ISO Introduces Standards for Plastics Recycling

The International Organization for Standardization is introducing a new standard that targets the plastic recovery and recycling industry. The new standard is ISO 15270:2008, Plastics. It provides guidelines for the recovery and recycling of plastics waste.

ISO states that the development of the new standard has been designed to help companies in the plastic industry to develop the following: a sustainable global infrastructure for plastics recovery and recycling; and a sustainable market for recovered plastics materials and their derived manufactured products.

Plastics material for recovery may be obtained from various sources and the major markets for plastics are packaging, building and construction products, electrical and electronic products, automotive/transportation, and household/consumer items.

ISO 15270:2008 establishes the different options for the recovery of plastics waste arising from pre-consumer and post-consumer sources. The standard will assist in the selection of methodologies and processes for the management of post-use plastics that may be approached using various strategies.

In general, plastics recovery technologies can be divided into two classes:

material recovery, including mechanical recycling, chemical or feedstock recycling, and biological or organic recycling; and

energy recovery in the form of heat, steam, or electricity generation using plastics waste as substitutes for primary fossil fuel resources.

The standard also establishes the quality requirements that should be considered in all steps of the recovery process. Selection of any one of the available recycling options should be based on compliance with the following requirements:

the need to minimize adverse environmental impact;

prior demonstration of sustainable commercial viability; and

secure access to viable systems for collection and quality control.

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ISO 15270:2008 also provides recommendations for inclusion in material standards, test standards and product specifications. Consequently, the process stages, requirements, recommendations and terminology presented in this standard are intended to be of general applicability.

Michael Fisher, Chair of ISO/TC 61 Plastics, the committee that developed the standard, comments, "Access to markets for recovered materials or energy is an important consideration. There is already international trade in end-of-life products for the purpose of reclaiming or recycling the plastic components and ISO 15270:2008 is intended to provide a valuable resource that is globally relevant, no matter which particular legislative or regulatory framework for plastic recovery and recycling governs its application."