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Introduction to the EC congress: Packaging, recovery and reuse
Resource Recovery and Conservation, 0
5 (1980) 3-4
3
ElsevierScientificPublishingCompany,Amsterdam-- Printedin The Netherlands
INTRODUCTION AND REUSE*
TO THE EC CONGRESS:
PACKAGING,
RECOVERY
T. TEEUWEN Stichting Verwijdering Afvalstoffen, (Received
10th December
3800 Amersfoort
1979; accepted
(The Netherlands)
10th December
1979)
Looking at some congresses of the last few years, it may be stated that subjects such as recycling,.recovery and reuse can be approached from a number of viewpoints. Environmental control, energy and raw materials savings, and waste disposal are subjects wherein recirculation is of increasing importance. After large international congresses in Jonkijping and Berlin in 1979, an international congress of a smaller extent was sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Fair in Utrecht. This time, recycling was connected to packaging. In the countries of the European community, the amount of’waste arising from packaging is about one-quarter of the total quantity of domestic waste. The congress was opened by the Minister of Health and Environmental Quality of the Netherlands who underlined the necessity of a common strategy between governments and industries in reducing the amount of packaging waste. The subject of the congress was focused on by various speakers representing two main viewpoints, from government and industry. Information was given by experts in the field of waste management about available methods and technologies for recycling and reuse and the consequences of this. Looking at the contributions, it was clear that on the governments’ part, there are early stages of increasing attention to regulations aimed at decreasing the amount of packaging wastes and in promoting reuse. In principle, methods and techniques for recycling are available. Various speakers emphasized that application of secondary raw materials is a question which needs an overall integrated approach between the parties involved. The leading conclusions of the congress were: 1. Regulations in the field of packaging to improve recycling are to be based on studies of the total packaging system. 2. Recycling is a task which can be realized in close cooperation between government, trade and industry. Recycling is not an alternative to waste disposal, but can result in a decrease in the final amount of waste to be disposed of *Presented at Packaging, Recovery and Reuse: Governmental Congress sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Fair, Utrecht,
and Industrial 1979.
Viewpoints,
4
3. Separation at the source causes less pollution and requires less direct energy consumption and lower capital costs in comparison to mechanical separation of mixed wastes. Therefore, it should be the first method considered. 4. Separate collection is in development. Relatively little scientific research in this field has been performed, so far. Techniques for separate collection deserve more attention. 5. Separation methods for mixed waste are not only justified because they yield materials for reuse but also because, at a certain price, they decrease the amount of waste that has to be disposed of. The development of such methods is not equal in various countries, in that Europe is the technical leader in developing paper recovery methods for municipal waste, and the United States’ developments stress the production of energy, such as by the preparation of refuse-derived fuel (RDF). 6. Apart from the conventional refuse incineration methods, there are, in principle, many thermal processing methods possible (pyrolysis, gasification). Few of them seem to be realized. Before some of these methods will be practical, research has to be done both in the laboratory and at pilot scale. In this respect, one can think of manufacturing fuels or hydrocarbons for the chemical industry. 7. The use of secondary raw materials in industry generally saves energy compared to using virgin materials. Material specifications for secondary raw materials are now being developed, at least in the United States. There must be care that recovered materials do not merely substitute for traditional wastederived materials, such as from obsolete items. Otherwise, these traditional sources of secondary materials become wastes. The only possibility for a successful application of secondary materials it to look for new and permanent markets in addition to the existing markets for traditional scrap supplies.
5 (1980) 3-4
3
ElsevierScientificPublishingCompany,Amsterdam-- Printedin The Netherlands
INTRODUCTION AND REUSE*
TO THE EC CONGRESS:
PACKAGING,
RECOVERY
T. TEEUWEN Stichting Verwijdering Afvalstoffen, (Received
10th December
3800 Amersfoort
1979; accepted
(The Netherlands)
10th December
1979)
Looking at some congresses of the last few years, it may be stated that subjects such as recycling,.recovery and reuse can be approached from a number of viewpoints. Environmental control, energy and raw materials savings, and waste disposal are subjects wherein recirculation is of increasing importance. After large international congresses in Jonkijping and Berlin in 1979, an international congress of a smaller extent was sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Fair in Utrecht. This time, recycling was connected to packaging. In the countries of the European community, the amount of’waste arising from packaging is about one-quarter of the total quantity of domestic waste. The congress was opened by the Minister of Health and Environmental Quality of the Netherlands who underlined the necessity of a common strategy between governments and industries in reducing the amount of packaging waste. The subject of the congress was focused on by various speakers representing two main viewpoints, from government and industry. Information was given by experts in the field of waste management about available methods and technologies for recycling and reuse and the consequences of this. Looking at the contributions, it was clear that on the governments’ part, there are early stages of increasing attention to regulations aimed at decreasing the amount of packaging wastes and in promoting reuse. In principle, methods and techniques for recycling are available. Various speakers emphasized that application of secondary raw materials is a question which needs an overall integrated approach between the parties involved. The leading conclusions of the congress were: 1. Regulations in the field of packaging to improve recycling are to be based on studies of the total packaging system. 2. Recycling is a task which can be realized in close cooperation between government, trade and industry. Recycling is not an alternative to waste disposal, but can result in a decrease in the final amount of waste to be disposed of *Presented at Packaging, Recovery and Reuse: Governmental Congress sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Fair, Utrecht,
and Industrial 1979.
Viewpoints,
4
3. Separation at the source causes less pollution and requires less direct energy consumption and lower capital costs in comparison to mechanical separation of mixed wastes. Therefore, it should be the first method considered. 4. Separate collection is in development. Relatively little scientific research in this field has been performed, so far. Techniques for separate collection deserve more attention. 5. Separation methods for mixed waste are not only justified because they yield materials for reuse but also because, at a certain price, they decrease the amount of waste that has to be disposed of. The development of such methods is not equal in various countries, in that Europe is the technical leader in developing paper recovery methods for municipal waste, and the United States’ developments stress the production of energy, such as by the preparation of refuse-derived fuel (RDF). 6. Apart from the conventional refuse incineration methods, there are, in principle, many thermal processing methods possible (pyrolysis, gasification). Few of them seem to be realized. Before some of these methods will be practical, research has to be done both in the laboratory and at pilot scale. In this respect, one can think of manufacturing fuels or hydrocarbons for the chemical industry. 7. The use of secondary raw materials in industry generally saves energy compared to using virgin materials. Material specifications for secondary raw materials are now being developed, at least in the United States. There must be care that recovered materials do not merely substitute for traditional wastederived materials, such as from obsolete items. Otherwise, these traditional sources of secondary materials become wastes. The only possibility for a successful application of secondary materials it to look for new and permanent markets in addition to the existing markets for traditional scrap supplies.