51recyclinginternational.com | November/December | 2022
PLASTICS SPECIAL
Flame retardants within plastics have
long been a concern and Slijkhuis has
been lobbying on behalf of recyclers
for a long time to ensure official tar-
gets allow for effective recycling.
‘They are still being used. Luckily, a lot
of them have been analysed and
approved, though some legacy prod-
ucts contain chemicals of concern.
‘Our industry has come a long way.
Our XRF equipment can detect the
presence of chemicals with a high
level of accuracy.’ One issue of con-
cern is what Slijkhuis refers to as
‘regrettable substitutions’. ‘Producers
may switch the ingredients around,’
he explains. ‘They could be either
good or bad chemicals but the recy-
cling technology available on-site can-
not differentiate between them.’
One answer is to send samples to an
independent laboratory but this can
be both time-consuming and very
expensive. ‘It could cost up to EUR 1
000 per batch. That’s just a waste of
money. Isn’t it better to prevent this
situation in the first place?’
Slijkhuis laments that the legal thresh-
old for allowed chemicals in plastic
products is, once again, under attack.
While the target was 500ppm, ‘which
is just about manageable for most
recyclers’, there are proposals to
reduce this to 200ppm. ‘They do this
every three years or so,’ he says with a
sigh. ‘It makes no sense because the
chemicals are just a drop in the ocean
of plastic scrap processed.’
BRIDGING THE DIVIDE
Legislators are essentially setting food-
grade targets for recycled fractions that
will not be used as such. ‘The ideology is
to create a 100% non-toxic world but at
what cost?’ Slijkhuis asks. ‘This approach
is making recycling impossible.’
In a call for reason, MGG Polymers
collaborated with the European
Electronics Recyclers Association
(EERA) on a paper that was recently
sent to the European Commission.
‘We hope to hear back from them
soon and get the opportunity to share
our point of view,’ he explains. ‘As an
industry representative, I want to see
legislators strike a balance between
sustainability, ambition and common
sense.’
As yet, legislators, recyclers and pro-
ducers are on opposing sides, some-
times taking a step forward, then tak-
ing two steps back. ‘It’s like we’re fac-
ing off across a deep and dark ravine,’
Slijkhuis says. ‘We have to find a way
to bridge this divide, to realise we are
on the same side. We all want what’s
best for the world. So let’s commit to
achieving results in the most effective
and logical way.’
Fotobijschrift
KADERKOP
??
Soaring
energy prices
are raising the
heart rate of
European recy-
clers. Some
have already
reduced their
activities.
50-51_plasticssp_globaltrends.indd 51 09-11-2022 11:46
