Closing material loops for plastics from Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)

Plastics make 15-20 wt% of WEEE and their composition is evolving constantly due to development of new materials, changing legislations and new product designs. To date, only a limited number of plastics are recycled and large amounts of WEEE plastics are downcycled, incinerated or landfilled. Since there is a significant potential for value recovery and to lower the environmental impact of plastics, the aim of the dissertation is to develop new mechanical recycling strategies to re-apply post-consumer plastics in high-end thin-walled injection moulded products.

To achieve this objective, separation based on dismantling and subsequent spectroscopic sorting of large plastic components is investigated. Results demonstrate that this strategy allows to produce high-quality recycled plastics with flame retardants, as well as other special engineering plastics. The integration of this process in industrial plastic recycling plant applications is evaluated, as well as for setting up a closed-loop recycling system for products that are subject to individual take-back schemes by the manufacturers. In addition, a set of recycling strategies is derived by a SWOT analysis. Technical, economic and legal aspects are considered for a successful application of such innovative recycling strategies In order to support the quality control of plastics at early stages in the value chain, a systematic testing procedure is investigated. The technical limitations of detection of the testing procedure, the potential for risk reduction and involved costs are analysed to enable a data-driven and well controlled plastics recycling value chain.