain high.

The issues mean that, while supply chains are largely continuing to hold and orders continue to be met, logistics issues are likely to continue exacerbating demand opacity, economic volatility and shifts among buyers to more hand to mouth purchasing habits, making for a treacherous landscape for firms through to the new year.

CONTAINER SHIPPING ALLIANCES
Although shipping cartels were outlawed in 2004, shippers are permitted to operate in alliances to optimize use of shipping space.

The OECD’s International Transport Forum claims that links between these consortia mean a large majority of trade routes to and from Europe are operated by one conglomeration of these groups.

It is concerned that too much information may be shared on volumes, costs and pricing.

The container sector is a lot less fragmented compared to a few years ago. Now the top five owners are controlling close to 65% of capacity.

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All Uncategorized Market Development PET production

Textile recycled into clear bottles!

November 19, 2020

The latest recycling milestone brings new value to an otherwise waste-destined 42 million tons of polyester textiles produced annually. Read the astonishing article below.

Photo credit: Carbios

CARBIOS a company pioneering new enzymatic solutions to reinvent the lifecycle of plastic and textile polymers, today announced it has successfully produced the first bottles containing 100% recycled Purified Terephthalic Acid (rPTA) from textile waste that contains a high PET content. This result confirms the capacity of Carbios’ technology to recycle textile waste and opens up access to an additional waste stream of up to 42 million tons per year, worth over $ 40 billion.

Currently, mechanical recycling technologies do not enable clothing waste to be recycled efficiently. The few textiles that can be reused, are incorporated into lower quality applications such as padding, insulators or rags. This process is called “downcycling”.

In contrast, the breakthrough developed by Carbios enables polyester textile fibers to be “upcycled” in a high quality grade of PET suitable for the production of clear bottles.

Transparent bottles can be produced from polyester textile waste or from post-consumer colored bottles. But it works both ways – also a t-shirt can be made from bottles or disposable food trays. They succeeded in producing PET fibers for textile applications with 100% rPTA, from enzymatically recycled PET plastic waste.

Carbios’ process enables low-value waste to be recovered and to have a new life in more challenging applications – in short, it facilitates infinite recycling of PET-based plastics and textiles. This innovative enzymatic waste recycling technology is fully in line with European objectives of creating a circular economy and strengthening environmental protection.

Here you can read the whole article.

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All Uncategorized Customer Journeys Market Development PET materials PET production

Is Ocean Bound Plastic a new profitable market?

Or just an accelerator in professionalizing the branch?

The questions to be answered:

Are you willing to pay more for rPET if it’s been labeled as Ocean Bound Plastic ?

And what if some of the rPET doesn’t apply to the definition ?

Will traceability and certification be standard in a quality program ?

The term Ocean Bound plastics leads in almost every case back to Jenna Jambeck. The definition of Ocean-bound plastic was defined and published in Science in 2015:

  • [Waste plastic] found within 50km distance of an ocean coastline or major waterway that feeds into the ocean
  • The country or region lacks waste management infrastructure and collection incentives
  • The infrastructure is being overwhelmed by population growth or tourism
  • There is a significant risk to wildlife if plastic contaminates their ecosystem.

Nowadays companies are offering ocean-bound plastic as an alternative option anduse her definition as a basis for their marketing activities and corporate social responsibility programs. Most of the companies made their own interpretation of the definition and changed or added specifications!

Needless to say that collecting these plastics before they reach oceans is a useful initiative. It is also easier and cheaper than once they have drowned in the bottom of oceans or are dispersed as a soup of micro particles. It is commonly admitted that 80% of plastic in the seas, comes from land.

Using the definition of OBP will introduce the aspect of traceability. It gives converters, buyers, manufacturers and consumers a better insight in the origins of the material next to a better feeling for consumers that they are doing the right thing! Plastic waste and pollution originate from several different sources. Besides Ocean Bound Plastic, also plastic is collected as a by-product of production and manufacturing, in streams, rivers flowing to the ocean, material washed up on coasts and of course in the ocean itself.

Defined areas with plastic waste

Local communities in at-risk areas where plastic will end up in the oceans will profit from the term Ocean Bound Plastic. They will be incentivized to collect, sort and process plastic waste into high-quality recycled material. Also consumers with the option to purchase products packaged in recycled material that has been proven to come from at-risk regions of the world will feel good to contribute to the reduction of waste and pollution.

The same consumers will ask for traceability and preferably a third party certification to be sure they bought the right, more expensive, goods. But can traceability be 100% guaranteed and what will be the consequences for communities and initiatives outside of the area defined for Ocean Bound Plastic ?

The process of making it traceable and also certified makes the branch more professional and helps to achieve quality standards. It also contributes to a better awareness of our worldwide problem with waste and pollution. But these initiatives in the process also make the material more expensive. The questions I have:

  • Are you as a buyer, manufacturer, consumer willing to pay more knowing where the material, with the same quality, is coming from?
  • Do you mind if a part of the recycled material is not applying to the ocean bound plastic definition?
  • Will traceability and certification (more than a CoO or Form A) be standard in the future for any recycled material?

In essence, we should pay more for material from an at-risk area because we prevented the material from entering the ocean. However, the converters and traders are under pressure from brands that want them to supply recycled content at the lowest possible price. It will be a financially challenging situation for recyclers.

Let’s find it out together! Dutch PET Recycling is also working with suppliers offering Ocean Bound Plastic.