{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/category/recycling/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/category/recycling/", "feed_url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/category/recycling/feed/json/", "title": "Let's talk bromine", "description": "A conversation starter in the fast-moving bromine field", "items": [ { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2022/07/13/pops-regulation-risk-hindering-recycling/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2022/07/13/pops-regulation-risk-hindering-recycling/", "title": "Amendments to POPs regulation risk hindering recycling", "content_html": "

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From 6 to 17 June 2022, the Conferences of Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions took place in Switzerland. One of the agenda items was to discuss and approve the Low POP Content Limits (LPCL) for several POP substances. A final agreement was not reached because the EU had not yet finalised their internal discussions on LPCL values at the time of the COP discussions.

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In the meantime, however, the EU Council and the Parliament reached a provisional deal on 20 June, establishing new limits on persistent organic pollutants in waste. The provisional agreement covers the following:

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Industry is concerned about these developments, in particular regarding 1) the Low POP Content Limits, 2) The Unintentional Trace Contaminants 3) The Classification of Hazardous Waste

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1)\u00a0the Low POP Content Limits

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BSEF and the recycling industry are concerned that, unfavourable to effective recycling practices, the recent EU positioning is a step in the wrong direction. The consequence of these tighter restrictions would lead to materials that are currently recyclable, being incinerated or landfilled or shipped to non-EU countries via undocumented channels.

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Furthermore, it is questionable how enforcement of the LCPL of PBDEs can be ensured in practice, as there are only validated methods for 1000 mg/kg available, and it is still unclear whether a 500 mg/kg value, let alone a value of 350 mg/kg can be enforced. Key to the enforcement aspect is the availability of standardized analytical methods able to reliably quantify the proposed threshold values, are not overly complex in order to ensure that the equipment is widely available and accessible to all stakeholder and enforcement authorities.

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2) The Unintentional Trace Contaminants

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\u2018Unintentional trace contaminant\u2019 (UTC) means a level of a substance that is incidentally present in a minimal amount, below which the substance cannot be meaningfully used, and above the detection limit of existing detection methods to enable control and enforcement.

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In line with the EU circular economy which tries to encourage rather than hinder recycling, BSEF and the recycling industry have previously noted that LPCLs would be an ideal way forward, however 500mg/kg is acceptable as long at the UTC level is not being moved below that level.

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Recyclers are capable of handling thresholds of 500 mg/kg and are not equipped to handle lower levels. Lowering the UTC level risks rendering recycling in Europe uncompetitive while pushing waste streams into undocumented channels including illegal \u2013 exactly what the legislation claims to avoid.

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The bigger concern expressed by the European Electronics Recyclers Association (EERA) revolves around the potential further reduction of the UTC value limit for PBDE \u2018This was already recently reduced to 500 mg/kg and the recycling industry strongly recommends, and requests, to keep it at 500 mg/kg for this substance group.\u2019

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3) The Classification of Hazardous Waste

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The recycling industry also raised concerns about whether waste containing POPs levels above that of the Low POP Content Threshold should be classified as hazardous. It is now up to the Commission to apply the usual in-depth considerations, including impact analysis.

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In the future, it is crucial for the Commission to understand the major differences between various types of POPs. For instance, PBDEs are immobilized additives in the polymer matrix, and therefore, WEEE plastics are not considered hazardous, meaning WEEE plastics facilities do not have permits to take in hazardous wastes.
\nMoreover, the transboundary movement of hazardous waste is incredibly complicated and expensive, making it increasingly difficult to transfer WEEE plastics to proper recycling facilities within the EU.

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Lastly, there is not enough capacity to incinerate plastic containing BRFs in hazardous waste incinerators. The conventional Advanced Solid Waste incinerators are already at capacity limits.

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Source: EU Council announcement

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The post Amendments to POPs regulation risk hindering recycling appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": "From 6 to 17 June 2022, the Conferences of Parties (COP) to the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions took place in Switzerland. One of the agenda items was to discuss and approve the Low POP Content Limits (LPCL) for several POP substances. A final agreement was not reached because the EU had not yet finalised their internal discussions on LPCL values at the time of the COP discussions.\nIn the meantime, however, the EU Council and the Parliament reached a provisional deal on 20 June, establishing new limits on persistent organic pollutants in waste. The provisional agreement covers the following:\n\nPolybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs): a no-longer manufactured flame retardants found in plastics and textiles, used in electrical and electronic equipment, vehicles and furniture. The agreement foresees a three-step approach with a limit value set at 500mg/kg at the entry into force of the regulation; an automatic reduction to 350 mg/kg, 3 years after the entry into force; and another automatic reduction to 200mg/kg, 5 years after the entry into force, provided that the limit value to place this substance on the market is not higher.\nA provision for the Commission to assess whether waste containing any POP exceeding the LPCL threshold should be classified as hazardous.\n\n \nIndustry is concerned about these developments, in particular regarding 1) the Low POP Content Limits, 2) The Unintentional Trace Contaminants 3) The Classification of Hazardous Waste\n1)\u00a0the Low POP Content Limits\nBSEF and the recycling industry are concerned that, unfavourable to effective recycling practices, the recent EU positioning is a step in the wrong direction. The consequence of these tighter restrictions would lead to materials that are currently recyclable, being incinerated or landfilled or shipped to non-EU countries via undocumented channels.\nFurthermore, it is questionable how enforcement of the LCPL of PBDEs can be ensured in practice, as there are only validated methods for 1000 mg/kg available, and it is still unclear whether a 500 mg/kg value, let alone a value of 350 mg/kg can be enforced. Key to the enforcement aspect is the availability of standardized analytical methods able to reliably quantify the proposed threshold values, are not overly complex in order to ensure that the equipment is widely available and accessible to all stakeholder and enforcement authorities.\n2) The Unintentional Trace Contaminants\n\u2018Unintentional trace contaminant\u2019 (UTC) means a level of a substance that is incidentally present in a minimal amount, below which the substance cannot be meaningfully used, and above the detection limit of existing detection methods to enable control and enforcement.\nIn line with the EU circular economy which tries to encourage rather than hinder recycling, BSEF and the recycling industry have previously noted that LPCLs would be an ideal way forward, however 500mg/kg is acceptable as long at the UTC level is not being moved below that level.\nRecyclers are capable of handling thresholds of 500 mg/kg and are not equipped to handle lower levels. Lowering the UTC level risks rendering recycling in Europe uncompetitive while pushing waste streams into undocumented channels including illegal \u2013 exactly what the legislation claims to avoid.\nThe bigger concern expressed by the European Electronics Recyclers Association (EERA) revolves around the potential further reduction of the UTC value limit for PBDE \u2018This was already recently reduced to 500 mg/kg and the recycling industry strongly recommends, and requests, to keep it at 500 mg/kg for this substance group.\u2019\n3) The Classification of Hazardous Waste\nThe recycling industry also raised concerns about whether waste containing POPs levels above that of the Low POP Content Threshold should be classified as hazardous. It is now up to the Commission to apply the usual in-depth considerations, including impact analysis.\nIn the future, it is crucial for the Commission to understand the major differences between various types of POPs. For instance, PBDEs are immobilized additives in the polymer matrix, and therefore, WEEE plastics are not considered hazardous, meaning WEEE plastics facilities do not have permits to take in hazardous wastes.\nMoreover, the transboundary movement of hazardous waste is incredibly complicated and expensive, making it increasingly difficult to transfer WEEE plastics to proper recycling facilities within the EU.\nLastly, there is not enough capacity to incinerate plastic containing BRFs in hazardous waste incinerators. The conventional Advanced Solid Waste incinerators are already at capacity limits.\n \nSource: EU Council announcement\nThe post Amendments to POPs regulation risk hindering recycling appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2022-07-13T12:29:44+00:00", "date_modified": "2022-07-13T14:54:42+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/sigmund-aI4RJ-Mw4I-unsplash.jpg", "tags": [ "Recycling" ] }, { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2021/06/16/flame-retardants-ready-contribute-towards-sustainability-products/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2021/06/16/flame-retardants-ready-contribute-towards-sustainability-products/", "title": "Flame retardants: ready to contribute towards the sustainability of products", "content_html": "

 

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In a bid to pave the way\u00a0towards a\u00a0cleaner and more competitive Europe, the European Commission is currently working on its\u00a0Sustainable Product\u00a0Initiative. The legislation will\u00a0widen the scope of the\u00a0Ecodesign\u00a0directive beyond energy-related products\u00a0and will\u00a0apply\u00a0to\u00a0both EU producers and importers.\u00a0

\n

The initiative will represent a full revamp of how the EU regulates products,\u00a0both goods and services,\u00a0from design to end-of-life\u00a0and will have a substantial impact across different value chains. These include\u00a0electronics, ICT, textiles,\u00a0furniture\u00a0and high-impact intermediary products such as steel, cement and chemicals.\u00a0

\n

Flame retardants are\u00a0critical to ensure\u00a0that products meet the necessary fire safety requirements.\u00a0These substances\u00a0delay or prevent the ignition of\u00a0fire in\u00a0electronics, textiles,\u00a0furniture\u00a0and\u00a0buildings..\u00a0\u00a0There is no evidence that flame retardants\u00a0have a negative impact on\u00a0product sustainability and circularity. On the contrary,\u00a0a\u00a0recent study conducted by\u00a0Sofies\u00a0Sustainability consultants\u00a0demonstrated that Brominated\u00a0Flame\u00a0Retardants\u00a0(BFRs)\u00a0do not hinder the yield from plastics recycling.\u00a0

\n

Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment\u00a0(WEEE) containing BFRs\u00a0are\u00a0not hindering recycling\u00a0\u00a0

\n

Over the past 10 years, WEEE\u00a0recyclers\u00a0have developed their recycling facilities to\u00a0efficiently handle\u00a0brominated-plastics waste\u00a0streams.\u00a0The SOFIES study\u00a0showed\u00a0that BFRs do not hinder the yield from plastics recycling. In fact,\u00a098% of BFR plastics collected can currently be separated and disposed of through official WEEE recycling channels.\u00a0

\n

The\u00a0recycling\u00a0of plastics from electronic and electrical equipment is part of\u00a0the complexity of WEEE waste and WEEE plastics in particular\u00a0involving multiple variables – WEEE collection systems, overall additive loadings\u00a0(elastomers, all types of flame retardants, fillers),\u00a0a\u00a0multiplicity of polymer types.\u00a0

\n

While all plastics containing additives\u00a0are\u00a0screened out and disposed of via incineration and co-processing in cement kilns in the EU, the effective recycling rate of WEEE plastics in the EU is still a reasonable 55% of all WEEE plastics. Plastics containing\u00a0Brominated\u00a0Flame\u00a0Retardants,\u00a0though currently all\u00a0sorted\u00a0out and disposed of,\u00a0have been demonstrated to retain their mechanical and fire performance qualities far better than alternative\u00a0flame retardants.\u00a0As the levels of legacy BFRs are now substantially declining (from 40% of WEEE plastics in 2010 to 15% in 2018), there is scope to potentially recover more plastics\u00a0containing BFRs which are not restricted. This will depend though on\u00a0a revision of\u00a0the WEEE CEN standards.\u00a0\u00a0

\n

For the bulk of the non-recycled fraction of WEEE plastics (currently estimated by SOFIES at 45%) it may be more useful in the medium term to look at chemical\u00a0recycling or dissolution\u00a0processes\u00a0to extract more value\u00a0from\u00a0\u00a0waste\u00a0material.\u00a0I would add here the example of PS loop using dissolution technologies!\u00a0

\n

Brominated Flame Retardants \u2013\u00a0Critical\u00a0for Fire Safety and\u00a0Product Sustainability\u00a0

\n

As the European Commission acknowledges,\u00a0both\u00a0in\u00a0its\u00a0Circular Economy Action Plan\u00a0and in its\u00a0Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, a circular economy can\u00a0only\u00a0be achieved if\u00a0products and chemicals are safe and sustainable by design.\u00a0

\n

Over 80% of all product-related environmental impacts can be\u00a0managed\u00a0\u00a0during\u00a0the design phase of a product. The use of Brominated\u00a0Flame\u00a0Retardants certainly contributes to\u00a0a\u00a0product\u2019s environmental safety and sustainability throughout\u00a0its\u00a0entire\u00a0lifecycle.\u00a0BFRs in electrical and electronic products,\u00a0textiles\u00a0and furniture fabrics, as well as\u00a0in construction products,\u00a0contribute to their overall safety (reduced propensity of material for ignition). This\u00a0is\u00a0not only\u00a0a contribution to saving lives, but also\u00a0to\u00a0saving\u00a0resources throughout the use-phase of products by ensuring their durability.\u00a0

\n

At their\u00a0end-of-life, plastic products containing\u00a0Brominated\u00a0Flame\u00a0Retardants can undergo several waste management treatment options depending on the amount and composition of the plastics waste stream as well as on local conditions.\u00a0Similarly, durable textiles and\u00a0furniture\u00a0fabrics can be safely reused and recycled.\u00a0

\n

Bio-based BFRs for a sustainable future\u00a0

\n

Finally, it is worth mentioning that BFRs can be part of a more environmentally sustainable and safe future. As\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Horrocks\u00a0emphasized in a\u00a0previous Meet the Experts interview, we can rethink the design of brominated flame retardant substances\u00a0based on the structure of\u00a0naturally occurring brominated organic compounds.\u00a0

\n

Watch our interview with\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Horrocks:\u00a0

\n

\n

There has been growing concern about human exposures to bromine\u00a0but in fact\u00a0\u201cbromine is one of the elements essential for life\u201d,\u00a0as\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Horrocks\u00a0said. According to\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Horrocks,\u00a0organohalogens\u00a0can be produced naturally by living organisms.\u00a0In natural environments, these compounds are key for defence mechanisms, repellents, natural pesticides, and territorial markers.\u00a0\u00a0

\n

The post Flame retardants: ready to contribute towards the sustainability of products appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": " \nIn a bid to pave the way\u00a0towards a\u00a0cleaner and more competitive Europe, the European Commission is currently working on its\u00a0Sustainable Product\u00a0Initiative. The legislation will\u00a0widen the scope of the\u00a0Ecodesign\u00a0directive beyond energy-related products\u00a0and will\u00a0apply\u00a0to\u00a0both EU producers and importers.\u00a0\nThe initiative will represent a full revamp of how the EU regulates products,\u00a0both goods and services,\u00a0from design to end-of-life\u00a0and will have a substantial impact across different value chains. These include\u00a0electronics, ICT, textiles,\u00a0furniture\u00a0and high-impact intermediary products such as steel, cement and chemicals.\u00a0\nFlame retardants are\u00a0critical to ensure\u00a0that products meet the necessary fire safety requirements.\u00a0These substances\u00a0delay or prevent the ignition of\u00a0fire in\u00a0electronics, textiles,\u00a0furniture\u00a0and\u00a0buildings..\u00a0\u00a0There is no evidence that flame retardants\u00a0have a negative impact on\u00a0product sustainability and circularity. On the contrary,\u00a0a\u00a0recent study conducted by\u00a0Sofies\u00a0Sustainability consultants\u00a0demonstrated that Brominated\u00a0Flame\u00a0Retardants\u00a0(BFRs)\u00a0do not hinder the yield from plastics recycling.\u00a0\nWaste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment\u00a0(WEEE) containing BFRs\u00a0are\u00a0not hindering recycling\u00a0\u00a0\nOver the past 10 years, WEEE\u00a0recyclers\u00a0have developed their recycling facilities to\u00a0efficiently handle\u00a0brominated-plastics waste\u00a0streams.\u00a0The SOFIES study\u00a0showed\u00a0that BFRs do not hinder the yield from plastics recycling. In fact,\u00a098% of BFR plastics collected can currently be separated and disposed of through official WEEE recycling channels.\u00a0\nThe\u00a0recycling\u00a0of plastics from electronic and electrical equipment is part of\u00a0the complexity of WEEE waste and WEEE plastics in particular\u00a0involving multiple variables – WEEE collection systems, overall additive loadings\u00a0(elastomers, all types of flame retardants, fillers),\u00a0a\u00a0multiplicity of polymer types.\u00a0\nWhile all plastics containing additives\u00a0are\u00a0screened out and disposed of via incineration and co-processing in cement kilns in the EU, the effective recycling rate of WEEE plastics in the EU is still a reasonable 55% of all WEEE plastics. Plastics containing\u00a0Brominated\u00a0Flame\u00a0Retardants,\u00a0though currently all\u00a0sorted\u00a0out and disposed of,\u00a0have been demonstrated to retain their mechanical and fire performance qualities far better than alternative\u00a0flame retardants.\u00a0As the levels of legacy BFRs are now substantially declining (from 40% of WEEE plastics in 2010 to 15% in 2018), there is scope to potentially recover more plastics\u00a0containing BFRs which are not restricted. This will depend though on\u00a0a revision of\u00a0the WEEE CEN standards.\u00a0\u00a0\nFor the bulk of the non-recycled fraction of WEEE plastics (currently estimated by SOFIES at 45%) it may be more useful in the medium term to look at chemical\u00a0recycling or dissolution\u00a0processes\u00a0to extract more value\u00a0from\u00a0\u00a0waste\u00a0material.\u00a0I would add here the example of PS loop using dissolution technologies!\u00a0\nBrominated Flame Retardants \u2013\u00a0Critical\u00a0for Fire Safety and\u00a0Product Sustainability\u00a0\nAs the European Commission acknowledges,\u00a0both\u00a0in\u00a0its\u00a0Circular Economy Action Plan\u00a0and in its\u00a0Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, a circular economy can\u00a0only\u00a0be achieved if\u00a0products and chemicals are safe and sustainable by design.\u00a0\nOver 80% of all product-related environmental impacts can be\u00a0managed\u00a0\u00a0during\u00a0the design phase of a product. The use of Brominated\u00a0Flame\u00a0Retardants certainly contributes to\u00a0a\u00a0product\u2019s environmental safety and sustainability throughout\u00a0its\u00a0entire\u00a0lifecycle.\u00a0BFRs in electrical and electronic products,\u00a0textiles\u00a0and furniture fabrics, as well as\u00a0in construction products,\u00a0contribute to their overall safety (reduced propensity of material for ignition). This\u00a0is\u00a0not only\u00a0a contribution to saving lives, but also\u00a0to\u00a0saving\u00a0resources throughout the use-phase of products by ensuring their durability.\u00a0\nAt their\u00a0end-of-life, plastic products containing\u00a0Brominated\u00a0Flame\u00a0Retardants can undergo several waste management treatment options depending on the amount and composition of the plastics waste stream as well as on local conditions.\u00a0Similarly, durable textiles and\u00a0furniture\u00a0fabrics can be safely reused and recycled.\u00a0\nBio-based BFRs for a sustainable future\u00a0\nFinally, it is worth mentioning that BFRs can be part of a more environmentally sustainable and safe future. As\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Horrocks\u00a0emphasized in a\u00a0previous Meet the Experts interview, we can rethink the design of brominated flame retardant substances\u00a0based on the structure of\u00a0naturally occurring brominated organic compounds.\u00a0\nWatch our interview with\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Horrocks:\u00a0\n\nThere has been growing concern about human exposures to bromine\u00a0but in fact\u00a0\u201cbromine is one of the elements essential for life\u201d,\u00a0as\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Horrocks\u00a0said. According to\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Horrocks,\u00a0organohalogens\u00a0can be produced naturally by living organisms.\u00a0In natural environments, these compounds are key for defence mechanisms, repellents, natural pesticides, and territorial markers.\u00a0\u00a0\nThe post Flame retardants: ready to contribute towards the sustainability of products appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2021-06-16T08:50:24+00:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-16T09:24:42+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Flame-retardants-ready-to-contribute-towards-the-sustainability-of-products.jpg", "tags": [ "Fire retardancy", "Recycling" ] }, { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2021/06/16/japan-launches-circular-economy-collaboration-world-economic-forum-wef/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2021/06/16/japan-launches-circular-economy-collaboration-world-economic-forum-wef/", "title": "Japan launches a circular economy collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF)", "content_html": "

At the \u201cWorld Circular Economy Forum + Climate\u201d, that took place on the 15th and 16th April, the Japanese government pledged to assess the state of circular economy policies in the Asia-Pacific region.\u00a0 This is an important development for the circular economy, which is closely linked to the sustainability of a broad range of products, including Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs).

\n

In a related development, Japan has launched a\u00a0circular economy collaboration with the World Economic Forum\u00a0(WEF). \u00a0When Minister of the Environment Shinjiro Koizumi participated as a panellist at the Circular Economy Roundtable the WEF held on 2nd and 3rd of March, he discussed a new draft legislation on plastics, and new Japanese guidance on sustainable finance. \u00a0He also discussed the \u00a0\u201cCircular Economy Partnership\u201d, for which the MOE has teamed up with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), as well as Keidanren (Japan Business Federation).\u00a0 Koizumi has been a strong advocate of the circular economy, having declared 2021 Japan\u2019s \u201cFirst Year of the Circular Economy\u201d. \u00a0Koizumi has also proposed the government develops a new symbol for 100% recyclable plastic bottles.

\n

Japan is also a member of the newly-established Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency (GACERE), which was launched in February 2021. \u00a0To date eleven countries, the EU, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have joined GACERE.

\n

The post Japan launches a circular economy collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": "At the \u201cWorld Circular Economy Forum + Climate\u201d, that took place on the 15th and 16th April, the Japanese government pledged to assess the state of circular economy policies in the Asia-Pacific region.\u00a0 This is an important development for the circular economy, which is closely linked to the sustainability of a broad range of products, including Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs).\nIn a related development, Japan has launched a\u00a0circular economy collaboration with the World Economic Forum\u00a0(WEF). \u00a0When Minister of the Environment Shinjiro Koizumi participated as a panellist at the Circular Economy Roundtable the WEF held on 2nd and 3rd of March, he discussed a new draft legislation on plastics, and new Japanese guidance on sustainable finance. \u00a0He also discussed the \u00a0\u201cCircular Economy Partnership\u201d, for which the MOE has teamed up with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), as well as Keidanren (Japan Business Federation).\u00a0 Koizumi has been a strong advocate of the circular economy, having declared 2021 Japan\u2019s \u201cFirst Year of the Circular Economy\u201d. \u00a0Koizumi has also proposed the government develops a new symbol for 100% recyclable plastic bottles.\nJapan is also a member of the newly-established Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency (GACERE), which was launched in February 2021. \u00a0To date eleven countries, the EU, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have joined GACERE.\nThe post Japan launches a circular economy collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF) appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2021-06-16T08:10:57+00:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-16T09:28:13+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1.jpg", "tags": [ "Recycling" ] }, { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2021/03/17/bfrs-support-durability-plastic-recyclability-context-eu-circular-economy-action-plan/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2021/03/17/bfrs-support-durability-plastic-recyclability-context-eu-circular-economy-action-plan/", "title": "BFRs support durability and plastic recyclability in the context of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan", "content_html": "

The European Parliament non-binding report on the New Circular Economy Action Plan attests to the importance of the Commission initiatives on circular economy and proves that Europe is firmly on a path that decouples growth from resource use. The bromine industry strongly supports the shift from a linear economy to a circular economy and confirms its commitment to design out waste and foster the efficient use of energy and resources.

\n

Making sustainable products the norm and putting circular economy principles at the centre of a \u2018green recovery\u2019 are the main calls voiced in the Parliament report, which focuses among other things on durability, recyclability, as well as resource and energy efficiency. The bromine industry is working closely with authorities, its value chains and other stakeholders to encourage further sustainable solutions across the different applications of bromine.

\n

Bromine-based technologies contribute to sustainability and circularity

\n

Materials containing brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used to build complex infrastructure, homes, cars, electronics, as well as to produce consumer goods Despite the differences in the lifetime of these products, the use of brominated flame retardants enables product durability while enhancing product safety and preventing fire.

\n

Furthermore, BFRs-containing materials can be safely handled at their end-of-life. This is the case for instance for BFRs used in plastic polymers and resins in electrical and electronic equipment, as we have mentioned in the last edition of Let\u00b4s Talk Bromine. The majority of such products can be recovered and recycled and, depending on the particular product or materials, even the basic chemicals can be recovered. Where BFRs are added to the polymer mix, for instance in vehicles or electrical and electronic products, these products can be recycled mechanically to recover different technical plastics for reuse in new plastic parts and components.

\n

Fostering plastic recyclability is a key sustainability issue and a priority under the New Circular Economy Action Plan.\u00b9 With 89% of Europeans worried about the environmental impact of plastic (Eurobarometer, 2017), policymakers and stakeholders are increasingly putting pressure on these materials, perceived as a major cause of environmental pollution. BFRs do not compromise plastics recyclability. In fact, they present excellent stability during recycling. One benefit of this\u00a0is that the fire safety of recyclates is comparable to that offered by virgin materials.

\n

Brominated Flame Retardants are not hindering the recycling of WEEE plastics says new study

\n

In line with the waste hierarchy, when BFRs are used reactively, for instance in FR printed circuit boards, the resin base of the circuit boards can be recovered as energy. At the same time, they do not contaminate recycling and allow for the recovery of valuable precious metals. This contributes to the circular economy objective of improving resource efficiency and enhancing the secondary market.

\n

Making sustainable products the norm and putting circular economy principles at the centre of a \u2018green recovery\u2019 are the main calls voiced in the recent European Parliament report, which emphasised\u00a0 among other things durability, recyclability, as well as resource and energy efficiency of products.

\n

A recent study conducted by sustainability consultants, SOFIES, has demonstrated that BFRs do not hinder the yield from WEEE plastics recycling. BFR containing plastics (contained within epoxy resins used for printed wiring circuit boards) and other technical plastics account for only 8% of all WEEE plastics. 98% of these BFR containing plastics can currently be separated and disposed of through official WEEE recycling channels in accordance with the WEEE Directive. The study noted that substitution of BFRs with alternative FRs might actually lead to regrettable substitution by having a more detrimental impact on plastic yield and quality from end of life electrical and electronic equipment. The study also revealed the real issue with respect to recycling of WEEE plastics. Of the estimated 2.6 million tons of WEEE plastics generated in the EU each year, some 360,000 tonnes is undocumented in terms of its final treatment and disposal.

\n

\u201cThe recycling technologies are available, so everything is in place for the Circular Economy. We absolutely need more of WEEE plastic recycling!\u201d

\n

Chris Slijkhuis, General Manager of MGG Polymers & board member of the European Electronics Recyclers Association (EERA)

\n

Nowadays approximately 2.6 million tons of WEEE plastics are generated annually in Europe; Plastic containing BFRs is representing about 8% of the total. Restricted BFRs (e.g. Octa-BDE and Deca-BDE) only represent a small and rapidly declining fraction of all BFRs found in WEEE plastic streams reflecting the restriction on the use of these substances for more than a decade (2003 for Octa-BDE, 2008 for Deca-BDE).

\n

BFR plastics recycling is already the reality; technologies are available to support circular economy, we all just need more of WEEE plastic recycling. It is clear that the functioning of the secondary market needs better market and regulatory incentives to work properly, including addressing the interface of often contradicting products and waste legislation or allowing the free movement of WEEE plastics in Europe.

\n

Read the full report – Study on the Impacts of Brominated Flame Retardants on the Recycling of WEEE plastics in Europe.

\n

\u00b9 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/

\n

The post BFRs support durability and plastic recyclability in the context of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": "The European Parliament non-binding report on the New Circular Economy Action Plan attests to the importance of the Commission initiatives on circular economy and proves that Europe is firmly on a path that decouples growth from resource use. The bromine industry strongly supports the shift from a linear economy to a circular economy and confirms its commitment to design out waste and foster the efficient use of energy and resources.\nMaking sustainable products the norm and putting circular economy principles at the centre of a \u2018green recovery\u2019 are the main calls voiced in the Parliament report, which focuses among other things on durability, recyclability, as well as resource and energy efficiency. The bromine industry is working closely with authorities, its value chains and other stakeholders to encourage further sustainable solutions across the different applications of bromine.\nBromine-based technologies contribute to sustainability and circularity\nMaterials containing brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are used to build complex infrastructure, homes, cars, electronics, as well as to produce consumer goods Despite the differences in the lifetime of these products, the use of brominated flame retardants enables product durability while enhancing product safety and preventing fire.\nFurthermore, BFRs-containing materials can be safely handled at their end-of-life. This is the case for instance for BFRs used in plastic polymers and resins in electrical and electronic equipment, as we have mentioned in the last edition of Let\u00b4s Talk Bromine. The majority of such products can be recovered and recycled and, depending on the particular product or materials, even the basic chemicals can be recovered. Where BFRs are added to the polymer mix, for instance in vehicles or electrical and electronic products, these products can be recycled mechanically to recover different technical plastics for reuse in new plastic parts and components.\nFostering plastic recyclability is a key sustainability issue and a priority under the New Circular Economy Action Plan.\u00b9 With 89% of Europeans worried about the environmental impact of plastic (Eurobarometer, 2017), policymakers and stakeholders are increasingly putting pressure on these materials, perceived as a major cause of environmental pollution. BFRs do not compromise plastics recyclability. In fact, they present excellent stability during recycling. One benefit of this\u00a0is that the fire safety of recyclates is comparable to that offered by virgin materials.\nBrominated Flame Retardants are not hindering the recycling of WEEE plastics says new study\nIn line with the waste hierarchy, when BFRs are used reactively, for instance in FR printed circuit boards, the resin base of the circuit boards can be recovered as energy. At the same time, they do not contaminate recycling and allow for the recovery of valuable precious metals. This contributes to the circular economy objective of improving resource efficiency and enhancing the secondary market.\nMaking sustainable products the norm and putting circular economy principles at the centre of a \u2018green recovery\u2019 are the main calls voiced in the recent European Parliament report, which emphasised\u00a0 among other things durability, recyclability, as well as resource and energy efficiency of products.\nA recent study conducted by sustainability consultants, SOFIES, has demonstrated that BFRs do not hinder the yield from WEEE plastics recycling. BFR containing plastics (contained within epoxy resins used for printed wiring circuit boards) and other technical plastics account for only 8% of all WEEE plastics. 98% of these BFR containing plastics can currently be separated and disposed of through official WEEE recycling channels in accordance with the WEEE Directive. The study noted that substitution of BFRs with alternative FRs might actually lead to regrettable substitution by having a more detrimental impact on plastic yield and quality from end of life electrical and electronic equipment. The study also revealed the real issue with respect to recycling of WEEE plastics. Of the estimated 2.6 million tons of WEEE plastics generated in the EU each year, some 360,000 tonnes is undocumented in terms of its final treatment and disposal.\n\u201cThe recycling technologies are available, so everything is in place for the Circular Economy. We absolutely need more of WEEE plastic recycling!\u201d\nChris Slijkhuis, General Manager of MGG Polymers & board member of the European Electronics Recyclers Association (EERA)\nNowadays approximately 2.6 million tons of WEEE plastics are generated annually in Europe; Plastic containing BFRs is representing about 8% of the total. Restricted BFRs (e.g. Octa-BDE and Deca-BDE) only represent a small and rapidly declining fraction of all BFRs found in WEEE plastic streams reflecting the restriction on the use of these substances for more than a decade (2003 for Octa-BDE, 2008 for Deca-BDE).\nBFR plastics recycling is already the reality; technologies are available to support circular economy, we all just need more of WEEE plastic recycling. It is clear that the functioning of the secondary market needs better market and regulatory incentives to work properly, including addressing the interface of often contradicting products and waste legislation or allowing the free movement of WEEE plastics in Europe.\nRead the full report – Study on the Impacts of Brominated Flame Retardants on the Recycling of WEEE plastics in Europe.\n\u00b9 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/\nThe post BFRs support durability and plastic recyclability in the context of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2021-03-17T20:36:10+00:00", "date_modified": "2021-03-17T20:36:10+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/BFRs-support-durability-and-plastic-recyclability-in-the-context-of-the-EU-Circular-Economy-Action-Plan.jpeg", "tags": [ "Recycling" ] }, { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/12/10/understanding-impact-brominated-flame-retardants-recyclability-waste-electrical-electronic-equipment/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/12/10/understanding-impact-brominated-flame-retardants-recyclability-waste-electrical-electronic-equipment/", "title": "Understanding the impact of Brominated Flame Retardants on the recyclability of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment", "content_html": "

\"\"On November 18, 2020, the International Bromine Council (BSEF) organised a webinar on the recyclability of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) plastics in the context of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan. This launched a Sofies\u2019s publication of an independent study entitled \u201cImpacts of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) on the recycling of WEEE plastics.\u201d

\n

Arthur Haarman from Sofies highlighted that of the estimated one million tons of WEEE plastics sent to recycling facilities, 55% is effectively recycled. However, the recycling yield is not impinged by the presence of BFRs, since such facilities manage to create a high-density fraction containing more than 95% of the original BFRs content.

\n

This means that simply switching from Brominated to other Flame Retardants would not necessarily improve WEEE plastics recycling.\u00a0 On the contrary, some alternative FRs might create bigger obstacles to circularity by lowering yields and the quality of recovered plastics.

\n

The Sofies study and its results were warmly welcomed by Chris Slijkhuis, General Manager of MGG Polymers and board member of the European Electronics Recyclers Association (EERA). He provided a broad overview of the trends and challenges for E\u2010Waste plastics recycling. He also emphasized that electronic waste plastic represents a growing supply of plastic, comparable to virgin plastics in terms of quality and price stability, while using less than 10% of the energy and saving about 3-5 tons of CO2/ton PCR.

\n

\n

This discussion also highlighted that despite the many benefits of WEEE plastics recycling, multiple regulatory and market challenges negatively affect its uptake. From a regulatory perspective, fluctuating thresholds as well as overlapping and sometimes contradicting products and waste legislation were identified as the main obstacles for the recycling industry.

\n

Webinar participants mentioned additional market-related hurdles. The fact that WEEE plastics cannot move freely in Europe and that plastics containing BFRs cannot be imported from France, UK, and parts of Germany, there are fewer recycling opportunities and less willingness to invest and develop further capacities.

\n

Maria Banti, Policy Officer at the European Commission Directorate General for Environment, also stressed the need to improve the market for secondary raw materials and prevent shipment to third countries of valuable materials, like WEEE plastics. In this regard, the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the review of rules of waste shipments will set the stepping stones.

\n

\n

WEEE plastics recycling in the circular economy is not just a matter of small talks in sophisticated policy circles around Brussels. Increasing recycling yields while ensuring safe waste streams will not only benefit the environment reducing plastic waste and emissions. The overall economy will gain by ensuring the uptake of valuable secondary raw materials, which are otherwise waste.

\n

In case you missed the webinar, you can watch the full recording\u00a0here.

\n

The post Understanding the impact of Brominated Flame Retardants on the recyclability of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": "On November 18, 2020, the International Bromine Council (BSEF) organised a webinar on the recyclability of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment (WEEE) plastics in the context of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan. This launched a Sofies\u2019s publication of an independent study entitled \u201cImpacts of Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs) on the recycling of WEEE plastics.\u201d\nArthur Haarman from Sofies highlighted that of the estimated one million tons of WEEE plastics sent to recycling facilities, 55% is effectively recycled. However, the recycling yield is not impinged by the presence of BFRs, since such facilities manage to create a high-density fraction containing more than 95% of the original BFRs content.\nThis means that simply switching from Brominated to other Flame Retardants would not necessarily improve WEEE plastics recycling.\u00a0 On the contrary, some alternative FRs might create bigger obstacles to circularity by lowering yields and the quality of recovered plastics.\nThe Sofies study and its results were warmly welcomed by Chris Slijkhuis, General Manager of MGG Polymers and board member of the European Electronics Recyclers Association (EERA). He provided a broad overview of the trends and challenges for E\u2010Waste plastics recycling. He also emphasized that electronic waste plastic represents a growing supply of plastic, comparable to virgin plastics in terms of quality and price stability, while using less than 10% of the energy and saving about 3-5 tons of CO2/ton PCR.\n\nThis discussion also highlighted that despite the many benefits of WEEE plastics recycling, multiple regulatory and market challenges negatively affect its uptake. From a regulatory perspective, fluctuating thresholds as well as overlapping and sometimes contradicting products and waste legislation were identified as the main obstacles for the recycling industry.\nWebinar participants mentioned additional market-related hurdles. The fact that WEEE plastics cannot move freely in Europe and that plastics containing BFRs cannot be imported from France, UK, and parts of Germany, there are fewer recycling opportunities and less willingness to invest and develop further capacities.\nMaria Banti, Policy Officer at the European Commission Directorate General for Environment, also stressed the need to improve the market for secondary raw materials and prevent shipment to third countries of valuable materials, like WEEE plastics. In this regard, the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and the review of rules of waste shipments will set the stepping stones.\n\nWEEE plastics recycling in the circular economy is not just a matter of small talks in sophisticated policy circles around Brussels. Increasing recycling yields while ensuring safe waste streams will not only benefit the environment reducing plastic waste and emissions. The overall economy will gain by ensuring the uptake of valuable secondary raw materials, which are otherwise waste.\nIn case you missed the webinar, you can watch the full recording\u00a0here.\nThe post Understanding the impact of Brominated Flame Retardants on the recyclability of Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2020-12-10T08:06:17+00:00", "date_modified": "2020-12-10T10:24:17+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Understanding-the-impact-of-BFRS-on-the-recyclability-of-WEEE.jpg", "tags": [ "Recycling" ] }, { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/06/18/contributing-safe-circular-electronics/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/06/18/contributing-safe-circular-electronics/", "title": "Contributing to safe and circular electronics", "content_html": "

Bromine-based technologies contribute to sustainability including circular solutions, fulfilling a wide range of environmental, social and economic needs in water treatment, mercury emissions control, fire safety, energy storage, pharmaceuticals and rubber.

\n

With respect to electronics, Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs), contribute to fire safety due to the reduced propensity of materials for ignition. This not only means a contribution to saving lives, but also minimises property damage, thus conserving resources.

\n

The last 20 years have seen a dramatic rise in the amount and variety of electrical and electronic equipment (E&E) in houses, offices and public buildings, with an estimated average of 22 electronic and electrical appliances in a typical home. Many of these devices routinely carry electrical currents and thus generate heat as a by-product, adding to the fire load in the home. Therefore, it is essential that these flammable components, including printed circuit boards, do not pose a fire risk for consumers during their use.

\n

Electronics make widespread use of plastics to make products lighter, more creative, and cost effective. Plastic components are inherently combustible and need to be protected from ignition. Many of these components are designed to meet fire safety standards. Brominated Flame Retardants are often used in plastics to meet these standards and protect consumers from unanticipated fires. Brominated Flame Retardants are the most efficient group of chemistries as they can be used in many plastics, offer a high degree of performance, and offer many choices for design. These chemistries are sometimes reacted into the plastic or added and bound to the material.\u00b9

\n

\"PrintedCircular Economy \u2013 a challenge for the ICT sector

\n

With the European Green Deal and, in particular, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU will address challenges presented by the increasing world population and growing demand for more products than ever before. This could in turn create more waste than ever. Ensuring that products can be used for longer periods, or be reused and recycled, is the key to unlocking the full potential of the circular economy. Today, more and more electronic products enter the market, but they are perceived as disposable and replaceable. The Commission\u2019s Circular Economy Action Plan plans to address the Information and Communications Technology (ICT ) sector in detail with a range of measures designed to increase product life, reparability, reuse and efficient material recycling. This will challenge the entire value chain including the manufacturers of plastics and plastic additives such as flame retardants.

\n

Brominated flame retardants in the material cycle\u00a0

\n

The principles of the circular economy call for a holistic assessment of a product\u2019s environmental footprint, including the design and waste phases. Here, it is important to note that one is dependent on the other. Products need to be designed in such a way that their components can be fed back into the material cycle.

\n

For decades brominated flame retardants, thanks to their high efficiency, have been used across a wide range of electronic applications and components. Today\u2019s electronics contain a significant proportion of plastics. At the end of the useful life of electronic and electrical products, components containing brominated flame retardants can be subject to different waste management options. The choice depends on the amount and composition of the plastics waste stream as well as on local conditions.

\n

It is necessary, in the EU, to segregate end of life plastics in electrical and electronic equipment containing Brominated Flame Retardants from other plastic streams. The primary reason for this is to ensure that older, restricted, brominated flame retardants are removed from the material stream and treated in accordance with relevant legislation.

\n

There are now international standards in place to help recyclers achieve this obligation (EU WEEE CEN Standards \u2013 50625 series). Greater application and use of these standards will further improve the effectiveness of treatment of plastics from electrical and electronic equipment.

\n

Besides better treatment standards, a great deal of innovation has taken place over the past decade, making it possible to recycle a great proportion of the plastics contained in waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The current recycling potential could even be increased further through chemical recycling, which would allow the recovery of the original monomers to reuse them in the making of new REACH and RoHS compliant plastics. Such progress is especially important, as BFRs offer some of the best protection for the products and therefore the consumers, so any additional increase to the recycling capacities and possibilities will help ensure the best available materials are used in electronics.

\n

In some cases, Brominated Flame Retardants may be the best choice for circularity. They show high stability during mechanical recycling and this attribute is preserved throughout the process of mechanical recycling, which allows the recycled plastics to maintain the level of fire safety of the virgin material. Of course, to ensure that the full potential of the recycling capacity is reached, industry and policy makers must work together to ensure that the right processes and thresholds are put in place.

\n

A better understanding of the impact of brominated flame retardants on WEEE plastics recycling

\n

Given the complex nature of WEEE recycling and the range of issues related to WEEE plastics recycling mentioned, BSEF has commissioned a study to better understand and quantify brominated flame retardant containing plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and the effect of the presence of brominated flame retardants on the recyclability of WEEE plastics. The work is being carried out by consultants, SOFIES and is hoped to be completed by early September 2020. The analysis and results will be used by BSEF in its engagement with stakeholders and the European Commission on the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan and measures related to end of life treatment of electrical and electronic equipment.

\n

1\u00a0American Chemistry Council – Composition of Electronic and Electrical Equipment

\n

The post Contributing to safe and circular electronics appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": "Bromine-based technologies contribute to sustainability including circular solutions, fulfilling a wide range of environmental, social and economic needs in water treatment, mercury emissions control, fire safety, energy storage, pharmaceuticals and rubber.\nWith respect to electronics, Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs), contribute to fire safety due to the reduced propensity of materials for ignition. This not only means a contribution to saving lives, but also minimises property damage, thus conserving resources.\nThe last 20 years have seen a dramatic rise in the amount and variety of electrical and electronic equipment (E&E) in houses, offices and public buildings, with an estimated average of 22 electronic and electrical appliances in a typical home. Many of these devices routinely carry electrical currents and thus generate heat as a by-product, adding to the fire load in the home. Therefore, it is essential that these flammable components, including printed circuit boards, do not pose a fire risk for consumers during their use.\nElectronics make widespread use of plastics to make products lighter, more creative, and cost effective. Plastic components are inherently combustible and need to be protected from ignition. Many of these components are designed to meet fire safety standards. Brominated Flame Retardants are often used in plastics to meet these standards and protect consumers from unanticipated fires. Brominated Flame Retardants are the most efficient group of chemistries as they can be used in many plastics, offer a high degree of performance, and offer many choices for design. These chemistries are sometimes reacted into the plastic or added and bound to the material.\u00b9\nCircular Economy \u2013 a challenge for the ICT sector\nWith the European Green Deal and, in particular, the Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU will address challenges presented by the increasing world population and growing demand for more products than ever before. This could in turn create more waste than ever. Ensuring that products can be used for longer periods, or be reused and recycled, is the key to unlocking the full potential of the circular economy. Today, more and more electronic products enter the market, but they are perceived as disposable and replaceable. The Commission\u2019s Circular Economy Action Plan plans to address the Information and Communications Technology (ICT ) sector in detail with a range of measures designed to increase product life, reparability, reuse and efficient material recycling. This will challenge the entire value chain including the manufacturers of plastics and plastic additives such as flame retardants.\nBrominated flame retardants in the material cycle\u00a0 \nThe principles of the circular economy call for a holistic assessment of a product\u2019s environmental footprint, including the design and waste phases. Here, it is important to note that one is dependent on the other. Products need to be designed in such a way that their components can be fed back into the material cycle.\nFor decades brominated flame retardants, thanks to their high efficiency, have been used across a wide range of electronic applications and components. Today\u2019s electronics contain a significant proportion of plastics. At the end of the useful life of electronic and electrical products, components containing brominated flame retardants can be subject to different waste management options. The choice depends on the amount and composition of the plastics waste stream as well as on local conditions.\nIt is necessary, in the EU, to segregate end of life plastics in electrical and electronic equipment containing Brominated Flame Retardants from other plastic streams. The primary reason for this is to ensure that older, restricted, brominated flame retardants are removed from the material stream and treated in accordance with relevant legislation.\nThere are now international standards in place to help recyclers achieve this obligation (EU WEEE CEN Standards \u2013 50625 series). Greater application and use of these standards will further improve the effectiveness of treatment of plastics from electrical and electronic equipment.\nBesides better treatment standards, a great deal of innovation has taken place over the past decade, making it possible to recycle a great proportion of the plastics contained in waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The current recycling potential could even be increased further through chemical recycling, which would allow the recovery of the original monomers to reuse them in the making of new REACH and RoHS compliant plastics. Such progress is especially important, as BFRs offer some of the best protection for the products and therefore the consumers, so any additional increase to the recycling capacities and possibilities will help ensure the best available materials are used in electronics.\nIn some cases, Brominated Flame Retardants may be the best choice for circularity. They show high stability during mechanical recycling and this attribute is preserved throughout the process of mechanical recycling, which allows the recycled plastics to maintain the level of fire safety of the virgin material. Of course, to ensure that the full potential of the recycling capacity is reached, industry and policy makers must work together to ensure that the right processes and thresholds are put in place.\nA better understanding of the impact of brominated flame retardants on WEEE plastics recycling\nGiven the complex nature of WEEE recycling and the range of issues related to WEEE plastics recycling mentioned, BSEF has commissioned a study to better understand and quantify brominated flame retardant containing plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and the effect of the presence of brominated flame retardants on the recyclability of WEEE plastics. The work is being carried out by consultants, SOFIES and is hoped to be completed by early September 2020. The analysis and results will be used by BSEF in its engagement with stakeholders and the European Commission on the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan and measures related to end of life treatment of electrical and electronic equipment.\n1\u00a0American Chemistry Council – Composition of Electronic and Electrical Equipment\nThe post Contributing to safe and circular electronics appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2020-06-18T08:00:30+00:00", "date_modified": "2020-06-17T22:36:47+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BSEF-Q2-Post-6-Website-2.jpg", "tags": [ "circular economy", "Fire retardancy", "Recycling" ] }, { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/06/18/meet-experts-paolo-falcioni-home-appliance-industry-europe/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/06/18/meet-experts-paolo-falcioni-home-appliance-industry-europe/", "title": "Meet the Experts: Paolo Falcioni from the home appliance industry in Europe", "content_html": "

In the home appliance industry, promoting consumer safety and circularity is crucial. For Paolo Falcioni, Director General of APPLiA (Home Appliance Europe), circularity should be present from the manufacturing process, to the consumer use, and all the way to the recycling of the product.

\n

\n

According to Falcioni, home appliances can help contribute to the circular economy by enabling more people to adopt circular lifestyles. This requires selecting the right products, using them correctly and making sure that they are properly collected and dismantled after use. Moreover, consumer safety is a key priority for the home appliance industry. Promoting the use of brominated flame retardants and working with all the actors in the value chain can help ensure circularity and consumer safety.

\n

APPLiA supports the use and management of flame retardants in home appliances as long as a full risk assessment of a given product is determined, from the level of hazardous materials to the level of exposure of the material. This full assessment helps to minimise the content of hazardous substances while not compromising on the importance of\u00a0consumer safety.

\n

\u201cThere is no compromise possible for consumer safety, which must come first,\u201d said Paolo Falcioni.

\n

The post Meet the Experts: Paolo Falcioni from the home appliance industry in Europe appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": "In the home appliance industry, promoting consumer safety and circularity is crucial. For Paolo Falcioni, Director General of APPLiA (Home Appliance Europe), circularity should be present from the manufacturing process, to the consumer use, and all the way to the recycling of the product.\n\nAccording to Falcioni, home appliances can help contribute to the circular economy by enabling more people to adopt circular lifestyles. This requires selecting the right products, using them correctly and making sure that they are properly collected and dismantled after use. Moreover, consumer safety is a key priority for the home appliance industry. Promoting the use of brominated flame retardants and working with all the actors in the value chain can help ensure circularity and consumer safety.\nAPPLiA supports the use and management of flame retardants in home appliances as long as a full risk assessment of a given product is determined, from the level of hazardous materials to the level of exposure of the material. This full assessment helps to minimise the content of hazardous substances while not compromising on the importance of\u00a0consumer safety.\n\u201cThere is no compromise possible for consumer safety, which must come first,\u201d said Paolo Falcioni.\nThe post Meet the Experts: Paolo Falcioni from the home appliance industry in Europe appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2020-06-18T07:50:24+00:00", "date_modified": "2020-06-17T22:36:45+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Paolo-Falcioni-APPLiA.jpg", "tags": [ "circular economy", "meet the experts", "Fire retardancy", "Recycling" ] }, { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/04/02/how-is-bromine-a-circular-economy-enabler/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/04/02/how-is-bromine-a-circular-economy-enabler/", "title": "How is Bromine a Circular Economy enabler?", "content_html": "

The new European Green Deal, with its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, will change the EU\u2019s economy. The Circular Economy Action Plan will be at the centre of this new sustainability roadmap.. The aim is clear: to transform EU industry from linear to circular and achieve a carbon neutral economy.

\n

The new Circular Economy 2.0 package will not only focus on reducing environmental and social impacts. Instead the EU wants to look at products by taking into consideration their life cycle, from production to waste. To do this the Commission wants to put in place sustainability standards so that by 2030 all products available to European consumers will be circular, and also carbon neutral.

\n

What does this have to do with bromine?

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Bromine-based solutions are essential to many advancements in science and technology. Bromine compounds have been used for water treatment, reduction of mercury emissions, fire safety, energy storage and generation, production of pharmaceuticals and enhanced quality rubber.

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The use of bromine-based technologies has all the potential to increase the circularity of the EU\u2019s economy. Bromine brings to the table solutions and innovations that are environmentally friendly, safe and that can be used across the whole value chain.

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Bromine: the key to sustainable energy

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By 2050, it is expected that 9.7 billion people will populate our planet. The amount of (clean) energy needed will drastically increase. Unfortunately, renewable energy has a variable production nature and it is not always consumed when produced.

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So, how can we produce and store enough clean energy for everyone? Investing in energy storage is the solution, that\u2019s why the Commission plans to integrate the Circular Economy 2.0 with a new regulatory framework for batteries.

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Thanks to innovative energy storage technologies, 40% of the world\u2019s energy could come from wind and solar by 2060resource[1]. Expanding the energy storage capacity will help to fully exploit the expansion of renewable energy.

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Bromine-based energy storage technologies are a highly efficient and cost-effective solution that could play a vital role in transitioning towards a new circular economic model. There are many examples of this new model in Europe. For instance, a farm in the Netherlands is currently using bromine-based innovative battery technology to store the energy produced from its rooftop solar system.

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Use and reuse \u2013 Even with bromine

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To be circular, products must also be recyclable. Soon at the centre of the Circular Economy 2.0, the global recycled plastics market is expected to be worth over 45.8 billion euros by 2025[2]!

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Products or materials containing brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are\u00a0fully compatible with today\u2019s integrated waste management options, including mechanical recycling, chemical recycling and thermal processing, depolymerization and gasification \u2013 all of which enable the recovery of valuable materials or energy.

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New technologies have enabled the recycling of products containing BFRs. For example, the PolyStyreneLoop Cooperative recycles expanded polystyrene waste containing the flame-retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), helping transform the way the EU designs, uses, produces, and recycles plastic products.

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Also, the \u201cClose WEEE Project,\u201d co-funded under the H2020 programme, addresses the range and yields of recovered materials from WEEE streams using the CreaSolv\u00ae\u00a0Process. The project\u2019s results indicate a proof of concept with the separation approach for plastics such as ABS, PS, and BFR/antimony verified in laboratories and on a small technical scale.

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The chemical industry has developed eco-efficient waste management options such as chemical recycling, which even allows bromine to re-enter the circular economy as a valuable resource[3]. These innovations in the chemical sector are great assets to the circular economy.

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Water 2 Water

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One of the most ambitious aspects of the Circular Economy 2.0 is the need to enable the circular use of water. The action plan aims at facilitating water reuse while ensuring the sustainability of water management.

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Used in water treatment since the 30s, bromine chemistry can efficiently disinfect water from harmful contaminants. Bromine compounds have many available applications as disinfectants. Investing in bromine-based solutions could help improving the rate at which the EU industry recycles water while increasing the quality of industrial water discharge.

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Bromine-based products are also ideal for water treatment in pools and public fountains. They are widely used in spas and hot tubs to kill bacteria and help naturally sensitive skins. Think about that next time you need to relax!

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BSEF supports the transition to a circular economy and strongly believes bromine technologies can help responding to global needs for maintaining clean water, and to meet increasing consumer demand for sustainable products.

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Sources
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[1]\u00a0https://recyclinginternational.com/plastics/billions-to-be-made-in-the-plastics-recycling-sector/29403/
\n[2]\u00a0https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2019/12/10/role-brominated-flame-retardants-electric-electronic-appliances/
\n[3]\u00a0https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2017/09/07/bromine-as-energy-storage-enabler/

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The post How is Bromine a Circular Economy enabler? appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": "The new European Green Deal, with its goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, will change the EU\u2019s economy. The Circular Economy Action Plan will be at the centre of this new sustainability roadmap.. The aim is clear: to transform EU industry from linear to circular and achieve a carbon neutral economy.\nThe new Circular Economy 2.0 package will not only focus on reducing environmental and social impacts. Instead the EU wants to look at products by taking into consideration their life cycle, from production to waste. To do this the Commission wants to put in place sustainability standards so that by 2030 all products available to European consumers will be circular, and also carbon neutral.\nWhat does this have to do with bromine?\nBromine-based solutions are essential to many advancements in science and technology. Bromine compounds have been used for water treatment, reduction of mercury emissions, fire safety, energy storage and generation, production of pharmaceuticals and enhanced quality rubber.\nThe use of bromine-based technologies has all the potential to increase the circularity of the EU\u2019s economy. Bromine brings to the table solutions and innovations that are environmentally friendly, safe and that can be used across the whole value chain.\nBromine: the key to sustainable energy\nBy 2050, it is expected that 9.7 billion people will populate our planet. The amount of (clean) energy needed will drastically increase. Unfortunately, renewable energy has a variable production nature and it is not always consumed when produced.\nSo, how can we produce and store enough clean energy for everyone? Investing in energy storage is the solution, that\u2019s why the Commission plans to integrate the Circular Economy 2.0 with a new regulatory framework for batteries.\nThanks to innovative energy storage technologies, 40% of the world\u2019s energy could come from wind and solar by 2060resource[1]. Expanding the energy storage capacity will help to fully exploit the expansion of renewable energy. \nBromine-based energy storage technologies are a highly efficient and cost-effective solution that could play a vital role in transitioning towards a new circular economic model. There are many examples of this new model in Europe. For instance, a farm in the Netherlands is currently using bromine-based innovative battery technology to store the energy produced from its rooftop solar system.\nUse and reuse \u2013 Even with bromine\nTo be circular, products must also be recyclable. Soon at the centre of the Circular Economy 2.0, the global recycled plastics market is expected to be worth over 45.8 billion euros by 2025[2]!\nProducts or materials containing brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are\u00a0fully compatible with today\u2019s integrated waste management options, including mechanical recycling, chemical recycling and thermal processing, depolymerization and gasification \u2013 all of which enable the recovery of valuable materials or energy.\nNew technologies have enabled the recycling of products containing BFRs. For example, the PolyStyreneLoop Cooperative recycles expanded polystyrene waste containing the flame-retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), helping transform the way the EU designs, uses, produces, and recycles plastic products.\nAlso, the \u201cClose WEEE Project,\u201d co-funded under the H2020 programme, addresses the range and yields of recovered materials from WEEE streams using the CreaSolv\u00ae\u00a0Process. The project\u2019s results indicate a proof of concept with the separation approach for plastics such as ABS, PS, and BFR/antimony verified in laboratories and on a small technical scale.\nThe chemical industry has developed eco-efficient waste management options such as chemical recycling, which even allows bromine to re-enter the circular economy as a valuable resource[3]. These innovations in the chemical sector are great assets to the circular economy.\nWater 2 Water\nOne of the most ambitious aspects of the Circular Economy 2.0 is the need to enable the circular use of water. The action plan aims at facilitating water reuse while ensuring the sustainability of water management.\nUsed in water treatment since the 30s, bromine chemistry can efficiently disinfect water from harmful contaminants. Bromine compounds have many available applications as disinfectants. Investing in bromine-based solutions could help improving the rate at which the EU industry recycles water while increasing the quality of industrial water discharge.\nBromine-based products are also ideal for water treatment in pools and public fountains. They are widely used in spas and hot tubs to kill bacteria and help naturally sensitive skins. Think about that next time you need to relax!\n\nBSEF supports the transition to a circular economy and strongly believes bromine technologies can help responding to global needs for maintaining clean water, and to meet increasing consumer demand for sustainable products.\nSources\n[1]\u00a0https://recyclinginternational.com/plastics/billions-to-be-made-in-the-plastics-recycling-sector/29403/\n[2]\u00a0https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2019/12/10/role-brominated-flame-retardants-electric-electronic-appliances/\n[3]\u00a0https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2017/09/07/bromine-as-energy-storage-enabler/\nThe post How is Bromine a Circular Economy enabler? appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2020-04-02T11:30:47+00:00", "date_modified": "2020-04-02T12:48:16+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/How-is-Bromine-a-Circular-Economy-enabler.jpg", "tags": [ "bromine", "circular economy", "climate", "Recycling", "Water treatment", "General news" ] }, { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/04/02/chris-slijkhuis-recycling-plastics/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/04/02/chris-slijkhuis-recycling-plastics/", "title": "Meet the Experts: Video interview with Chris Slijkhuis from recycling industry", "content_html": "

Recycling plastics with Brominated Flame Retardants and the Circular Economy

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Europe has 1.2 million tonnes of plastic from electronic waste that has to be recycled or disposed of each year. In this interview, Chris Slijkhuis, Board Member of the\u00a0European Electronics Recyclers Association\u00a0and Manager of\u00a0MGG Polymers, explains the importance of Brominated Flame Retardants in plastics, the process of mechanical recycling, and why chemical recycling is a promising technology for the future of recycling plastics is an environmentally friendly way.

\n

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Electronic waste is mainly comprised of ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, and plastics. Recycling this waste requires several unique processes to separate and reuse the different components that make up an appliance. While ferrous and nonferrous metals can be identified based on their colour and density which makes them easy to sort, recycling plastic waste, which generally makes up 20-25% of electric appliances, is far more complex. The large number of different plastics used in an appliance requires more sophisticated recycling.

\n

\u201cWith plastics, it\u2019s different,\u201d Slijkhuis said. \u201cAll of the densities are overlapping each other so you cannot use just density, and colour doesn\u2019t work either. You need to go at it in a different way.\u201d

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For plastics containing Brominated Flame Retardants and other non-target plastics, chemical recycling is a promising alternative to other disposal methods such as incineration. In chemical recycling, plastics are depolymerized to recover the original monomers, which can then be reused to make new REACH and RoHS compliant plastics.

\n

\u201cThis is happening now and I think it\u2019s a wonderful add on for the future of plastics recycling,\u201d Slijkhuis said.

\n

The post Meet the Experts: Video interview with Chris Slijkhuis from recycling industry appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": "Recycling plastics with Brominated Flame Retardants and the Circular Economy\nEurope has 1.2 million tonnes of plastic from electronic waste that has to be recycled or disposed of each year. In this interview, Chris Slijkhuis, Board Member of the\u00a0European Electronics Recyclers Association\u00a0and Manager of\u00a0MGG Polymers, explains the importance of Brominated Flame Retardants in plastics, the process of mechanical recycling, and why chemical recycling is a promising technology for the future of recycling plastics is an environmentally friendly way.\n\nElectronic waste is mainly comprised of ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, and plastics. Recycling this waste requires several unique processes to separate and reuse the different components that make up an appliance. While ferrous and nonferrous metals can be identified based on their colour and density which makes them easy to sort, recycling plastic waste, which generally makes up 20-25% of electric appliances, is far more complex. The large number of different plastics used in an appliance requires more sophisticated recycling.\n\u201cWith plastics, it\u2019s different,\u201d Slijkhuis said. \u201cAll of the densities are overlapping each other so you cannot use just density, and colour doesn\u2019t work either. You need to go at it in a different way.\u201d\nFor plastics containing Brominated Flame Retardants and other non-target plastics, chemical recycling is a promising alternative to other disposal methods such as incineration. In chemical recycling, plastics are depolymerized to recover the original monomers, which can then be reused to make new REACH and RoHS compliant plastics.\n\u201cThis is happening now and I think it\u2019s a wonderful add on for the future of plastics recycling,\u201d Slijkhuis said.\nThe post Meet the Experts: Video interview with Chris Slijkhuis from recycling industry appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2020-04-02T11:00:34+00:00", "date_modified": "2020-04-02T13:23:21+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Meet-the-Experts-Chris-Slijkhuis.jpg", "tags": [ "General news", "Recycling" ] }, { "id": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/04/02/polystyreneloop-recycling-polystyrene/", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/2020/04/02/polystyreneloop-recycling-polystyrene/", "title": "PolyStyreneLoop: Recycling polystyrene in construction to enable the circular economy", "content_html": "

Recycling is key to the circular economy. The PolyStyreneLoop project is expected to help the EU recycle an expected 20 million tons of polystyrene insulation over the next 50 years and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 50% compared to traditional energy recovery methods.

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The ongoing PolyStyreneLoop project, co-funded under the EU LIFE programme, involves 64 industrial partners and research organisations and is now transferring a viable and environmentally friendly alternative recycling technology to an industrial scale for post-consumer polystyrene insulation materials. BSEF member ICL-IP is playing a leading role in the implementation of the project.

\n

Traditional recycling methods are often insufficient. This is the case with polystyrene foam insulation boards containing Hexabromocyclododecane\u00a0(HBCD), a\u00a0brominated flame retardant which has been widely used in construction since the 1960s. HBCD is now categorised as a pollutant, so the foam waste cannot be recycled using more general methods like sorting and re-melting.

\n

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The PolyStyreneLoop is an innovative closed loop project that helps to recycle polystyrene while simultaneously disposing of the HBCD. In this physical-chemical recycling process, the foam is first dissolved to separate the polystyrene and HBCD. Solid impurities like dirt and cement are also filtered out during this step. Next, a liquid is added to the tank that transforms the polystyrene into a gel so it can be extracted and reused in new foams. Once the polystyrene is extracted, the HBCD is left behind as a sludge for disposal by high temperature waste incineration at 1100 C\u02da. During this final step, the elemental bromine in HBCD is recovered for use in new polymeric flame retardants, also closing the bromine loop.

\n

This new technology has been recently recognized and shortlisted for the prestigious Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2020 for \u201cProduct Technology Innovation of the Year \u2013 improving recyclable plastic products or incorporating recycled materials in product production.\u201d

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The post PolyStyreneLoop: Recycling polystyrene in construction to enable the circular economy appeared first on Let's talk bromine.

\n", "content_text": "Recycling is key to the circular economy. The PolyStyreneLoop project is expected to help the EU recycle an expected 20 million tons of polystyrene insulation over the next 50 years and reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 50% compared to traditional energy recovery methods.\nThe ongoing PolyStyreneLoop project, co-funded under the EU LIFE programme, involves 64 industrial partners and research organisations and is now transferring a viable and environmentally friendly alternative recycling technology to an industrial scale for post-consumer polystyrene insulation materials. BSEF member ICL-IP is playing a leading role in the implementation of the project.\nTraditional recycling methods are often insufficient. This is the case with polystyrene foam insulation boards containing Hexabromocyclododecane\u00a0(HBCD), a\u00a0brominated flame retardant which has been widely used in construction since the 1960s. HBCD is now categorised as a pollutant, so the foam waste cannot be recycled using more general methods like sorting and re-melting.\n\nThe PolyStyreneLoop is an innovative closed loop project that helps to recycle polystyrene while simultaneously disposing of the HBCD. In this physical-chemical recycling process, the foam is first dissolved to separate the polystyrene and HBCD. Solid impurities like dirt and cement are also filtered out during this step. Next, a liquid is added to the tank that transforms the polystyrene into a gel so it can be extracted and reused in new foams. Once the polystyrene is extracted, the HBCD is left behind as a sludge for disposal by high temperature waste incineration at 1100 C\u02da. During this final step, the elemental bromine in HBCD is recovered for use in new polymeric flame retardants, also closing the bromine loop.\nThis new technology has been recently recognized and shortlisted for the prestigious Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2020 for \u201cProduct Technology Innovation of the Year \u2013 improving recyclable plastic products or incorporating recycled materials in product production.\u201d\nThe post PolyStyreneLoop: Recycling polystyrene in construction to enable the circular economy appeared first on Let's talk bromine.", "date_published": "2020-04-02T10:30:37+00:00", "date_modified": "2020-04-03T13:33:44+00:00", "author": { "name": "admin", "url": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/author/admin/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/0428b8e4964fa7634cc8733194ee5bbe?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://lets-talk-bromine.bsef.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/PolyStyreneLoop-Recycling-polystyrene-in-construction-to-enable-the-circular-economy-1.jpg", "tags": [ "Recycling" ] } ] }