BAT Plastics

Egyptian and Italian Cooperation Programme on Environment
Best Available Techniques (BAT)
“Capacity Building and Strengthening Institutional Arrangement”
Workshop: “Best Available Techniques (BAT)
BAT on Plastics and its Recycling Industries
Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi
APAT
Agency for Environmental Protection and Technical Services
Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 1

Index
1. Introduction.
2. Operating phases of the plastic production: polymers
preparation, blend preparation and mixing, moulding,
finishing.
3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT: storage and
dispensing, mixing and dosing, hot operations on polymers,
hot operations on handworks.
4. Recycling of plastic packing in Italy.
5. Organisation of the recycling process.
6. Use of the recycled plastic materials.
7. A typical application: the refrigerators recycling plant.
1. Introduction
Production of plastics is a complex process, mainly of chemical nature,

involving a lot of materials with a significant potential risk for health and
safety and for the environment.
Potential dangerous effluents emission and significant energy
consumption in the production cycle (blend preparation and moulding)
are to be attentively faced.
Tipical products spam from raw plastic (polymers) for further working to a
large variety of objects, widely present in every part of our daily life.
The life cycle of plastic objects is of a relatively short duration, thus
requiring short term replacement.
The large amount of plastic objects put in the environment calls for a
great attention to the heritage that could be leaved to the future
generations. Then recycling and reuse have to be strongly encouraged.

2. Operating phases of the plastic production

Production cycle of the polymers preparation
raw material production

Production cycle of the plastics industry

POLYMERS, ADDITIVES
Preparation of the masses

(Dosing and mixing) OFF-GASSES
WATER
Moulding
(Thermo-moulding, WASTE WATER
calendering extrusion,
compression-moulding)
ENERGY
WASTE
Finishing
PLASTIC PRODUCTS
Detailed Phases (1/2)
1. Storage and dispensing of solid raw materials in local process tank

2. Storage and dispensing of liquid raw materials in local process tank
3. Mixing and volumetric dosing
4. Hot operations on polymers
5. Hot operations on rigid or semirigid plastic handworks
6. Recycle of plastic polymers
7. Preparation of blending without solvents
8. Plasticization of handworks using plastic polymers and surface treatment
9. Preparation of polymeric and of fabric-non-fabric fibres

Detailed Phases (2/2)
10. Production of expanded polymers

11. Preparation of the mixture for coating, straining, soaking
12. Coating a surface with plastic polymer in watery/organic emulsion
13. Moulding expanded plastic, polymerization, maturing
14. Rotogravure, offset, enamelling, coupling flexible packaging made of
plastic polymer
15. Printing, offset, flexography, enamelling and coupling of film with other
substratum
16. Finishing of handworks
17. Hot finishing

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT
Storage and dispensing of solid raw materials
Operations in storage and process tanks, dispensing , pneumatic

trasport of solid raw materials, manual or automatic weighing of solid
material.
Effluents:
Inert toxic and noxious, very toxic powder
BAT for powder:

DRY FILTERING

Storage and dispensing of liquid raw materials
Operations in storage and process tanks, dispensing, dispensing by pump of

the liquid raw materials, manual or automatic weighing.
Effluents:
Volatile Organic and Inorganic Compounds

Mixing and volumetric dosing
Mixing, granulation, milling and drying of raw or recicled plastic material.

Operations made to prepare the solid blending to be send to the press by
pneumatic transport or by drop from storage bin or by turbo mixer.
Effluents:
Inert toxic and noxious powder, very toxic, lead, cadmium and mercury
BAT for powder:

DRY FILTERING

Hot operations on polymers
Hot-pressing, extrusion, pressure-injection, rotating extrusion, hot-drawing.

The polymer, in granular or powder status, get soft due to high temperature.
Operations made to prepare rigid or semirigid handworks.
Effluents:
Grease powder and fog, Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC), acrylnitrile,
formaldehyde and total aldehyde, hydrochloric acid, chlorinated compounds,
ammonia and phosphine
BAT for powder: DRY FILTERING

BAT for phosphine: TOWER DAMP ABSORBER
BAT for smelling compounds: BIOFILTRATION PLANT

Hot operations on rigid or semirigid plastic handworks
Hot or vacuum thermomoulding, calendering of plate flexible or multilayer
material, rotating pressing and casting of polyurethane handworks, pressing of
polymeric material soaked of volatile organic compounds, mechanical finishing,
followed by cleaning of the dies by detaching agents.
Effluents:
Grease powder and fog, VOC, formaldehyde and total aldehyde, ammonia and
aliphatic amine.
BAT for powder: Dry Filtering

BAT for VOC: Activated Carbon Absorber – External Regeneration; Wet
Filtering – Tower Scrubber; Recovering Thermal Combustion; Regenerative
Thermal Combustion
BAT for NON-VOC: Wet Filtering – Tower Scrubber
Recycle of plastic polymers
Recovery, storage, selection, milling and condensing of recycled plastic

materials.
Effluents:
Inert powder, volatile inorganic and organic compounds.

BAT for smelling compounds: Tower Wet Filtering; Biofiltration Plant

Preparation of blending without solvents
Blending of PVC, plastisol and other solvent-free material, in close or open

blender, prepared at cold, but to gel after that at more than 150°C temperature.
Effluents:
Powder, chloridric acid and plasticizers.

BAT for Plasticizers : DRY ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR; Coalescence
Plants


Plasticisation and surface treatment of handworks with
plastic polymers
Coating of metallic or other material handworks by plastic polymers such as
PVC, polietilene, etc., through fluid bed process, immersion and subsequent hot
drying/polimerization.
Effluents: Powder, ammonia, plastificants, chloridric acid, 1, 3-butadiene and
volatile organic carbon, volatile inorganic compounds.

Filtering – Tower Scrubber
BAT for VIC: Wet Filtering – Tower Scrubber
BAT for 1, 3-Butadiene: Activated Carbon Absorber – External Regeneration
BAT for plasticizers : Dry Electrostatic Precipitator; Coalescence Plants


Preparation of polymeric fibre and of fabric-non-fabric
Preparation of fibre throgh draw-plat with or without outgassing, stretched

texturing, twisting of fibre, drawing up and soaking by watery glue in order to
make fabric-non-fabric.
Effluents:
Grease powder and fog, Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC), formaldehyde and
total aldehyde, ammonia and aliphatic amine.
BAT for powder, grease fog aerosol: Dry Filtering; Dry Electrostatic Precipitator;
Coalescence Plants
Filtering – Tower Scrubber (only for VOC soluble in the drawing fluid)
BAT for Volatile Inorganic Compounds (VIC) : Wet Filtering – Tower Scrubber

Production of expanded polymers
Manual or automatic weighing of the blending, prepared by grinding and

calendering.
Effluents:
Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC), Volatile Inorganic compounds (VIC),
particulate, phenol, acetone, NOx.
BAT for particulate: Dry Electrostatic Precipitator

BAT for VOC: Dry Electrostatic Precipitator; Wet Filtering – Venturi scrubber;
Wet Filtering – Tower Scrubber (only for VOC soluble in the drawing fluid)
BAT for VIC: Wet Filtering – Tower Scrubber; Wet Filtering – Venturi Scrubber.

Preparation of blending for coating, straining, soaking

Mixing of liquid or solid raw material in order to prepare the watery/organic
solution-suspension-emulsion to coat-soak-pour on a surface, except for
material dispersed in a solvent or for material used in printing.
Effluents: Volatile Inorganic and Organic Compounds, methyl acrylate, ethyl,

propyl, butyl, amyl and their isomer and powder

Filtering – Tower Scrubber (only for VOC soluble in the drawing fluid);
Recovering Thermal Combustion; Regenerative Thermal Combustion
Bat for VIC: Wet Filtering – Tower Scrubber


Coating a surface with plastic polymer in watery/organic
emulsion (1/2)
Blending of polyurethane on fabric or synthetic leather.

Blending based on PVC and plastisol used for printing.
Production of panels and handworks made by material soaked with
prepolymerizated resin, by hot and vacuum processes.
Panels and rolled handworks made by coating-soaking-spraying a surface
with resin in watery emulsion and subsequent drying/polymerization process.
Self-sticking tape made by non solvent plastic film or fabric.
Polymeric resin sandwich panels.

Coating a surface with plastic polymer in watery/organic

emulsion (2/2)
Effluents: VOC,plastificants, particulate, hydrochloric acid, ammonia, acrylate

from C1 to C5, Volatile Organic Carbon, formaldehyde.
BAT for powder aerosol: Dry Filtering; Wet Filtering- Venturi Scrubber
BAT for powder methyl acrylate, ethyl, propyl, butyl, amyl and their isomer and
powder: Wet Filtering-tower Scrubber
Filtering – Tower Scrubber (only for VOC soluble in the drawing fluid);
Recovering Thermal Combustion; Regenerative Thermal Combustion


Moulding expanded plastic, polymerization, maturing
The expanded handwork is made by plasticization of the polymer through an
extruder, by drawing, by continuous expansion, often coated by hydrocarbon on
its surface. Operation must be made in a closed ambient, equipped by local
exhaust fan and ad hoc filtering system.
Effluents: VOC, plastificants, particulate, isocyanate, ammonia, Volatile Organic
Carbon, formaldeyde.
BAT for aerosol: Dry Filtering; Wet Filtering- Tower Scrubber; Wet Filtering-
Venturi Scrubber
Filtering – Tower Scrubber; Recovering Thermal Combustion; Regenerative
Thermal Combustion
BAT for isocyanate: Wet Filtering – Tower Scrubber
Rotogravure, offset, enamelling, coupling packaging made

of plastic polymer
Mixing, granulation, milling of raw plastic materials, their drying and extrusion in
order to prepoare plastic flexible film through a degassing equipment.
Rotogravure, enamelling and coupling of the flexible plastic film with different
materials are made directly on line with printing and its specific processes
(watery and grease inks).
Effluents: Volatile Organic Carbon, ozone, amine, ammonia, isocyanate.
BAT for ozone and isocyanate: Wet Filtering- Tower Scrubber

Filtering – Tower Scrubber
Printing, offset, flexography, enamelling and coupling of film

with other substratum
Preparation of watery or UV based materials, to associate to a printing process.
Effluents:
Volatile Organic Carbon, ozone, ammonia, isocyanate, acrylate from C1 to C5
BAT for Volatile Organic Carbon, ozone, ammonia, acrylate, isocyanate:

Wet Filtering - Tower Scrubber

Finishing of handworks
Cutting and trimming of finished handworks, calendering, embossing and

other cold mechanical operations.
Effluents: powder, ammonia, plastificants.
BAT for ammonia: Wet Filtering – Tower Scrubber

BAT for plastificants and powder: Dry Electrostatic Precipitator; Dry Powder
Absorber; WET FILTERING – Venturi SCRUBBER

Hot finishing
Finishing of intermediate and final handworks, cleaning of equipments (i. e.

draw-plate) by hot operation in oven with post combustion.
Effluents:
Emission of powder, Volatile Organic Carbon, carbon and nitrogen oxide, heavy
metals (Cr, Ni, Co, As, Sb, Cd).
BAT for Volatile Organic Carbon: Wet Filtering – Tower Scrubber

BAT for powder: Dry Electrostatic Precipitator; Dry Powder Absorber; Wet
Filtering – Venturi Scrubber

4. Recycling of plastic packing in Italy
Organisation
• CO.RE.PLA (National consortium for collecting, recycling and renewal of
plastic packing waste)
– 911 conventions, 6791 Municipalities, 36 Collection centers, 368.000
tons collected in the 2005
• ASSORIMAP (National association of recyclers and regenarators of plastic

materials) - most of the independent operators
• Recycling system
– Conveyance
– Selection
– Reworking

4. Recycling of plastic packing in Italy

Quantitative data
Recycling activities in Italy (thousand tons)
2005 2006*
Plastic Packing consumed in Italy 2080 2110
COREPLA recycling 243 257
COREPLA recycling (%) 11,6 12,1
Indipendent Operators –extra COREPLA recycling 304 305
Indipendent Operators –extra COREPLA recycling (%) 14,6 14,5
Total national recycling 547 562
Total national recycling (%) 26,2 26,6
*Estimed data
Source: COREPLA – PSP 2005

5. Organisation of the recycling process
Selection of material
• Separation at source is very difficult, instead the following machine are

used in centralized installations:
– Magnetic separators
– Mechanical systems for screening and separation
– Air separators
– Grindings

Recycling technics
• Homogeneous mechanical recycling
• Heterogeneous mechanical recycling
• Chemical recycling
• Energy production

Mechanical recycling
• Thermal or mechanical working
– Plastic granules, used to make other products, can be

obtained from thermoplastic materials;
– Thermosetting composition is grinded and used as inert filler

in the raw polymers

Chemical recycling
• Pyrolysis: breaking apart of complex molecules into simple

units by the use of heat: the product is a mixture of liquid and
gaseous hydrocarbons petrol-like
• Hydrogenation: treatment based on hydrogen and heat:
polymers are converted into liquid hydrocarbons
• Gasification: heating and lack of air produce a mixture of
carbon oxide used in other materials working
• Chemolysis: convert used material into raw material

Energy production
• Direct combustion of wastes (thermal valorization from municipal waste,

thermal valorization from reject of the selection process)
• Combustion of Package Derived Fuel (PDF) or CDR (Combustible derived

from waste).

6. Use of recycled plastic materials
• Recycling of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) production of plastic bottles

and textile fibres and yarns
• Recycling of PE (polyethylene) containers for clearing agents, sheets and

films, pipes and building materials
• Recycling of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) pipes, connectors, telephone or

electric cables

7. A typical application: the refrigerators recycling plant
Typical plant features
¾ Up to 60 refrigerators/hour processed
¾ Refrigerators up to 1050x950x2000 mm, 80 Kg
processed
¾ Purity of the separated fractions
• Polyurethane foam 95% volume

• Iron fraction 98% weight
• Aluminium/copper fraction 93% weight
• Plastic fraction 96% weight
7. A typical application: the refrigerators recycling plant

Typical plant process
Iron, plastic, copper, aluminium, polyurethane and cooling gas are selectively
extracted
Phases:
– Selection (refrigerators are separated according to selected criteria):
• Refrigerators with intact refrigerant circuit
• Industrial or domestic refrigerators
• Type of refrigerator gas (R12, R22, R134, ect)
– Extraction of the cooling gas (the gas is extracted, purified and brought back
in the cycle, while the condensed fluid is stored into a tank), removal of the
compressor, wiring and glass
– Grinding and separation of the waste material: Refrigerator is grinded in
20/30mm pieces
– Separation of iron
– Separation of copper and aluminium
– Grinding and pulverization: using a mill for plastic material
– Dust collection
– Separation of polyurethane from plastic
8. Final considerations
Plastic production can have a considerable impact on the environment, due

to the intrinsic nature of the involved substances and processes, resulting in
both air and water pollution, but mainly in large non biodegradable wastes.
Implementation of (candidate) BATs in every production phase (from the raw
material selection to the final handworks production) can significantly reduce
emission of dangerous pollutants in every environmental matrix.
Attentive water and energy balances in the affected production phases can
result in both primary resources saving and significant economic
advantages.
Priority should be given to the recovery of plastic material at the end of life
of products, in order both to reduce the amount of dangerous material left in
the environment and to save resources, i.e. through production of energy.

9. Reference documents
A specific BREF has not still been prepared. Some indications could be
found only for polymers production, thus covering only the preparation of the
raw materials used in the plastic industry.
http://eippcb.jrc.es/pages/Fmembers.htm
Methodology for environmental analysis of production cycles – APAT

36/2006 (Italian language)
http://www.apat.gov.it/Media/cicli_produttivi/Avvio.htm
Analysis of dangerous materials (Cap. 3: Painting, Cap. 5 Plastics) - ARPA

Emilia Romagna, 2005 (Italian language)
Athmospheric pollution reduction from industrial activities - Lombardia

Region Official Bullettin, 2003 (Italian language)

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Egyptian and Italian Cooperation Programme on Environment

Best Available Techniques (BAT)

“Capacity Building and Strengthening Institutional Arrangement”

Workshop: “Best Available Techniques (BAT)

BAT on Plastics and its Recycling Industries

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 1

 Production of plastics is a complex process, mainly of chemical nature,

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 3

2. Operating phases of the plastic production

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 4

2. Operating phases of the plastic production

Production cycle of the plastics industry

Preparation of the masses

2. Operating phases of the plastic production

Detailed Phases (1/2)

1. Storage and dispensing of solid raw materials in local process tank

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 6

2. Operating phases of the plastic production

Detailed Phases (2/2)

10. Production of expanded polymers

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 7

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

Storage and dispensing of solid raw materials

Operations in storage and process tanks, dispensing , pneumatic

BAT for powder:

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 8

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

Storage and dispensing of liquid raw materials

Operations in storage and process tanks, dispensing, dispensing by pump of

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 9

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

Mixing and volumetric dosing

Mixing, granulation, milling and drying of raw or recicled plastic material.

BAT for powder:

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 10

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

Hot operations on polymers

Hot-pressing, extrusion, pressure-injection, rotating extrusion, hot-drawing.

BAT for powder: DRY FILTERING

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

BAT for powder: Dry Filtering

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

Recycle of plastic polymers

Recovery, storage, selection, milling and condensing of recycled plastic

BAT for powder: Dry Filtering

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 13

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

Preparation of blending without solvents

Blending of PVC, plastisol and other solvent-free material, in close or open

BAT for powder: Dry Filtering

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 14

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

BAT for powder: Dry Filtering

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 15

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

Preparation of fibre throgh draw-plat with or without outgassing, stretched

Mr. Giorgio De Benedetti, Mr. Giorgio Grimaldi 16

3. Environmental issues and pertinent BAT

Production of plastics is a complex process, mainly of chemical nature,

Plastic production can have a considerable impact on the environment, due