U.K.-based RECOUP (Recycling of Used Plastics Ltd.) has begun preparations for its Plastics Recycling Conference, 29 September 2016, in Peterborough, U.K.
In addition to headline speaker Tom Heap of the BBC’s Countryfile and Radio 4, the event will feature Dr. Jur Helmut Maurer, who says the industry must act to address how plastics end up in landfill or as litter in developing countries. However, even in Europe, too much plastic ends up in landfills, the organization says, estimating a 30%rate.
Maurer is a supporter of a global landfill ban and says he believes this is the only way to prevent millions of tons of plastic from ending up in oceans and breaking down into microplastics.
He says, “We need to talk globally—oceans don’t have borders. However, we also need to be working on the chemistry of plastics materials. Products need to be made with materials that are designed to be recycled and [that] do not contain toxic additives that can make recycling difficult.”
Where plastic is used in more complex consumer products, Maurer says, it must not facilitate early obsolescence; products must be designed to be refurbished and to be repairable.
“Producers know their material best, and for recyclers it is extremely important to have that same knowledge, so there is a lot to be done to facilitate this knowledge transfer. Yet there are plenty of things that can be done to enhance domestic plastic recycling,” he continues, noting establishing recycling targets, creating incentives for high-quality recycling and increasing supply through separate collection and implementation of a landfill ban as possible examples.
Regarding recovering energy from plastics, Maurer says he supports this only when it happens within the limits of the waste hierarchy.
Stuart Foster, RECOUP CEO, says, “Following an excellent presentation at our 2014 event, we are delighted that Dr. Maurer will be joining the debate at the RECOUP Plastics Recycling Conference on 29th September 2016. It promises to be a thought provoking day.”
More information on the event is available at www.recoup.org/conference-2016.