Knowledge Agora

Title	Indicators and characteristics of PET packaging collected in a Deposit and Refund System pilot project
ID_Doc	20000
Authors	Martinho, G; Santos, P; Alves, A; Ramos, M
Title	Indicators and characteristics of PET packaging collected in a Deposit and Refund System pilot project
Year	2024
Published	Heliyon, 10.0, 3
Abstract	Countries that have a Deposit and Refund System (DRS) show high rates of selective beverage packaging waste collection, indicating that it is a powerful economic instrument for achieving the European packaging recycling targets. DRS ensure that collected material is of a sufficiently high quality to be incorporated into new products. In Portugal, the Government has decided to implement a DRS for non-reusable beverage packaging as a strategy to increase the packaging recycling rate, which is currently considerably lower than the mandatory European targets. To acquire knowledge and experience for the design and implementation of the future DRS, a pilot project was carried out with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage packaging, using 23 Reverse Vending Machines (RVM) installed at supermarkets across mainland Portugal. The authors monitored the DRS pilot project between March 2020 and December 2022. The main objectives were to determine operational indicators and evaluate the characteristics and quality of the PET deposited, using both the data recorded by the RVM and a characterisation of the packages contained in a sample of 46 bags. The results provided important data for planning the Portuguese strategy, which may also support operational or political decisions in countries in similar contexts. Whilst the recycling plants that received the material collected in these RVM confirmed that its quality allows for the production of PET food-grade flakes, this research identified a need to improve the design of packaging and to communicate this with producers, to better allow for the incorporation of recycled material into food beverage packaging.
PDF	http://www.cell.com/article/S2405844024012131/pdf

Similar Articles

ID	Score	Article
27278		Görgün, E; Adsal, KA; Misir, A; Aydin, EV; Ergün, ÇE; Keskin, N; Acar, A; Ergenekon, S Deposit Refund System for Beverage Containers as a Best Practice Example for Recycling Maximization(2020)
5189		Ingrao, C; Wojnarowska, M Findings from a streamlined life cycle assessment of PET-bottles for beverage-packaging applications, in the context of circular economy(2023)
17020		Franz, R; Welle, F Recycling of Post-Consumer Packaging Materials into New Food Packaging Applications-Critical Review of the European Approach and Future Perspectives(2022)Sustainability, 14, 2
17303		Brouwer, M; Picuno, C; van Velzen, EUT; Kuchta, K; De Meester, S; Ragaert, K The impact of collection portfolio expansion on key performance indicators of the Dutch recycling system for Post-Consumer Plastic Packaging Waste, a comparison between 2014 and 2017(2019)
15563		Lopez-Aguilar, JF; Sevigne-Itoiz, E; Pena, M; Pena, J A realistic material flow analysis for end-of-life plastic packaging management in Spain: Data gaps and suggestions for improvements towards effective recyclability(2022)
15572		Agnusdei, GP; Gnoni, MG; Sgarbossa, F Are deposit-refund systems effective in managing glass packaging? State of the art and future directions in Europe(2022)
24907		Antonopoulos, I; Faraca, G; Tonini, D Recycling of post-consumer plastic packaging waste in the EU: Recovery rates, material flows, and barriers(2021)
25854		Eriksen, MK; Astrup, TF Characterisation of source-separated, rigid plastic waste and evaluation of recycling initiatives: Effects of product design and source-separation system(2019)
17924		Picuno, C; Alassali, A; Chong, ZK; Kuchta, K Flows of post-consumer plastic packaging in Germany: An MFA-aided case study(2021)
19504		Gritsch, L; Breslmayer, G; Rainer, R; Stipanovic, H; Tischberger-Aldrian, A; Lederer, J Critical properties of plastic packaging waste for recycling: A case study on non-beverage plastic bottles in an urban MSW system in Austria(2024)