From microplastics to macro-impact: KTU expert explains plastic recycling challenges

(Press-News.org) “Microplastic particles are currently found almost everywhere – in water, food, fish, and even breast milk,” says Artūras Torkelis, a PhD student at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU). He emphasises that proper waste management is essential for reducing these risks.

The use of plastic in Europe has skyrocketed over the past decade. Recent statistics reveal that in 2021, each person in the European Union (EU) generated an average of 36 kg of plastic packaging waste. Of the more than 16 million tonnes of plastic packaging generated that year, only 6.5 million tonnes were recycled. Plastic recycling remains a serious problem. Inadequate recycling not only increases the amount of waste left in landfills, incineration plants and nature but also contributes to the formation of microplastics, which threaten both ecosystems and human health.

According to Torkelis, to improve the situation, the waste management process cannot be addressed from only one side. It is a multidimensional problem, and therefore, the approach to it must be broad and systemic.

“Focusing solely on improving recycling technologies or finding new methods without considering economic, environment and legal aspects would be a mistake. This approach won’t just fail to solve the problem, it could also lead to shortfalls when considering other aspects,” says Torkelis.

To better understand how external factors influence plastic packaging recycling, KTU researchers conducted a macro-environmental analysis that examined six key areas: political, economical, social, technological, ecological, and legal factors.

Challenge #1: Outdated waste management regulations

Political and legal factors include a range of legislation and policies to regulate the management of plastic packaging waste. They help to control producers, waste managers, and recyclers but are often insufficient to ensure smooth and efficient waste management.

For example, for a long time, the EU’s plastic packaging waste system was governed by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, adopted 30 years ago, which left it up to the countries to decide how to meet the targets set. “As a result, these goals were often difficult to meet, as countries implemented them in different ways,” explains Torkelis, a PhD student at KTU Institute of Environmental Engineering.

It was not until 2024 that a new regulation was adopted, which will soon come into force and will be equally applicable to all countries. This will ensure clearer and more efficient recycling of plastic packaging.

Challenge #2: Lower quality recycled plastics

Discussing economic aspects, Torkelis highlights that current recycling technologies often fail to produce high-quality recycled plastics in a cost-effective manner. Consequently, recycled plastics are sold at prices that are 2-3 times lower than virgin plastics in global markets.

Additionally, oversupply from China, other Asian countries, and North America further reduces the competitiveness of recycled plastics. Because virgin plastics are often more adaptable and cost-effective, they remain the preferred choice for manufacturers.

Challenge #3: Public attitudes towards recycling vary

Even though primary sorting, where waste is immediately separated by type in the home environment, is more efficient than secondary sorting, where mixed waste is sorted only at sorting centres, motivating people to do so remains a challenge.

A common myth is that sorted waste ultimately ends up in landfills or is incinerated, undermining public motivation to recycle. “That’s why educational initiatives that show the journey of waste from collection to recycling are so important,” says Torkelis.

In Lithuania, the KTU expert highlights the example of Alytus, where successful prevention measures have helped to increase the involvement of the population and ensure better waste sorting. However, attitudes and behaviour vary in other Lithuanian cities.

“In Kaunas, for instance, it is noticeable that waste collected from private houses is usually cleaner than waste from public containers in apartment blocks,” he says. This shows that individual responsibility and social norms influence the quality of sorting.

Challenge #4: Recycling composite packaging is challenging

According to Torkelis, although the technologies of plastic packaging waste recycling are sufficiently developed and continuously improved, recycling composite packaging still presents challenges.

KTU specialist says that current solutions are often inefficient – not just technologically, but also economically and environmentally, which is why more and more attention is being paid to eco-design: “The focus is not only on whether packaging can be recycled but also on its initial design, ensuring it is easy to recycle or reuse”.

He believes that the use of combined packaging should be limited to cases where it is essential, such as pharmaceuticals, while it should be discouraged in other areas where it is often chosen for aesthetic reasons.

Challenge #5: Plastic waste is still leaking into the natural environment

Addressing environmental concerns, Torkelis mentions microplastics and the damage they cause to the environment and living organisms. Microplastics in the environment are the result of improperly managed plastic waste, so it is essential to ensure that there is no uncontrolled release of waste into the natural environment throughout the plastic packaging cycle.

Although reducing plastic waste remains a primary goal, recycling is essential to manage the plastic already in circulation. The EU’s target of recycling 50 per cent of plastics by 2025 has not been achieved. Now the goal is to recycle 55 per cent by 2030.

The article The Factors Influencing the Recycling of Plastic and Composite Packaging Waste was published in Sustainability Journal, and can be accessed here.

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