Germany's plastic packaging waste disposal and solutions

In order to solve the world's three major crises of population, environment, and resources, the world has set off a tide of environmental protection, resource conservation, and sustainable development. Germany stands at the forefront of this world tide and has taken the lead in establishing the "Green Dot" as The flag's German two-way system, DualSystem Deutscheland, or DSD, also known as Green Point, has carried out fruitful work on the recycling of waste and achieved satisfactory results.

This article describes the organization, operation, and resource utilization of DSD. Establishment and spread On June 12, 1990, the German government issued the first packaging waste disposal regulations --- "Packaging - Packaging Waste Disposal Act." This regulation aims to reduce the generation of packaging waste. For unavoidable disposable packaging waste, regulations must be reused or recycled. Regulations also mandate that manufacturers not only be responsible for the product, but also for its packaging. Responsible for recycling, and instructs companies engaged in transportation, agency, sales, packaging companies, and wholesalers to recycle their used packaging, and may also choose to delegate recycling responsibility to a recycling company that specializes in recycling. The DSD system is based on The decree was established in the same year as a company specializing in waste recycling.

The scope of DSD recycling is limited to sales of packaging waste. In the packaging waste composition used in Germany each year, sales packaging accounts for 48.4% (lifepacking and commercial waste packaging), transportation packaging accounts for 26.8%, multipurpose packaging accounts for 14.7%, commercial and industrial 8.7% of packaging, 0.8% for household packaging, and 0.4% for hazardous packaging. DSD is responsible for recycling the largest proportion of the waste packaging, other packaging recovered by some other recycling organizations, such as transport packaging materials The company PESY recycling, industrial and corporate plastic packaging by RIGK Co., Ltd. responsible for recycling, metal, tinplate packaging recycled by KBS company, building materials packaging and polyurethane foam plastics by the POR company recycling. And DSD Cologne with the raw materials recycling association in Cologne Vfw Recycling sales packaging is Green Dot’s main competitor. According to statistics of DSD, total solid waste (garbage) produced in Germany is about 400 million tons (including industrial, construction, mining, and household waste) in one year. There are 40 million tons of domestic garbage produced in residential areas, and about 11.6 million tons can be recycled and reused. German regulations stipulate the recovery of various types of packaging waste. With a target completion rate from 60% to 75%, due to the company's operational excellence DSD 2001 various types of packaging waste recycling targets are exceeded regulations.

Under the influence of legislation through the mandatory recycling of packaging waste, the EU also passed the “EU Packaging Guidelines” on December 20, 1994. The “Guidelines”, like the German regulations, place priority on recycling. The order of waste disposal is: reduction, recycling, material recycling (degradable materials that cannot be reused), incineration and energy reuse, landfill and composting; the “Packaging Guidelines” require all member states to Take measures to establish a recycling system for waste packaging using recycling marks. Packaging production and use manufacturers must recycle the used packaging. Third party recycling is required to pay for the use of environmentally friendly recycling marks. The Guidelines require all member states to treat packaging waste. The recycling efficiency index is lower than the German regulations. In 2001, the recycling rate reached 50%. The recycling rate of each packaging material waste must be at least 15%.

The countries that adopted the “Green Dot” recycling mark have since spread in the European Union and other countries and have so far reached 16. They are: Austria (1993), Belgium (1994), Czech Republic (2000), France (1993), Hungary (2001) Greece (2002) Ireland (1998) Latvia (2000) Luxembourg (1995) Norway (2000) Poland (2002) Portugal (1997) Spain (1996) Sweden (2001) Canada (2001), United States (2001). Countries that use the “Green Point” mark in the European Union to complete recycling are worse than those in Germany. The main reason is that the recycling rate of plastic packaging is low, and only four countries have reached the EU's packaging guidelines. Organization and Operation DSD is a non-profit non-profit organization composed of nearly 100 production and sales companies. It enjoys the tax exemption policy stipulated in the packaging regulations. The company has more than 300 employees and is composed of three persons. The board of directors is responsible for the specific operations and the packaging products. Three representatives from companies, packaging companies, sales shops, and waste management departments form the supervisory body with the highest authority.

In addition, an advisory committee is formed by the political, business, scientific research, and consumer organizations to serve as a medium for DSD and various social groups to coordinate the work of the company. The DSD recycling company's national recycling system relies on more than 500 of them. The signing of private and waste management companies is a model that is not limited by the geographical economy. At the same time, DSD, as a privately owned organization engaged in services for the public interest, operates under the premise of national environmental policy and operates at a fee. Coordinate the interests of local governments, waste management departments and recycling companies, clarify the rights and interests of all parties, and ensure the smooth progress of recycling. DSD Company issued “green” licenses to packaging companies and importers entrusting them with packaging waste recycling. "Mark" and charge. Charges are calculated based on weight, volume and area according to different types of recycled waste packaging. Calculated by weight: 150.8 cents per kilogram of plastic packaging; 107.3 cents per kilogram of composite packaging Charges of 86.4 cents per kilogram of beverage cardboard box; 76.6 cents per kilogram of aluminum packaging Per kg of tin cans costs 28.6 cents; per kilogram of paper/cardboard packaging charges 20.4 cents; kg of natural packaging materials, 10.2 cents; kg of glass packaging, 7.6 cents. From January 2002, the above fees Has fallen 11%. By volume: <50 to 200ml, charges 0.05 to 0.31 cents;> 200ml to 3L, charges 0.36 to 0.46 cents;> 3L, charges 0.61 cents. Calculated by area: <150 square centimeters to 300 square centimeters, charge 0.05 to 0.20 cents;> 300 square centimeters to 1600 square centimeters, charge 0.31 cents;> 1600 square centimeters, charges 0.46 cents.

After packing companies, importers, and trading companies have paid the bills, they can use the “Green Dot” logo registered with DSD. By 2000, DSD had owned 17,900 companies that used their “Green Dot” logo and recovered it. 340 million tons of packaging waste was recycled, reused and disposed of. DSD company recycling marks are used only on disposable packaging. Reusable packaging such as beer bottles do not use the “green dot” logo but instead The “deposit” method is used for recycling. For packaging wastes with the “green dot” logo printed on them, the DSD company uses the “send” and “take” systems for recycling. For large volumes of glass (requires green and white (separate brown and brown), paper and cardboard wastes and corner wastes. The company uses the “send” system to send the vehicles to the recycling and recycling companies for recycling after being packed in bins and bags. For scattered packaging waste, the company Set garbage collection bins (barrels) near residential areas and pedestrian walkways. The bins (bins) are available in three types: large, medium, and small, and are selected according to need; bins (bins) are also divided into different colors. ,blue The bins (buckets) collect carton boxes, and the yellow bins (bins) collect all kinds of discarded light packages, such as plastic, compound, tin cans, cans and other waste packagings, and gray or brown bins (barrels) to collect other debris.

The average recyclingable waste collected by Green Point from each inhabitant in 2001 was 76.6 kg. Among them, glass packaging was 30.0 kg, light packaging was 27.91 kg, and paper/cardboard packaging was 18.7 kg. DSD two-way system explained the recycling operation of packaging waste. : The cycle circle is: Packaging manufacturer → Sells packaging to manufacturing companies for packaging or filling. Manufacturers must pay green point fees to the two-way system → Manufacturer's disposable packaging products can be printed with green dot mark → Sales to the store → consumer spending → post-consumer waste packaging Recycling by the Green Point company using its investment in a garbage collection bin → The green dot company or the contractor who contracted with it collects the waste and transports it to a recycling plant → Production and regeneration Raw materials (or made into other products) → return to the manufacturer of packaging products to produce recycled products. Separation and recycling of waste paper In Germany, 75% of waste paper is newspapers and magazines, and 25% is paper and cardboard. In 1999, it recovered 214.6kg/ People, years, has a very good economic value of recycling. Through the "delivery", "take" two systems after the recovery, the past used care, and now has been using automatic waste paper sorting line for classification, After the shredded paper is shredded, it is separated by weight (specific gravity), which can ensure the quality of recycled paper pulp delivered to paper mills. If waste newspapers and magazines are mixed with 5% paper/paperboard, the quality of high-grade pulp will be seriously affected. The selection quality requirements are very high, and the provisions of the hybrid paper shall not exceed 1.25%. The waste composite packaging beverage cardboard packaging uses aluminum-plastic composite materials, its composition is 80% is paper-based, 16% is PE plastic, and 4% is aluminum foil. Germany recycles 13 annually. 10,000 tons of composite packaging.

The recovery and separation procedures are as follows: (1) After tearing and crushing the waste composite package, the waste composite package can be separated to form fiber pulp by using the characteristics of water absorption of the waste paper. After the fiber pulp is extruded into a large package, it is transported to Finland and Germany. The paper mill used to make paper, because the food packaging paperboard fiber is long and the quality is good, so it is welcomed by the paper mill. (2) The tearing crushing and separation of the paper, the remaining aluminum foil (aluminum oxide) and PE can not be divided, Therefore, most (75%) are sent to the cement plant as an additive for the production of cement. Al2O3; a few (25%) can also be pyrolyzed, and after burning off the plastic PE (used as a heat source), aluminum oxide remains. Waste plastic packaging Germany uses plastics: PE 61%, PP 18%, PET 9%, PVC 4%, EPS 2%. Its waste plastic packaging composition: 11% plastic bottle, 23% plastic Films, 2% EPS, 64% are mixed plastics. Except PET is easy to recycle, other plastics are difficult to recycle, and there is no good market like other recycled materials after recycling. The German Ministry of Environmental Protection first required chemical plants to undertake the task of plastic recycling. , but the plastic factory is too cumbersome and considers economical benefits rather than willing to bear it, only hope The waste plastic was burned and landfilled, and the factory still produced and sold only new plastic packaging products. Therefore, although the recycling organization was established, it was bankrupted only three years ago. However, the Ministry of Environmental Protection still insists that chemical companies recycle and do not collect taxes on their recycling. It was decided that the chemical company had to entrust DSD company with responsibility for the recycling of waste plastic packaging, and the processing costs were borne by the chemical plastics factory. For this reason, DSD set up a DKR stock company to collect the waste plastic packaging.

Source: Jiagong Machine Grid