Changes for EU PVC scrap regulations pushed

A joint proposal by the Environment Agency (EA) and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Program) would allow plastic recyclers to sell their regrind as a product, instead of selling it as waste, which would open up more market opportunities. One such recycling firm, Axion Recycling, welcomed the initiative, saying it could free up to a third of all plastics materials from waste regulations and encourage more recycling. The protocols, which are being assessed currently in a 12-week consultation, would define the standards required to collect, transport, store, recycle, and re-use nonpackaging PVC, without risking human health and the environment. Under current standards, material chips must be extruded into pellets, adding a heat history as well as expending additional time and energy. The proposal calls for tight restriction of the scrap specifications, including data sheets that will comply with new European Union REACH standards. The supporters of the protocol says that of the 3.5 million tonnes of used PVC that enter Europe’s waste stream every year, 30% are nonpackaging or agricultural plastics that would be spared the landfill under the new measure.—[email protected]