Recycling Plastic Marine Litter

NOWPAP
Northwest Pacific Action Plan

October 2007
 Prepared in 2007
by the Special Monitoring and Coastal Environmental Assessment Regional Activity Centre
of the Northwest Pacific Action Plan
(NOWPAP CEARAC)
Established at the Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center (NPEC)
5-5 Tower111 6th floor, Ushijimashin-machi, Toyama City, Toyama 930-0856 JAPAN
TEL: +81-76-445-1571 FAX: +81-76-445-1581
Website:http://cearac.nowpap.org/
E-mail: [email protected]

Acknowledgments
This booklet was prepared by NOWPAP CEARAC within the framework of the Marine Litter Activity
th
(MALITA) project, which was approved by the 10 NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting in November

2005. This booklet is based on “Research Report of Marine Litter Recyclability 2007” published by

NPEC in 2007, which is supported by the Nippon Foundation.

For bibliographical purpose, this document may be cited as:

NOWPAP CEARAC 2007: Recycling Plastic Marine Litter.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction ...................................................................................... 1

2. Basic knowledge of plastics ............................................................. 2

2.1 Production process of plastics .................................................. 2

2.2 Types and characteristics of plastics ......................................... 3

3. Plastic recycling technologies .......................................................... 5

3.1 Material recycling ....................................................................... 7

3.2 Chemical recycling ................................................................... 13

3.3 Thermal recycling..................................................................... 27

4. Issues and suggestions on recycling plastic marine litter .............. 32

1. Introduction

Marine litter is a serious global problem, and is known to have significant environmental,
economic, health and aesthetic impacts. In many cases, plastics are one of the most
abundant components of marine litter, mainly due to its very slow rate of degradation and
ever-increasing uses in our society. Figure 1 summarizes the findings of the marine litter
survey conducted along the Japanese coast of the NOWPAP region in 2004.

Glass/ceramic
2.8% Metal
Cloth
0.2% 0.6%

Paper Other
0.3% 1.0%
Expanded
polystyrene
18.0%

Rubber
0.3%

Plastics
76.8%

Figure 1 Composition of marine litter along the coast of Japan in 2004

Source: NPEC (2006); Report on the marine litter survey of the
NOWPAP coastal area in 2004

The figure shows that almost 80% of the marine litter found was comprised of plastic
products, and if we include expanded polystyrene, the proportion of plastic products would
be almost 95%.

Although various countermeasures are now being implemented to remove plastic litter
from the sea coast, such as beach clean-up activities, installation of marine litter
containment booms and so on, significant problems still persist in treating/disposing of the
collected litter. Common approaches include landfill and incineration, but these methods
are not always ideal solutions due to limited landfill space and pollution risks.

One possible solution to the treatment of plastic marine litter is to apply the
technologies of plastic recycling, which is now commonly employed to treat industrial and
domestic waste plastics. For example, marine waste plastics can be recycled into plastic
raw material, fuel oil, chemical feedstock and other products (see Chapter 3).

This booklet has been prepared, in recognition of the benefits of plastic waste recycling,
to introduce the existing and developing plastic recycling technologies with the potential
application for managing plastic marine litter. The booklet also describes some issues
involved in recycling plastic marine litter, with some suggestions (see Chapter 4).

2. Basic knowledge of plastics

2.1 Production process of plastics

Although many types of plastic are currently manufactured for a variety of purposes, the
raw material of these plastics is mainly derived from petroleum products, such as naphtha,
which are extracted from crude-oil distillation.

When naphtha is thermally decomposed, simple molecules (monomers) such as

ethylene, propylene, butane/butylenes and aromatics can be extracted. The raw materials
of plastics are made when these monomers are chemically bonded into larger molecules
called polymers (polymerization). Different types of plastics can be made by altering the
combination of these monomers. Figure 2 shows an example of polymerization of ethylene
into polyethylene.

Figure 2 Polymerization of ethylene into polyethylene

Since these polymers are in powder or lump form, they are usually processed into
pellets for easier handling. The final plastic product is then manufactured by processing
(e.g. molding) the plastic pellets into various shapes and forms.
2.2 Types and characteristics of plastics

Plastics can be broadly classified into two groups: thermoplastics and thermosetting
plastics. Thermoplastics can be repeatedly softened by heating and hardened by cooling,
like candle wax. For this reason, thermoplastics can be remolded and reused almost
indefinitely. Many types of thermoplastic products are manufactured to suit a wide range of
purposes, such as for packaging, food containers and household products. More
heat-resistant and durable thermoplastics are used in machines, automobiles and
electrical goods.

Conversely, thermosetting plastics harden permanently after being heated. They are
mainly used for products that require high heat resistance, because these plastics can be
heated to high temperatures without melting. Table 1 shows some of the common
thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics, and their main uses.
 Table 1 Thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics and their main uses
Plastic type Abbreviation Main uses

Polyethylene PE Packaging, agricultural film,

construction sheeting

Polypropylene PP Bathroom products, packing string

Polystyrene PS Office appliances, CD cases

Expanded polystyrene EPS Fish boxes, food trays, packaging

Acrylonitrile-styrene (AS) SAN Tableware, lighters

resin

Acrylonitrile butadiene ABS Travel trunks, furniture, automobiles

Thermoplastics

styrene (ABS) resin

Polyvinyl chloride PVC Water pipes, hoses, agricultural film

Polyvinylidene chloride PVDC Cling film, ham casing, artificial turf

Methacrylic resin PMMA Headlight lenses, windshields, contact

lens

Methacrylic styrene resin MS Lenses, light covers, packaging

Polymethylpentene PMP Microwave tableware, film packaging

Polyamide (nylon) PA Fasteners, cogs, automobile parts

Polycarbonate PC Lunch boxes, CDs, driers, bottles

Acetal resin POM Fasteners, automobile parts

Polyethylene terephthalate PET PET bottles, VTR tapes, egg boxes

Phenol resin PF Printed circuit boards, pan handles

Thermosetting plastics

Melamine resin MF Tableware, laminates, paint

Urea resin UF Buttons, caps, electrical products

Unsaturated polyester UP Bathtubs, helmets, fishing rods

resin

Epoxy resin EP Electrical products, paints, adhesives

Polyurethane PUR Cushions, mattresses, heat insulation

Source: Plastic Waste Management Institute (2004); An Introduction to Plastic Recycling

3. Plastic recycling technologies

Plastic recycling technologies can be typically classified into three methods: material
recycling (or mechanical recycling), chemical recycling (or feedstock recycling) and
thermal recycling (or energy recovery) 1 . General descriptions of the three recycling
methods are provided in the following sections, and specific examples of each are given.
Table 2 shows the recycling examples introduced in this Booklet.

Table 2 Types of recycling examples introduced in the Booklet

No. Recycling products Recycled products

Material recycling
1 Industrial PE and PP waste plastics Plastic pellets (used to produce other
plastic products)
2 Waste fishing nets Plastic pellets
3 Waste EPS floats Polystyrene ingots (used to produce
other plastic products)
4 Waste ABS floats New ABS floats
Chemical recycling
5 Waste EPS products Polystyrene pellets (new EPS products)
6 Waste PE and PP products Aromatics (raw material for chemical
and medical products) and lower olefin
(raw material of plastics)
7 Waste polyester products Dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene
glycol (raw material for plastics)
8 Tolylene diisocyanate (TDI) residues Toluenediamine (raw material for TDI)
(TDI: raw material of polyurethane)
9 Domestic waste plastics Fuel oil
10 Waste PE, PP, PS plastics Fuel oil
11 Low-grade oil produced from waste High-grade oil
plastic recycling
12 Domestic and industrial waste plastics Reducing agent of blast furnaces
13 Waste vinyl chloride products Hydrocarbons (reducing agents for blast
furnaces), hydrogen chloride (used by

1
These terms (material recycling, chemical recycling and thermal recycling) will be used in this
booklet, although other terms might be used elsewhere.
 the steel and chemical industries)
14 Waste plastics except for vinyl chloride Coke (reducing agent for blast
plastics furnaces), hydrocarbon oil (chemical
feedstock for plastic manufacturing),
coke oven gas (power generation)
15 All types of waste plastics Synthetic gas (hydrogen, carbon
monoxide)
Thermal recycling
16 Various wastes, including plastics Fuel for power plants
17 Industrial and domestic waste plastics, Refuse Paper and Plastic Fuel (RPF)
wastepaper, wastewood used as fuel for power, paper, steel and
cement plants
18 Industrial waste plastics Fuel for cement manufacturing
19 Old or abandoned small FRP (Fiber Fuel for cement manufacturing
Reinforced Plastic) vessels
3.1 Material recycling

Material recycling is a method where waste plastics are reprocessed into a similar or
different plastic product without modifying the initial chemical structure. In this process,
waste plastics are initially processed into ingots or pellets through melting, shredding or
granulation. The ingots or pellets are then processed into new plastic products. Figure 3
shows some examples of plastic products generated through material recycling.

Figure 3 Examples of recycled plastic products through material recycling

Source: Plastic Waste Management Institute (2004); An Introduction to
Plastic Recycling 2004

1) washbowl 2) road bollard 3) imitation wood post 4) pallet 5) anti- weed

sheeting 6) heat/sound-insulating sheeting 7) PVC pipe 8) water-butt lid 9)
colored box 10) central reservation block 11) parking block 12) duckboard
13) survey and boundary markers 14) bricks 15) cross-ties for steel
products 16) video cassettes 17) weight for a colored cone 18) plant pots

To produce high quality pellets or ingots, waste plastics must be sorted into the same
plastic type prior to the processing stage. Impurities, dirt and foreign objects must also be
removed. For these reasons, material recycling has mainly targeted industrial waste
plastics because they are clearly separated into plastic type, contain low levels of
impurities and are available in large quantities. On the other hand, more contaminated
plastics such as in the domestic waste are usually, hard to differentiate and the supplies
are unstable. However, the recycling rate of domestic plastic wastes such as PET bottles
and food trays are increasing due to the establishment of new laws/regulations and
advancements in recycling technology.

Table 3 summarizes examples of material recycling products introduced in the following

sections. Each material recycling example is introduced in Tables 4.1-4.4.

Table 3 Material recycling examples introduced in this booklet

Table no. Recycling products Recycled products

4.1 Industrial PE and PP waste plastics Plastic pellets (used to produce

other plastic products)
4.2 Waste fishing nets Plastic pellets
4.3 Waste EPS floats Polystyrene ingots (used to produce
other plastic products)
4.4 Waste ABS floats New ABS floats
 Table 4.1 Examples of material recycling (1)

Contents

Processing of industrial polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene

Type of Recycling
(PP) waste plastics into plastic pellets and products
Industrial PE and PP waste plastics (e.g. containers, films,
pallets, tanks, etc.)

Recycling
Products

Examples of industrial waste plastics

Source: Website of Kawase Co., Ltd
(http:// www.eco-kawase.co.jp/department/recycle02.html)

- Plastic pellets (graded by material quality, heat resistance,

color, purity, etc.)
- Plastic pellets are processed into plastic products such as
flowerpots, baskets, plastic lumber, wood-like plastic
benches/tables etc.

Recycled Products

Examples of recycled products

Source: Website of Kawase Co., Ltd
(http:// www.eco-kawase.co.jp/department/recycle02.html)
1) Collection of PE and PP plastic waste from factories
2) Pretreatment of collected plastic waste (removal of foreign
Recycling Process objects, crushing and grading)
3) Processing into plastic pellets through heating/mixing
4) Production of recycled plastic products using the pellets
Remarks -
 Table 4.2 Examples of material recycling (2)

Contents

Type of Recycling Processing of waste fishing nets into plastic pellets

Recycling Product Waste fishing nets
Recycled Product Plastic pellets
1) Collection of waste fishing nets
2) Cutting of waste fishing nets into a processable size
3) Removal of foreign objects
4) Removal of salt by washing
5) Drying
6) Processing into plastic pellets by heating and cutting

Recycling Process

Flow of fish-net recycling

Source: Website of The Foundation For The
Advancement Of Industrial Technology In Dohoh Area
(http://dohgi.tomakomai.or.jp/03_bulletin/dsn-p1.pdf)

- The recycling system is comprised of machines that are mainly

for a) cutting, b) salt/foreign object removal c) pelleting.
Remarks
- Pelleting rate: 10 kg/h
- Under the research and development stage
 Table 4.3 Examples of material recycling (3)

Contents

Processing of waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) floats into

Type of Recycling
polystyrene ingots
Recycling Product Waste EPS floats
Recycled Product Polystyrene ingots
1) Crushing of waste floats with a crusher
2) Removal of foreign objects and marine organisms (e.g. sea
Recycling Process shells) from float
3) Processing of floats into polystyrene ingots through heat
compression (230-250 °C)
- Polystyrene ingots can be processed into products such as
videotape cases and coat hangers
- Difficult to remove all of the attached marine organisms.
Consequently, an offensive odor is sometimes emitted during the
heating process
- To counter the odor problem, the installation of a deodorization
system is required, which increases the cost of the recycling
Remarks
system
- The quality of the ingot produced from waste EPS float is low
compared to those produced from other waste EPS products,
due to contamination of small objects. This results in lower
selling prices of waste EPS float ingots
- High recycling cost compared to recycling other waste EPS
products, due to pretreatment and deodorization processes
 Table 4.4 Examples of material recycling (4)

Contents

Recycling of waste acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) floats

Type of Recycling
into new floats
Recycling Product Waste ABS floats, as used in fisheries
Recycled Product Plastic pellets (used for producing new floats)

Collection of waste ABS floats

Crushing and removal of foreign objects

Processing into pellets

Recycling Process
Pellets mixed with virgin pellets at a 4:6 ratio

New ABS float produced from the mixed pellets

Returns to first step when float becomes old

Flow of waste ABS float recycling

- ABS floats are collected when they become old and are recycled
into new ABS floats
- Virgin pellets are mixed to achieve the required float quality
- Attached marine organisms are removed by sun drying
Remarks - Fishermen often revert to other convenient disposal methods,
such as landfill, because they must bear the transportation cost
to the recycling plant
- Feasible only if the price of virgin pellet is higher than the
recycled pellets
3.2 Chemical recycling

In chemical recycling, waste plastics are recycled as, among other products, plastic raw
material, fuel oil and industrial feedstock, which is achieved by altering the chemical
structure through various chemical processes. Chemical recycling methods include
monomerization, liquefaction, blast furnace feedstock recycling, coke oven chemical
feedstock recycling and gasification.

Monomerization

With monomerization, waste plastics are initially broken down into their constituent
monomers by chemical reaction (depolymerization). These monomers are then extracted
for use as the raw material in new plastic products.

Monomerization produces higher quality plastic raw materials than material recycling,
which in turn enables the production of high-quality plastic products with the same (or
almost the same) quality as virgin raw material. Among other products, this enables the
recycling of waste PET bottles into new PET bottles, which is not possible with other
recycling technologies.

Liquefaction

Liquefaction is a recycling method where waste plastics are reverted to their original oil
form. Common liquefaction methods usually apply heat (ca. 400 ºC) and catalysis to break
down plastics into oil. With this method, chloride must be removed prior to liquefaction so
as to prevent dioxin emissions and furnace corrosion.

The quality of the oil produced from waste plastic liquefaction is usually dependant on
the properties of the waste plastics. Low-quality oil is usually used as fuel oil, which is
currently the most common option. High-quality oil can be used as raw material by the
petrochemical industry. Technologies to upgrade low-quality oil are also available.

Blast furnace feedstock recycling

In blast furnace feedstock recycling, waste plastics are used as a reducing agent in iron
ore processing. Although coke is usually used as a reducing agent, plastic can be used as
an alternative because its main constituents are carbon, which removes the oxygen from
iron oxide.

Coke oven chemical feedstock recycling

Coke oven chemical feedstock recycling utilizes waste plastics to make coke (usually
coal is used to produce coke). Hydrocarbon oil and coke oven gas are produced as
by-products, which are used as chemical feedstock and power generation, respectively.
Except for vinyl chloride plastics, both thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics can be
used for this recycling method.

Gasification

Gasification is a recycling method where waste plastics are processed into gases such
as carbon monoxide, hydrogen and hydrogen chloride. These gases are then used as the
chemical raw material for the production of chemicals such as methanol and ammonia.

Almost all types of plastics, including those containing chlorine, can be recycled under
the gasification method. This method is therefore suitable for miscellaneous plastics or
plastics that are hard to sort. Slag is produced as a by-product, which can be utilized as
raw material for civil engineering works and construction materials.

Table 5 summarizes the chemical recycling examples introduced in the following section.
Each example is introduced in Tables 6.1-6.11.

Table 5 Chemical recycling examples presented in this booklet

Table no. Recycling products Recycled products

6.1 Waste EPS products Polystyrene pellets (new EPS

products)
6.2 Waste PE and PP products Aromatics (raw material for chemical
and medical products) and lower
olefin (raw material for plastics)
6.3 Waste polyester products Dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene
glycol (raw material for plastics)
6.4 Tolylene diisocyanate (TDI) Toluenediamine (raw material for
residues (TDI: raw material of TDI)
polyurethane)
6.5 Domestic waste plastics Fuel oil
6.6 Waste PE, PP, PS plastics Fuel oil
6.7 Low-grade oil produced from waste High-grade oil
plastic recycling
6.8 Domestic and industrial waste Reducing agent for blast furnace
plastics
6.9 Waste vinyl chloride products Hydrocarbon (reducing agent for
blast furnace), hydrogen chloride
(used by steel and chemical
industry)
6.10 Waste plastics except for vinyl Coke (reducing agent for a blast
chloride furnace), hydrocarbon oil (chemical
feedstock of plastic manufacturing),
coke oven gas (power generation)
6.11 All types of waste plastics Synthetic gas (hydrogen, carbon
monoxide)
 Table 6.1 Examples of chemical recycling (1)

Contents

Processing of waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) products into

Type of Recycling
polystyrene pellets using limonene (monomerization)
Recycling Product Waste EPS products (fish boxes, food trays, etc.)
Polystyrene pellets (used for producing new EPS products)

Recycled Product

Polystyrene pellets
1) Waste EPS products are put into a limonene containing tank
2) Waste EPS products are dissolved by limonene and turned
into a polystyrene-limonene solution
3) Foreign objects in the polystyrene-limonene solution are
removed by filtering
4) The polystyrene-limonene solution is heated inside a vacuum
chamber to approximately 180 °C, the boiling point of
Recycling Process limonene.
5) The vaporized limonene is extracted from the chamber,
leaving behind only polystyrene
6) The extracted limonene is reused for the above processes
7) The remaining polystyrene is transformed to a cooling
chamber, and converted back to a solid form
8) The solid polystyrene is then cut into small pellets (ca. 3 mm)
for processing into new EPS products
- Limonene is extracted from orange peel, and so the recycling
process is safe and environmentally friendly
- Limonene dissolves EPS at room temperature, and so the
recycling process is less energy intensive than other methods
- With this method, new EPS can be manufactured with 100%
Remarks
recycled polystyrene, whereas around 70% virgin polystyrene is
required for other methods
- High-quality recycled EPS can be produced with this method―
no change in heat resistance and durability
- The capital cost of the recycling facility is relatively high
 Table 6.2 Examples of chemical recycling (2)

Contents

Processing of waste polyolefin plastic into petrochemical raw

Type of Recycling
materials (monomerization)
Recycling Product Waste polyolefin (polyethylene and polypropylene) products
- Aromatic hydrocarbons (BTX: benzene, toluene, xylene)
Recycled Product - Lower olefin (propylene, butane)
- Hydrogen gas
1) Polyolefin products are converted into petrochemical raw
materials such as aromatic hydrocarbons (BTX) or lower olefin
(propylene, butane) by catalytic decomposition, using gallium
Recycling Process
silicate or boron silicate as a catalyst
2) Gallium silicate is used for conversion into BTX
3) Boron silicate is used for conversion into lower olefin
- The type of recycled product can be controlled with different
catalysts
- BTX can be used as a raw material for chemical and medical
products
- Lower olefin can be used as a raw material for plastics
Remarks
- Highly efficient conversion of polyolefin products into
petrochemical raw materials
- Contributes to the reduction in CO 2 emission and saving of oil
resources
- Under the research and development stage
 Table 6.3 Examples of chemical recycling (3)

Contents

Processing of waste polyester products into polyester raw

Type of Recycling
materials (monomerization)
Recycling Product Waste polyester products (e.g. used PET bottles)
Dimethyl terephthalate (DMT)
Recycled Product
(DMT: raw material for polyester)
1) Crushing and washing of waste polyester products
2) Waste polyester products are depolymerized into
bis-2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET) monomers by adding
ethylene glycol and a catalyst
Recycling Process
3) BHET is converted into dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) by an
ester interchange reaction with methanol
4) The recovered DMT is further refined through recrystallization
and distillation processes
- Highly pure DMT (> 99.99%) can be recovered from almost all
polyester products, even from those containing additives or
processing substances
- Due to its high purity, various recycled plastic products can be
Remarks produced from the recovered DMT, such as new PET bottles
- CO 2 emission and energy consumption are significantly less
compared to producing DMT from petroleum
- Waste products should have a high polyester content to be cost
effective
 Table 6.4 Examples of chemical recycling (4)

Contents

Recovery of toluenediamine (TDA) from tolylene diisocyanate

Type of Recycling
(TDI) residues (monomerization)
Tolylene diisocyanate (TDI) residues
Recycling Product
(TDI: raw material for polyurethane)
Toluenediamine (TDA)
Recycled Product
(TDA: raw material for TDI)
1) During the production of TDI from TDA, TDI residues are
generated during the distillation process
2) TDA can be recovered from the TDI residues by hydrolysis*
with supercritical water (high temperature and pressurized
Recycling Process
water)
3) The recovered TDA is reused for TDI production

*: Depolymerization of chemical compounds with water

- Conventionally, TDI residues were incinerated rather than
recycled
- The recycling process is safe because organic solvents or
Remarks catalysts are not used
- High recovery rate of TDA (ca. 80%)
- This technology can be used for the monomerization of PET and
polyurethane products
 Table 6.5 Examples of chemical recycling (5)

Contents

Type of Recycling Processing of waste plastics into fuel oil (liquefaction)

Recycling Product Domestic waste plastics
Recycled Product Fuel oil
1) Collected waste plastics are crushed into small pieces
2) Foreign objects, such as metals and glass, are removed from
the crushed waste plastics
3) Chlorine-containing waste plastics are dechlorinated by
heating at 300 °C (extracted as hydrogen chloride gas)
4) The dechlorinated plastics are thermally decomposed inside a
pyrolysis chamber at 400 °C.
5) The pyrolysis gas is cooled and then distilled into fuel oil

Recycling Process

Flow of liquefaction process

Source: Plastic Waste Management Institute (2004); An Introduction
to Plastic Recycling 2004

- Almost all types of domestic waste plastics can be converted

into fuel oil
- Low treatment cost due to the relatively simple procedure
Remarks
- Thermosetting plastics cannot be used and thus must be
removed during the initial phase
- High capita cost compared to other recycling methods
 Table 6.6 Examples of chemical recycling (6)

Contents

Processing of waste plastic into fuel oil by compact-size

Type of Recycling
liquefaction plant (liquefaction)
Recycling Product Waste polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene plastics
Recycled Product Fuel oil
1) Waste plastics are shredded into flakes
2) The shredded plastics are melted at 250-350 ºC
3) The melted plastics are thermally decomposed at 350-500 ºC
4) Gases generated from thermal decomposition are cooled and
processed into fuel oil

Recycling Process

Flow of compact-size liquefaction plant

Source: Website of Blest Co., Ltd
(http:// www.blest.co.jp/img/blester.pdf)

- Compact size (370 x 240 x 280 cm)

- Electric heater used for thermal decomposition
Remarks
- Low running cost
- Treatment capacity: 10-100 kg/h
 Table 6.7 Examples of chemical recycling (7)

Contents

Upgrading of low-grade oil produced from waste plastics

Type of Recycling
(liquefaction)
Recycling Product Low-grade oil produced from waste plastic recycling
Recycled Product High-grade oil (naphtha)
1) Low-grade oil produced from waste plastic recycling is
upgraded into higher-grade oil (naphtha) by utilizing
hydrotreater* in oil refineries
Recycling Process

*: Facility in oil refinery to remove impurities from oil such as

sulfur
- In many cases, oil processed from waste plastic recycling is
used as fuel oil, due to its low quality
- With this technology, waste plastic can be converted to naphtha,
Remarks a raw material of plastic
- The quality of the converted naphtha is equivalent to virgin
naphtha
- Under the research and development stage
 Table 6.8 Examples of chemical recycling (8)

Contents

Utilization of waste plastics as a reducing agent in blast furnacing

Type of Recycling
(chemical feedstock)
Recycling Product Domestic and industrial waste plastics
Recycled Product Chemical feedstock
1) Foreign objects are removed from the collected waste plastics,
and then crushed and granulized
2) The granulized plastics are dechloronized and then injected
into the blast furnace
3) The injected plastic granules are decomposed into hydrogen
gas (H 2 ) and carbon monoxide (CO)
Recycling Process 4) The H 2 and CO function as a reducing agent of iron ore,
transforming it eventually into pure iron (Fe)
5) H 2 and CO are converted into H 2 O and CO 2 respectively, which
are emitted from the blast furnace

Chemical formula of iron oxide reduction by carbon monoxide

FeO + CO → Fe + CO 2
- When plastics are used together with coke, CO 2 emission is
significantly less (ca. 30%) than when only using coke
- Blast furnace slag can be used as cement and road material
Remarks - The excessive reducing gases are also used for blast furnace
stove and power generation
- Chlorine must be removed during the initial phases because it
can damage the furnace
 Table 6.9 Examples of chemical recycling (9)

Contents

Processing of waste vinyl chloride products into blast furnace

Type of Recycling
feedstock (chemical feedstock)
Recycling Product Waste vinyl chloride products
Recycled Product Hydrocarbon, hydrogen chloride
1) Waste vinyl chloride products are thermally decomposed into
hydrocarbon and hydrogen chloride (hydrochloric acid) inside
a rotary kiln
2) Hydrocarbon and hydrogen chloride are extracted from the kiln
Recycling Process
3) The extracted hydrocarbon is used as a reducing agent during
iron ore processing
4) Hydrogen chloride is utilized by the steel and chemical
industry
- Processing possible with impure and low-grade vinyl chloride
Remarks products
- Contributes to the reduction of CO 2 emissions
 Table 6.10 Examples of chemical recycling (10)

Contents

Type of Recycling Processing of waste plastics into coke (chemical feedstock)

Recycling Product Waste plastics except vinyl chloride plastics
Recycled Product Coke, hydrocarbon oil, coke oven gas
1) Pretreatment of collected plastic wastes (removal of
impurities, shredding, granulation)
2) Treated waste plastics are injected into a coke oven with coal
3) The injected waste plastics thermally decompose at 200-450
ºC and become coke
4) Coke oven gas and hydrocarbon oil are also produced from the
process
5) Coke is used as an iron ore reducing agent
6) Coke oven gas is used for power generation
7) Hydrocarbon oil is used as a chemical feedstock of plastic
manufacturing

Recycling Process

Flow of coke oven chemical feedstock recycling

Source: Plastic Waste Management Institute (2004); An Introduction
to Plastic Recycling 2004

- High quality chemical raw material can be recovered from many

type of plastics
- Harmful gases such as dioxins are not produced due to the
Remarks
high-temperature treatment
- Vinyl chloride plastics must be removed to prevent corrosion of
the coke oven
 Table 6.11 Examples of chemical recycling (11)

Contents

Conversion of waste plastics into synthetic gas by a pressurized

Type of Recycling
two-stage gasification system (gasification)
Recycling Product All type of waste plastics
Recycled Product Synthetic gas (hydrogen, carbon monoxide)
1) Waste plastics are converted into plastic pellets
2) Plastic pellets are injected into a pressurized two-stage
gasification furnace
3) Pellets react with oxygen and steam, and produce mainly
synthetic hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases
4) Non-combustible materials and slag are removed from the
furnace to be utilized for other purposes
5) Impurities are removed from the synthetic gases by a gas
scrubber
Recycling Process

Flow of pressurized two-stage gasification

- Almost all types of plastics can be used, including

chlorine-containing plastics
- By-products, such as slag, can be utilized for other purposes
Remarks (e.g. raw material of cement)
- The synthetic hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases can be
utilized as a raw material of ammonia or fuel
- Dioxins are not produced
3.3 Thermal recycling

Thermal recycling utilizes the heat energy produced from combustion of waste plastic.
The heat energy can be used for various purposes, including power generation and
cement manufacturing.

Recycling of waste plastics as fuel for power generation

Although power plants often rely on fossil fuels (coal and oil) for their energy source,
power plants that use waste as an energy source are becoming a popular alternative.
Waste plastics are good energy sources for these plants because they have a high
calorific value, similar to that of coal and oil.

Waste plastic can also be mixed with wastepaper and wastewood to produce fuel pellets
called RPF (Refuse Paper & Plastic Fuel). RPF has a high calorific value and thus can be
used as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels. RPF can also be produced at a low
cost and is currently in high demand by the paper, steel and cement industries.

Recycling of waste plastics as fuel for cement manufacturing

Although coal has traditionally been used as a fuel in the cement manufacturing process,
waste plastics can be used as an alternative energy source due to their high calorific value.
The process sludge can also be utilized as cement raw material.

Table 7 summarizes the thermal recycling examples introduced in the following section.
Each example is introduced in Table 8.1-8.4.

Table 7 Thermal recycling examples introduced in this booklet

Table no. Recycling products Recycled products

8.1 Various wastes, including plastics Fuel for power plants

8.2 Industrial and domestic waste RPF (used as fuel for power, paper,
plastics, wastepaper, wastewood steel and cement plants)
8.3 Industrial waste plastics Fuel for cement manufacturing
8.4 Old or abandoned small FRP Fuel for cement manufacturing
vessels
 Table 8.1 Examples of thermal recycling (1)

Contents

Type of Recycling Utilization of waste plastics as fuel for re-powering power plants
Recycling Product Various wastes including plastics
Recycled Product Electricity
- Re-powering power plants generate electricity using both gas
and waste
- Re-powering power plants utilize the waste heat (ca. 500 ºC)
generated from the gas turbine to superheat the steam
generated from the waste incinerator boiler
- As a result, the power generation efficiency of the steam turbine
increases significantly

Recycling Process

Flow of re-powering power plants

Remarks - Accepts both soft and hard type plastics

 Table 8.2 Examples of thermal recycling (2)

Contents

Processing of waste plastic into Refuse Paper and Plastic Fuel

Type of Recycling
(RPF)
Industrial and domestic waste plastics, wastepaper, wastewood,
Recycling Product
etc.
Refuse Paper and Plastic Fuel (RPF) used, for example, as fuel
Recycled Product
for power, and paper, steel and cement productions
1) Removal of foreign objects from the collected wastes
2) Crushing of the wastes
Recycling Process 3) Mechanical removal of chlorine-containing plastics and metals
4) Further crushing of the wastes
5) Processing into RPF granules (ca. 30 x 50 mm)
- High calorific value (6,000 -7,500 kcal/kg)
- Calorific value is adjustable
- Easy to handle
- Only simple air pollution control measures are required
Remarks - Low cost compared to other fuels (1/4-1/3 of coal)
- Alternative to fossil fuel: reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
- Difficult to remove all chlorine-containing plastics
- High transportation cost of RPF due to its low density (can only
transport 6-7 ton of RPF with a 10-ton truck)
 Table 8.3 Examples of thermal recycling (3)

Contents

Utilization of waste plastics as a supplementary fuel for cement

Type of Recycling
manufacturing
Recycling Product Industrial waste plastics
Recycled Product Fuel for cement manufacturing (cement kiln process)
- Although coal has traditionally been used for fuel in the cement
kiln process, waste plastics can be used as an alternative
energy source due to its high calorific value
Recycling Process
- Prior to injection into a cement kiln, waste plastics are first cut
into prescribed sizes to enhance its combustion efficiency and
handling
- In terms of combustion efficiency, the ideal size for soft and hard
plastics is under 2 and 3 cm, respectively.
- PVC plastics are not acceptable due to possible damage to the
Remarks kiln
- No harmful emissions due to the extremely high combustion
temperature in a kiln (1,000-1,800 ºC)
- Less CO 2 emission compared to coal
 Table 8.4 Examples of thermal recycling (4)

Contents

Utilization of abandoned FRP vessels as fuel for cement

Type of Recycling
manufacturing (FRP: Fiber Reinforced Plastics)
Recycling Product Old or abandoned small FRP vessels
Recycled Product Fuel for cement manufacturing (cement kiln process)
1) Crushing of FRP vessels
2) Selection and collection of FRP parts
Recycling Process 3) Further crushing, selection and processing of FRP parts
4) Transportation of treated FRP to a cement factory to be used
as fuel in the cement kiln process
- Possible solution to reducing illegally dumped FRP vessels
Remarks - Accepts many types of FRP vessels
- Recycling cost is set according to vessel type and size
4. Issues and suggestions on recycling plastic marine litter

As introduced in the previous chapters, various plastic recycling technologies are

currently available or under development. Although these technologies can be effective for
recycling industrial and domestic waste plastics, some technical and economic issues
arise when applying these methods to treat plastic marine litter, especially for material and
chemical recycling.

Technical issues

z Since marine litter includes various plastic types, the collected litter must be sorted
into the same plastic types for recycling
z Even for the same plastic types, the composition or quantity of additives used may
differ among plastic manufacturers. In this case, recycling must be conducted
separately
z Materials of some plastic marine litter are difficult to identify, making it hard to select
the appropriate recycling method
z Painted and specially coated plastic must be pretreated (i.e. removal of painting and
coating) prior to recycling
z Foreign objects, such as sand, dirt and marine organisms, must be removed prior to
recycling
z The quality of some plastic marine litter may be unsuitable for recycling due to
degradation by marine environment exposure, including ultraviolet radiation

Economic issues

z There is a general lack of recycling plants

z It is difficult to sustain a constant supply of plastic marine litter
z It requires time and effort (i.e. additional cost) to separate recyclable and
non-recyclable plastics
z It requires time, effort (i.e. additional cost) and experience to sort plastic into different
types
z It requires time and effort (i.e. additional cost) to untangle and remove foreign objects
from fishing nets and rope
z Some plastics, such as EPS, incur high transportation costs
z The price differences between recycled and virgin material are narrowing (i.e. less
incentive in using recycled material)
z Other treatment methods are often less time consuming and costly

Contrary to material and chemical recycling, thermal recycling of plastic marine litter
does not require rigorous sorting, and plastics can be mixed with other wastes. However,
some general issues still remain such as:

z Plastics with high moisture and salt content are unsuitable for incineration because of
possible damage to the furnace
z Some plastics (e.g. plastics coated with flame retardant) may emit harmful chemical
substances when incinerated
z Further treatment of incineration ash is required in some cases

As described above, various technical and economic issues arise when recycling plastic
marine litter. Although some of these issues may be solved by technical advancements,
other issues are harder to solve because they are influenced by less controllable factors,
such as fluctuation of raw material prices, lack of demand for recycled material, lack of
recycling plants, high recycling costs and so on.

However, in spite of these technical and economic issues, recycling of plastic marine
litter should be encouraged because it is the only environmentally-sound alternative to
landfill or incineration. Recycling should also become a more feasible option, as our
society shift towards a more recycling-oriented structure.