Providing the 30% recycled content for food packing (PFP): An integrated stakeholder approach to solving 'hard to recycle' plastic packaging

COVID-19疫情加剧了环境中的塑料问题，影响了英国、欧盟和全球的废物管理。我们看到，出于公共卫生目的，对一次性塑料的需求不断增加，通常的分销途径受到破坏，再利用、回收和保留的变化，这些都对发展循环经济至关重要。随着各国开始放松封锁限制，公民在管理废物方面可能会面临更大的压力，可能会有更多的家庭工作，更少的旅行和社交活动，以及增加一次性塑料包装（例如医疗设备，客户避免“松散”零售产品）。最近，我们完成了PRISM项目（2015-18），该项目与许多行业领导者合作，展示了一个真实的和可持续的概念验证，有望成为解决这一问题的重要组成部分。我们将解决食品和非食品级应用中使用的废塑料容器的自动分拣问题，就像废物回收厂部分完成的那样。目前的自动化近红外分类技术无法识别食品级和非食品级包装，非食品级包装将高价值的聚合物树脂交付到低等级;非食品级用途或更糟的是，填埋和焚烧。我们将实现适合商业化的低成本标签系统，使这种分拣成为现实;支持这些材料（PP，PE，PET，例如塑料奶瓶，饮料容器到家用洗涤剂瓶）闭环分拣的长期可行性。此前，我们的联盟展示了一种标签系统，可用于在高带速下高速分拣各种破碎的塑料瓶，具有高纯度和高产量，受到了全球品牌的极大关注。为了将该概念验证商业化，期望优化将被采用的发光材料，因此我们将使用低毒性和环境安全的材料开发可持续的低成本发光标记系统，从而降低进入市场的任何商业壁垒。一旦这项技术得到证明，我们将处于有利地位，寻求广泛实施我们的技术，并进行全面的现场试验，通过我们的NextlooPP合作伙伴为主要品牌所有者提供便利。这一变革性项目将减少不适当的塑料处理，并通过增加回收材料的货币价值来提高回收率。这将通过最终确定将要实施的基础发光标签技术来实现塑料公约30%回收含量的目标。在NextlooPP工艺中实施该技术将有助于rPP颗粒在食品、化妆品和低等级应用中的可用性，从而减少对原始聚合物的需求。通过纯粹的技术手段无法有效解决塑料废物的系统性问题，我们的研究为人们对回收的看法以及消费者（英国，西班牙，德国）如何参与家庭塑料包装上的表面标记提供了新的见解，这是一个被忽视但重要的废物管理场所。因此，该项目超越了废物管理和产品设计的技术基础设施，以解决人们在日常生活中对塑料包装的看法和行为，以及他们的看法和行为如何根据COVID-19发生变化。业务，政策和消费者为重点的元素，以确保我们与利益相关者在整个塑料包装供应链的一致性。

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem of plastics in the environment, impacting on waste management across the UK, EU and globally. We have seen increased demand for single use plastics for public health purposes, disruptions to the usual distribution pathways and variations in reuse, recycle and retention which are all vital to developing a circular economy. As countries begin to ease lockdown restrictions it is likely that citizens will face greater pressures in managing their waste with potentially more home based working, less travel and socialising and increased single use plastic packaging (e.g. medical equipment, customer avoidance of 'loose' retail products).An explosion of interest in the ongoing problem of plastic waste has seen a diverse range of solutions being proposed. Recently we completed the PRISM project (2015-18) with a number of industry leaders that has shown a real and sustainable proof of concept that promises to be a significant part of the solution to this problem.We will address the automatic sorting of waste plastic containers used in food and non-food grade applications as is partially done at waste recycling plants. Current automated near infra-red sorting techniques are unable to identify food grade from non-food grade packaging which consigns high value polymer resins into low grade; non food grade uses or worse still, landfill and incineration. We will enable a low cost labelling system suitable for commercialisation, to make this sorting a reality; support the long term viability for closed loop sorting of these materials (PP, PE, PET, e.g. plastic milk bottles, drinks containers to household detergent bottles). Previously our consortium demonstrated a labelling system that can be used for high speed sorting of various crushed plastic bottles at high belt speeds with high purity and high yield which has received a great deal of interest from global brands. To commercialise this proof of concept it is desirable to optimise the luminescent materials that will be taken forwards so we will develop a sustainable low cost luminescent marker system using low toxicity and environmentally safe materials, thus lowering any commercial barrier to enter the market.Once this technology is proven then we will be in a strong position to seek wide implementation of our technology and run full scale field trials with major brand owners facilitated through our NextlooPP partner. This transformative project will have the effect to reduce inappropriate plastics disposal and increase recycling rates by increasing the monetary value of the recycled material. This will address the Plastics Pacts objective of 30% recycled content by finalising the underpinning luminescent labelling technology to be implemented. Implementation of this technology into the NextlooPP process will facilitate the availability of rPP granules for food, cosmetics and lower grade applications thus reducing the demand for virgin polymer. Tackling the systemic problem of plastic waste effectively cannot be achieved through purely technical means and our research offers fresh insights into people's perspectives on recycling and how consumers (UK, Spain, Germany) engage with surface markers on plastic packaging in their households, a neglected but important site for managing waste. This project thus moves beyond the technical infrastructure of waste management and design of products to address people's perceptions and behaviour with plastic packaging in their every day life and how their perceptions and behaviour might have changed in light of COVID-19.This ambitious project will thus help position the UK at the forefront of innovation in sorting hard to recycle plastics and offers fresh insights by integrating technical, business, policy and consumer focused elements to ensure that we are in alignment with stake holders all across the plastic packaging supply chain.