Article
Version 1
This version is not peer-reviewed
Plastics Recycling and Hazardous Substances – Risk Cycle
Version 1
: Received: 1 July 2024 / Approved: 2 July 2024 / Online: 2 July 2024 (11:02:15 CEST)
How to cite: Lahl, U.; Zeschmar-Lahl, B. Plastics Recycling and Hazardous Substances – Risk Cycle. Preprints 2024, 2024070222. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0222.v1 Lahl, U.; Zeschmar-Lahl, B. Plastics Recycling and Hazardous Substances – Risk Cycle. Preprints 2024, 2024070222. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0222.v1
Abstract
The complexity of plastic polymers and even more so of additives has increased enormously in recent years. This makes the high-quality recycling of mixed plastic waste considerably more difficult. Some additives have now been strictly regulated or even completely banned for good reasons ('legacy additives'). Material or mechanical recycling generally utilises old plastics that still contain these substances. Consequently, products that are manufactured using such recyclates are contaminated with these harmful substances. We therefore recommend avoiding the use of these recyclates for products with intensive contact with consumers until further notice. We also show that the climate policy challenges for the plastics (and chemical) industry necessitate a defossilisation ('feedstock change'). This turnaround can only succeed if solely high-quality recycling takes place in future; recyclates should primarily replace virgin plastics. This can only work if used plastics with a high degree of homogeneity and known formulation are collected separately, as is already the case today with PET bottles. In this context, we would like to point out inconsistencies in the current legislation on the European emissions trading system.
Keywords
moratorium on the use of recyclates; legacy additives; 'Risk Cycle'; human biomonitoring; closed-loop recycling; feedstock change
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Waste Management and Disposal
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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