MATERIALS / RECYCLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 12/24 www.petpla.net 16 results are remarkable, since these impact potentials are two of the most relevant environmental impact categories in the current political agenda driving the transition from fossil to renewable feedstocks. PETplanet: In comparing endof-life scenarios like incineration and recycling with respect to climate impact, you project that PEF bottles could reach a similar recycling rate as PET bottles, which could offer up to an 86% advantage for PEF (Fig. 2). Given that PEF currently lacks established recycling streams, how would a comparison look between a recycled PET bottle and an incinerated PEF bottle? Dr Puente: PEF has proven fitfor-purpose with existing sorting and recycling facilities and can be recycled mechanically in a similar way using the same equipment used to recycle PET. The European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) has provisionally approved the recyclability of PEF in the European recycling market for bottles, although in the future a separate recycling stream would have to be set up for final recycling. In this respect, PEF can easily be distinguished from PET and other plastics using nearinfrared technology. This will allow PEF to be sorted from any PCR or deposit system waste streams once the market has grown sufficiently to enable an individual PEF material recycling stream. Our study showed that a rPET bottle would need to contain approximately 85% recycled content to match the carbon footprint of a virgin PEF bottle. PETplanet: By 2030, PET bottles in Europe must have an average of 30% recycled content. How does the carbon footprint of a PET bottle with this 30% recycled content compare to a vPEF bottle? Dr Puente: Based on our assessments, a virgin PEF bottle would still have a 48% lower carbon footprint than a PET bottle with 30% recycled content. As PEF enters the market and recycling streams for PEF are further developed, its carbon footprint could decrease even further, reinforcing its role as a 100% bio-based and recyclable packaging solution. PETplanet: The production of PEF requires intermediates such as fructose and other plant-based feedstock. In 2022, EU demand for bottle-grade PET was 3.4 million tonnes. If this demand were fully met with plant-based PEF, what would that mean in terms of agricultural land requirements? Dr Puente: To make the change to a fully sustainable future we need to switch to sustainable carbon sources. With recycling alone, we will not be able to meet the full demand. Therefore, next to recycling we need to switch to plantbased materials. Materials that have a good fit with the feedstock (efficient conversion) and a performance that can, at least, compete with the current incumbent. PEF is a material that fulfils these criteria. The feedstocks required for PEF production is sourced from sustainably grown, high-efficient crops. In any case, the focus should not be solely on land use but on integrating any bio-based material production into landscapes in a way that balances environmental, social, and economic priorities. Today, plant-based plastics only make up a miniscule land use. Ultimately, there is a need to shift away from fossil feedstocks to achieve climate change mitigation and bio-based materials are part of the solution. With thoughtful planning, policy support, and technological MATERIALS / RECYCLING Fig. 1 Impact Assessment (all figures: nova-Institute) Fig. 2: Recycling rate
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTY0MjI=