PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2010

MATERIAL / RECYCLING 19 PET planet insider Vol. 11 No. 05/10 www.petpla.net Two new LCA studies indicate PET’s environmental advantage over glass or aluminium The Life Cycle Assessment 2010, carried out by the Ifeu Institute for Energy and Envi- ronmental Research Heidelberg GmbH (Ifeu), found that PET bottles have shown an improved ecological performance in all areas of the value chain. In 2009, disposable PET bottles’ share of the mineral waters market reached 68.1% and is tending to increase. Dis- posable PET bottles for mineral waters and refreshment drinks are being collected through a deposit system, are recycled through a closed material loop and eventually provide a high quality raw material for recycling. The Life Cycle Assessment found that, today, 81.3% of the researched market of mineral waters and refreshment drinks show an ecological equivalence with benchmark multi- use glass bottles. Dr. Jürgen Bruder, general director of the German Association for Plastics Packaging and Films - IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V, said at a press event in April 2010 that the Ifeu report reflected the continuing ecological development of PET disposable drinks packaging that was identified by the GDB life cycle assess- ment in 2008. The survey used the same methods and effect categories and priorities in previous lifecycle assessments, in order to ensure accurate comparison. Technological advances in the entire process chain (PET manufacturing, PET bottle fabrication, filling, distribution and recycling) were taken into account. The categories examined were PET disposable drinks packaging and other market- relevant drinks packagings such as returnable PET and glass for storage/repeat use (>0,7l) and instant use (<0.7l) for non- carbonated and carbonated mineral waters and refreshment drinks. The report shows improvements for the 1.5l non-returnable PET bottle in almost all categories. Under the headings of climate change, fossil resource consumption, summer smog, acidification, terrestrial pollution, and human toxicity/respirable dust, improvements between 30-55% were recorded, com- pared with the last life cycle assessment by the Association of German Wells (Genossenschaft Deutscher Brunnen e.G (GDB)) in 2008. Contributory factors included bottle weight reduction (-14%); increased recycling (25-35% recycled PET); decrease in distribution distances (-38%); and reduced energy and process water consumption (-30% and -36%) in contributing to equality to returnable glass in the reusable 0.7l reference point. PET returnable bottles reached a higher total score than any of the packaging systems examined. Helmuth von Grolman, managing director of Deutsches Dialog Institut, observed that the packaging directive and mandatory deposit measures have contributed strongly to the closing of the lifecycle loop in the case of single use PET bot- tles, and consequent saving of resources. The current return rate of 1.5l single use PET bottles has been reported as now reaching 98.5%. EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H. Freindorf · Unterfeldstr. 3 · P.O.B. 38 · A-4052 Ansfelden/Linz · Austria Phone +43/732/3190-0 · Fax +43/732/3190-23 · erema@erema.at We know how. www.erema.at VACUREMA Prime Up to 10% IV increase without energy intensive classic SSP process FDA approved, ILSI-conform Very low total energy consumption from 0,25Kw/kg pellet only More than 100 plants delivered worldwide YOUR MOST ECONOMIC WAY TO HIGH QUALITY BTB REGRANULATE PET BOTTLE RECYCLING BY VACUREMA