PETpla.net Insider 04 / 2018

TRADE SHOW PREVIEW PET planet Insider Vol. 19 No. 04/18 www.petpla.net 52 FTR technology from Uhde Inventa-Fischer Towards the circular economy in PET packaging based on an article by Dr Christopher Hess and Martin Hittorff, Uhde Inventa-Fischer Market and societal pressures are driving the plastic packaging industry towards a real circular economy (CE). How can the competing interests be met that plastic producers - of PET resin in particular – are challenging? The tightening of European and German legislation, which sets high targets for the recycling of packaging material, is a recent manifestation of increased public awareness on packag- ing. The German law, passed in March 2017, requires that the recycling rate for plastic packaging in the dual system must rise from 36% in 2017 to 58% in 2019 and go on to reach 63% by 2022. The global collection rate of PET reached 55% in 2017 (see diagram 2), with some local collection systems achieving over 90%. The total PET collected is expected to reach 12m t in 2017. However, recyclate content in PET packaging is around six to seven per cent globally; with local excep- tions, such as approximately 24% in Germany. A major portion of collected, used PET bottles end up as feed to staple fibre production; effectively, a down-cycle of valuable packaging material. The key question is: how can the rPET content in PET packaging be increased, to achieve real recycling, rather than down-cycling? The most frequently observation made by big brand owners, produc- ers and broader market participants is that all available recycling tech- nologies have to be combined and Hall 7.2 Booth K25 Diagram 1: Triangle of interests influencing the PET resin industry (source: PCI Wood Mackenzie 2017) Diagram 2: PET Resin and rPET, the global view (source: PCI Wood Mackenzie 2017) 2016 actual 2017 provisional 2022 projected 1.8 2.8 2.4 10 12 17 21 22 29 8.6 9.2 14 0.8 0.9 2 0.30.3 1 50% 55% 58% 5% 6% 10% PET consumption [mio t/a] PET resin consumption PET bottle collection Process losses PCR flakes available Bottle food contact Bottle non- food contact PET bottle collection rate rPET content of bottles