Despite all the political efforts and regulations will increase worldwide, the amount of plastic waste up to twelve years up to 80 percent. The analysis of the consulting firm McKinsey & Company says. But there is also good news: The recycling rate could increase from the current 16 percent to up to 50 percent.
In Europe there will be more plastic waste. However, the increases in international comparison, is less dramatic: In Europe, the amount of plastic waste is expected to grow by around 12 per cent to about 40.9 million tons. The consulting firm has the worldwide production and life, analyzed cycles of the most important plastics, and in contrast, existing and promising plastic recycling technologies on their economic and ecological potential of investigated.
in the World were produced in 2016, according to the analysis, approximately 260 million tons of plastic waste. More than half of them – 150 million tonnes – accounted for so-called short-lived applications. This plastic include bottles, packaging bags, disposable cups, straws, foil or disposable. 110 million tons of plastic waste were caused by “long-life applications”. To plastic, the lands only after several years of use in the garbage, for example, in the Form of bumpers, window frames or pipes made from PVC.
Video: Eat the bottle, spare garbage the fight against plastic waste: drinks in edible balls. (Video: Reuters)
Only 16 percent (40 million tons) of all waste plastics were collected for Recycling. The rest of the 220 million tons were burned to 25 per cent, or landed to 40 percent (105 million tons) of it is land landfills or to 20 percent (50 million tons), unregulated in the environment, on garbage dumps or in the world’s oceans, with devastating consequences for the natural .
recycling rate is improving
McKinsey expects the global volume of plastic waste will increase by 2030 to approximately 80 percent to 440 million tons. “Many emerging economies have a way of catching up to do: The number of cars and their construction, the number of consumer goods products, as well as the construction of housing in cities will just increase in Asia and Africa is enormous,” says McKinsey’s senior partner, Jacob Fischer this development. “You can’t stop.”
But there is good news: The recycling rate in the world at the same time on up to 50 percent. As a driver of this development, Fischer sees the chemical industry in particular, have the technological skills to meet the growing environmental awareness and the demand in the consumer goods industry to recycled materials. A positive side effect of the high recycling rate: It is hardly to be disposed of in garbage unregulated (less than 1 percent) or at country landfills (18 percent). Therefore, the proportion of the plastic waste that is burned will increase by six percentage points to 31 per cent (136 million tonnes).
Europe cuts well
Europe cuts according to the analysis, in an international comparison, with a recycling rate of currently about 22 percent. By 2030, the ratio could be around 65 percent. This tripling is crucial to the success according to McKinsey, but only through conventional Recycling, but also through new procedures, to plastic Oil and chemical intermediates, recover. Of the approximately 7.3 million tons of plastic waste in 2016, was disposed of in a garbage unregulated into the environment.
in Principle, the recycling rate could be even higher. But: “A major challenge in the Recycling bags are thin plastic and films,” notes McKinsey Partner Theo Jan Simons. Due to the often high level of Pollution which could not be recycled using conventional recycling methods. In addition to combustion for energy recovery, McKinsey sees potential in the so-called pyrolysis. This is a procedure in which this “low quality garbage” under sauertoff exclusion of liquid raw materials, i.e. Oil, respectively, Naphtha is obtained.
economic potential
This raw material is then subsequently either for new plastic production or for blending to motor fuels, thereby reducing the necessary amount could be reduced to a new promotional price of crude oil. Consultant Simons: “This technology represents for the chemical industry, especially in Asia, potentially a large economic field.” Therefore, there has been a lot of both established and young companies, which deal with the economic implementation of this method. Overall, McKinsey is in the market for plastic recycling, from an economic potential of up to 70 billion euros.
in Order to be the plastic waste production and to achieve significantly higher recycling rates, according to a consultant Simons, for a significant investment, on the other, a cooperation of all relevant actors along the value creation chain: Starting with the lawmakers, the chemical industry and in plastic processing companies, packaging and consumer goods industries, and, not least, the consumer who is influenced by his behavior, the developments significantly. The pressure on the industry, which is reflected in the global Banned plastic bags and other packaging waste in the EU, which has created with its adoption of the packaging waste regulation a new framework increases currently.
(fal/sda)
Created: 20.12.2018, 10:20 p.m.
