Towards Sustainable
Plastic Recycling in India
Experiences from the field
Arthur Haarman, July 2015
About Toxics Link:
Acknowledgments
Toxics Link emerged from a need to establish a mechanism for dissemin
This report was prepared the project “Managing hazardous additives in plastic recycling in India”. in India,Industries and for raising
the level(SRI), of thefunded debate on
issues. The goal w
This project is part of the Sustainable Recycling programme by these
the Swiss and support organisation that would use research and advocacy in s
State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) and jointly implemented by the Institute for Materials pollution, help push industries towards cleaner production and link gro
Science & Technology (Empa), the World Resources Forum (WRF) and ecoinvent. SRI initiatives to improve local capacity for sustainable recycling are also implemented in Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, ToxicsfLink
unique experience in the areas of hazardous, medical an
Brazil, Peru and Columbia, with country-­‐specific ocal ahas
reas. issues such as the international waste trade and the emerging issues of p
various best practices models based on pilot projects in some of these a
it to share the experiences of these projects, upscale some of them and
more significant campaigns.
In India, the project is locally coordinated and implemented by the Confederation of Indian Industries – Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (CII-­‐GBC). This centre of excellence promotes green business practices, incubating and developing green businesses, and providing training and educational opportunities to businesses across all sectors in the areas of cleaner production, green building sciences, renewable energy, pollution prevention, energy efficiency, and other areas of environmentally responsible development. Due to its experience in documenting informal recycling practices and advocating responsible waste management policies in India, the Delhi-­‐based environmental NGO Toxics Link is engaged as a local expert for the project implementation. Toxics Link has been working on the topic of informal e-­‐
waste recycling for more than a decade, and on the specific issue of hazardous plastic recycling since 2010. Copyright © Toxics Link, 2014
All rights reserved
As an intern within the SRI programme, I will stay six month in India. During this period, I will document existing plastic recycling practices in the informal sector, investigate possible methods to detect and segregate problematic plastics, and support various stakeholders in implementing the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
SRI project. As it is the main hub for plastic recycling in India, I will spend most of my time in Delhi. I would like to thank all those who have helped me carry out my research. In particular, I am Toxics
Link
grateful to Vinod Kumar (Toxics Link) for sharing his experiences and accompanying me on the field. H-2, Jungpura
Extension
New Delhi – 110014
Phone: +91-(11)-24328006, 24320711
Fax: +91-(11)-24321747
1 Email: [email protected]
Web: www.toxicslink.org
Introduction
Plastic recycling in India: highly efficient, but potentially hazardous
Each year, about 5.6 million tons of plastic waste is generated in India, and that amount is growing rapidly1. Besides that, increasing amounts of plastic scrap are received from developed countries, looking for a cheap way to dispose of their plastic wastes. In India, about 60% of this plastic waste is recycled, which is much higher than the below 10% plastic recycling rates found in Europe and in the United States. Most of the plastic recycling takes place in the so-­‐called informal sector, providing livelihood to many, and being done with little regard for worker safety and environmental protection and without control or monitoring by the government. Because it avoids fossil fuel usage, carbon dioxide emissions and landfilling, plastic recycling is by and large a sustainable activity. However, certain fractions of plastic waste contain hazardous substances and require specific treatment and, in some cases, destruction. Hazardous plastic additives include brominated flame retardants2 (used for fireproofing) and heavy metals such as lead (stabilizer and pigment), cadmium (pigment) and antimony (catalyst for flame retardant). Exposure to those substances has been linked to cancer, damage to nervous and reproductive systems, and behavioural changes, to name a few. In European countries, hazardous plastics are usually not recycled and destroyed in controlled incinerators. Uncontrolled recycling of such problematic plastics, such as done in the Indian informal sector, entails the risk that toxic substances will be released into the environment. It therefore represents a potential source of harm for humans and other living species. The SRI recycling initiative aims to remove problematic plastics from the recycling system using a market-­‐based approach. Plastic and e-­‐waste recyclers will be supported in through training and technology support to recognize and separate this critical plastic. Channels and routes to collect plastic containing hazardous additives will be established and the material will then be destroyed using environmentally sound technologies. Technical standards will provide clear rules for the handling, transport and destruction of critical plastics, which can then be independently monitored. 2 Delhi’s Plastic Recycling Chain
Plastic recycling is a major economic activity in Delhi, directly employing an estimated 20,000-­‐
25,000 persons and providing livelihood for their families and communities. Delhiites recyclers do not only process plastic waste generated in the city itself, but also (and mainly) plastic scrap coming from other parts of India as well as from other countries3. A crucial step towards creating a channel for sound treatment of plastics containing hazardous substances is to retrace the pathways of those plastics through the recycling chain, and to identify potential points of removal from the mainstream. The recycling system consists of several stages through which plastic waste is collected, sorted, processed, and either recycled into new products, incinerated, or dumped. Plastic waste trade and processing units are scattered across Delhi, with some areas that are specialized in some parts of the recycling chain. It is estimated that more than 7,000 plastic recycling units exist in Delhi. &
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The ubiquity of plastic in modern times means that plastic waste can enter the recycling chain from an almost infinite number of sources. However, not all plastic waste is suitable nor profitable for recycling. In a city where most of the waste collection is done by private and uncontrolled actors, who operate following a purely commercial logic, this mean that an important fraction of plastic waste remains uncollected and constitutes litter. There are two important categories of actors in the collection of plastic waste. At the lowest strata of the waste recycling hierarchy, rag pickers (Kachrawalas) make a living from collecting and reselling recyclable wastes found on the streets or in landfills. Slightly better off, the itinerant waste buyers (Kabaddiwalas) visit households, shops, or offices, buy their valuable wastes, and resell them to Kabaddishops. Kabbadiwalas mainly deal with metal-­‐, plastic-­‐, and paper-­‐ rich wastes. In many products, plastics are used in a complex mix of materials that may also include metals, glass, foam and rubber. For those products, manual dismantling is often a necessary first step in order to isolate plastic waste fractions (plastic scrap). A first separation of plastics by resin might take place at the dismantler, to fetch better prices. Plastic scrap dealers then buy waste plastic parts and engage in further sorting of different types of plastic. Manual stripping of PVC cables. Copper and aluminium can be sold at relatively high prices, whereas plastics are less valuable but still profitable. The practice of PVC cable burning allowing fast recovery of metals was common until a few years ago when the Central Pollution Control Board enforced a ban. 4 Sorting
There are more than 50 different types (resins) of plastics, the most widely used being polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PUR), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS). To fulfil the required properties, various additives are commonly added to plastics such as pigments, stabilizers, flame retardants, plasticizers, and various fillers. As noted in the introduction, some of those additives can be hazardous to human and environmental health. Additives can also represent impurities that increase processing costs for recyclers. In order to produce a pure and homogenous recycled plastic, plastic wastes are sorted by resin, colour, and “grade”, which refers to whether the plastic is virgin, recycled once, or recycled several times. Plastic waste sorters use simple methods to identify resins, based on appearance, sound when hit, smell when burnt, reaction with chemical solvents, and other crude methods. All this without any form of protection. Sorting by “grade” is mostly based on visual qualities of plastics (shininess, colour) as well as on their hardness (polymers tend to soften when recycled, due to the breaking down of polymer chains), which is sometimes assessed by biting the plastic. My work includes evaluating the accuracy and harmfulness of such indigenous plastic identification methods. Sorted plastic waste is usually sold on scrap markets, often situated on the outskirts of the city and covering large areas. Sorting itself often takes place in open plots within or around those scrap markets. CRT monitors, usually made of ABS or PS, are one of the main source of brominated flame retarded plastics. 5 Grinding & Pellet Making
After sorting, plastic scrap is sold to grinding units who segregate it further and clean it, before the cutting and grinding process. Whereas dismantling and sorting is done manually in the informal sector, machines are used to grind the plastic scrap into flakes. Most plastic grinders specialize in a few resins and batches of grinded plastic are, in principle, of a single resin. After eventual mixing with various additives, plastic flakes are transformed into plastic pellets through the extrusion process. An extruder is basically a heated cylinder with a screw inside that slowly moves the plastic through it and heats it up to its melting temperature (between 150°C and 250°C for most resins). Relatively homogenous plastic strings (looking like spaghettis) are leaving the end of the cylinder, before being cooled down in water and chopped into small pellets, which can be considered as the currency of the plastic industry. During the extrusion process, some very harmful substances can be released into the air and inhaled by workers, including brominated flame retardants, dioxins, and heavy metals. Between grinding and pelletizing, some specialized recycling units use sink-­‐float separation, in which salt is added to water to increase its density, in order to separate light and heavy plastic fractions. The light fraction is referred to as “plain” plastic, and can be sold at higher prices as it contains fewer impurities. The heavy fraction is called “FR” plastic, assuming that if it is heavier it is because of flame retardants contained in it. Whereas the addition of flame retardants certainly increase density, other additives may provoke the same effect. I will try to assess to what extent this “FR” plastic is actually flame retarded, and whether it contains hazardous brominated flame retardants. Demand for “FR” plastic is low, but exists, and comes from manufacturers of products for which flame retardancy is required, such as electronic products. Those manufacturers usually buy “FR” plastic directly from the grinding or pelletizing units dealing with such plastics. Theoretically speaking, the grinding, mixing and extrusion processes taking place in the Indian informal sector are close to those implemented in European recycling facilities. However, the crude equipment used in India allows for little quality control. Heterogeneous mixing, insufficient or excessive amounts of additive, and overheating leading to polymer decomposition are all problems encountered by informal plastic recyclers that have a negative impact on the quality of their products. Helping recyclers to improve the quality of their output is also part of SRI’s objectives. 6 Remanufacture
Recycled plastic pellets can be bought either directly at the pellet making units or in markets such as the Sadar Bazaar in Old Delhi, the largest wholesale market of Delhi and one of world’s biggest. In Sadar, plastic pellet traders are concentrated in one street, where about 250 shops sell pellets made of both virgin and recycled plastic. Virgin plastic sold on the market is mostly imported (China, Taiwan, Thailand, etc.), while recycled plastic comes from India. Prices are the highest for virgin, flame retarded plastic pellets, and lowest for low-­‐grade, “mixed” – meaning that they didn’t go through sink-­‐float separation – recycled plastic pellets. Recycled plastic pellets are bought by manufacturers of plastic products, active both in the formal and informal sectors. Depending on the requirements of the application, virgin plastic as well as various additives can be mixed with the recycled plastic. Due to the inherent challenges of plastic recycling, as well as to the primitive methods used in the informal sector, recycled plastic is of lower quality than virgin plastic and, most often, plastics are actually “downcycled” into lower quality products such as toys, buckets, car parts and pipes rather than high quality applications. After three or four life cycles, plastics can’t be recycled anymore and are used as a fuel, if not dumped. Studies by the NGO Toxics Link4 revealed the presence of hazardous substances such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and heavy metals in recycled plastic pellets, sometimes at concentrations much higher than allowed by Indian and international standards. Internationally banned BFRs formulations have also been found in plastics along the recycling chain. Presence of BFRs has even been detected in recycled plastic sold as “plain”, supposedly free of flame retardants. Due to their low quality (which is an issue in itself as it represents a loss of value), plastics informally recycled in India are usually used to produce cheap products that may include toys, buckets and food containers. This entails the risk of contamination for consumers. 7 On the field, and in the “lab”
One of my main tasks during those first months in Delhi is to document the current plastic recycling practices in India. Due to the informal nature of most plastic recycling units, quantitative and qualitative information is very scarce. Field visits are therefore essential in order to get an understanding of the plastic recycling chain. Over the past few weeks, I have visited some plastic recycling areas and met several informal plastic recyclers. Due to language barriers, industrial secrets and fear of being reported to the authorities, the collection of information is not always straightforward. However, by establishing trust and interest through clear communication on SRI goals and potential benefits for the recyclers, I was able to gather useful data and initiate potential partnerships. I am always amazed by the sheer volumes of plastic waste that I see in Delhi’s plastic recycling hotspots, and in awe of the efficiency of plastic sorting and processing units. I am also sometimes saddened by the lack of awareness on workers safety and environmental protection. Overall, field visits are very exciting experiences, and I’m looking forward continuing to learn from informal recyclers, and hopefully help them improving their conditions. When visiting recycling units, I also take some plastic samples for further analysis, regarding hazardous content but also other quality characteristics. At home, I use simple tools and DIY methods to test the samples, designed with the idea that eventually recyclers themselves will be able to use them as well. Testing instruments used by recyclers in technologically advanced countries such as Switzerland are quite costly, and couldn’t realistically be widely implemented in India in the near future. It is thus crucial to develop low-­‐tech, low-­‐cost methods to identify hazardous plastics and remove them from the uncontrolled recycling chain. Home “lab” with simple methods to identify plastic resins and detect hazardous additives. On the right, a positive Beilstein test reveals the presence of BFRs in plastic. 8 So far, I have mostly focussed on testing for brominated flame retardants (BFRs). They were prioritized due to the fact that some of them are banned Persistent Organic Pollutant (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention, and that measurements revealed their widespread presence in Indian recycled plastics. I adapted a simple chemical test called “Beilstein test”, which is used to detect the presence of halogens. It involves heating a copper wire in a flame, dipping it in a sample, and heating it once again. A green flame reveals the presence of halogens (such as bromine). Using only a thin copper wire and a lighter, I am able to detect bromine (and therefore BFRs) down to 0.5% in plastic samples (BFR-­‐containing plastics usually contain between 3% and 20% BFR). Considering that handheld sliding spark spectrometers used for that purpose in Switzerland cost around 20,000 CHF and do not give much more information, the adapted Beilstein test is a very promising alternative to detect BFR-­‐containing plastics in developing countries. However, more research and design improvements will be done to ensure that this method is not harmful. I am also using a plastic identification tree provided by KATZ, the Swiss Plastics Training and Technology Centre, in order to identify plastic resins. It relies on characteristics such as flotation in water, burning behaviour, reaction to solvents and odour, similar in fact to the sorting methods used by informal plastic recyclers in India. There are however some differences, and recyclers were always interested in having a copy of the KATZ document. In the future, I want to see whether the sink-­‐float method can be used to reliably separate hazardous plastics, and if improvements can be done to reach more accuracy. I will also look at other simple methods to detect and segregate hazardous plastics. Within the SRI programme, recyclers will be trained to use those methods in order to remove problematic plastics from the informal recycling chain. Financial mechanisms to support a buy-­‐back channel for the sound treatment of those plastics are also being sought at the moment. Sink-­‐float method to separate “plain” from “FR” plastic. Basins are filled with water and a varying concentration of salt (from very salty to freshwater). Plastic and non-­‐plastic fractions are separated in the first basin (on the right), plastics are washed in the second, and “plain” and “FR” plastic are separated in the third. 9 Perspectives
After an exciting first month in Delhi, I am now more aware of the challenges and opportunities for removing hazardous plastics from the informal recycling chain. One of the main challenges is the complexity and lack of transparency of the informal recycling system. Due to the multitude of actors along the recycling chain, a lot of information is also being lost and it is very difficult to track the fate of hazardous plastics. The identification of those hazardous plastics is another challenge. Expensive testing instruments used in Europe are out of reach for informal recyclers, and developing low tech, low cost testing methods is a priority. Once viable financial mechanisms for the buy-­‐back channels of those hazardous plastics are set up, which is part of SRI objectives, informal recyclers may be more willing to acquire more elaborate instruments. In general, the level of awareness on environmental, health and safety issues is very low among informal plastic recyclers. Workers have no protective equipment whatsoever, and facilities are rarely ventilated. As an anecdote, during a visit to a pellet-­‐making unit, I noticed that a ventilation system (basically a big fan through the wall) existed but wasn’t used. When I asked why, a worker turned the system on and the noise that came from it made me quickly understand. The noise was more intolerable than the obnoxious smell of burnt plastic. However, a number of opportunities exist to clean the informal plastic recycling loop in India. As prices of recycled plastic pellets depend on purity, a cleaner plastic is a more valuable plastic. New regulations and standards are being sought in collaboration with Indian authorities in order to create a market for sustainable recycled plastic, which would encourage informal plastic recyclers to improve their processes. In fact, through the sink-­‐float separation method, a lot of recyclers already segregate hazardous and non-­‐hazardous plastic fractions to an extent, as most toxic additives are found in the heavy fraction. Improving the accuracy of this method and adding low-­‐
cost tests to the sorting process could make it possible to take out most hazardous plastics from the informal recycling chain. Delhi’s plastic recycling sector is a vibrant industry, always on the lookout for new ways to expand the market. Within this context, and with a good dose of enthusiasm, innovation and collaboration, sustainable plastic recycling industries have a bright future in India. Notes: 1
Mahapatra, D., 2013. Plastic waste time bomb ticking for India. The Times of India, 04.04.2013. 2
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are very effective and widely used is plastics to decrease their flammability and thereby reduce the risks of fire. They are mostly used in plastic parts of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). Many different BFRs can be produced synthetically with varying properties, and more than 75 formulations are commercially available. Over the last decades, increasing concerns have been expressed with regards to the health and environmental impacts related to the use of BFRs. During the processing of waste plastics, BFRs have the potential to degrade into brominated dioxins and furans (PBDD/Fs), which are some of the most toxic substances known to science. Furthermore, particular 10 formulations of BFRs, including some polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), are listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention due to their high potential to accumulate in living organisms and provoke tumours, neurodevelopmental and thyroid dysfunctions. Accordingly, their use has been restricted and successfully eliminated in many countries. However, their use in the past means that large quantities of POP-­‐BFRs are still present in the current plastic waste stream. Furthermore, they might still be used in the informal sector. 3
According the UN Comtrade database, the main countries exporting plastic scrap to India are, in decreasing order of importance, the USA, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. And this is just the official, registered exports. Actual numbers might be much higher. Furthermore, a large amount of plastic-­‐rich waste products, such as e-­‐waste, is exported to India as well, adding to the volumes treated by informal Indian recyclers. 4
Toxics Link. Brominated Flame Retardants Spreading the Fire (2011) & Improving Plastic Management In Delhi (2012). 11