Flows of post-consumer plastic packaging in Germany: An MFA-aided case study

Abstract

This study aims at defining the current state-of-affairs of the German post-consumer plastic packaging (PCPP) sector. By the use of the Material Flow Analysis (MFA) tool, a comprehensive investigation of the currently available PCPP waste collection and treatment system is conducted, which enables understanding the intrinsic inefficiencies of the waste value chain. The analysis utilises primary data (by conducting manual sorting activities) as well as secondary data (literature-based). Sorting has been performed taking into consideration the plastic packaging applications and material composition, polymer types, and moisture and dirt.Results show that the per capita generation of PCPP waste is 26.3 kg ± 3.0% in the year 2017 in Germany. The separate collection efficiency is 74.8% ± 2.9%, considering all separate collection systems (i.e. deposit system for PET bottles and Dual System). The study confirms that most of the material losses occur at the sorting stage mostly as a result of the complex packaging designs, where a combination of different materials is common practise. Overall, the net material recycling rate is 26.4% ± 1.3%, calculated on the basis of the net generated waste and excluding the potential recycling of the mixed polyolefin stream. If recycled material from mixed polyolefins is included, this figure increases to 37.8% ± 2.0%.The maximisation of the PCPP re-circulation potential requires collaborative policies addressing all the stakeholders in the value chain, starting from producers (product design), followed by the consumer (responsible and correct disposal), then the sorting facilities (by utilising state-of-the-art technologies and targeted sorting).