WWF publishes Principles for the Implementation of Chemical Recycling, Says Recycling Will Not Solve the Plastic Crisis

On January 25, 2022, WWF released a report "Principles for the Implementation of Chemical Recycling"
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Only 9% of all waste plastics are recycled, the report said, and focusing on recycling alone will not solve the plastic pollution crisis, citing PEW and Systemiq project estimates that chemical recycling may only offset 5% of total virgin plastic demand by 2040
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Chemical recycling has theoretical potential in terms of recycling volume and reducing environmental footprint, but this potential has yet to be proven, the report said
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WWF is concerned that there are some risks to chemical recycling that, if not addressed, could increase carbon emissions without radically increasing recycling rates
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At worst, chemical recycling could disrupt currently established recycling facilities and disrupt what has been achieved in plastic recycling, inhibiting investment in upstream solutions such as single-use plastic reduction, plastic reuse,
etc.

"We can't just focus on recycling, we should be prioritizing things like reducing the overall consumption of single-use plastics and expanding recycling," said Alix Grabowski, director of plastics and materials science at WWF
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"Technologies like chemical recycling need to be part of a sustainable materials management system.
Part of it, we have to think carefully about how it's designed and implemented, whether it can provide more environmental benefits than the status quo, uphold strong social protections, and really help advance a circular economy
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These principles are designed to do just that.
designed
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The New Observation of Waste Plastics compiles and summarizes the key information in it, and shares the learning with you
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The following are some specific contents of the "Principles for the Implementation of Chemical Recycling" document:

01

Chemical recycling should not divert resources away from existing solutions that have proven to address the global problem of plastic pollution
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Investments should be prioritized for successfully implemented and identified solutions: reduction of single-use plastic use and plastic reuse
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Recycling can be part of a package solution, but chemical recycling should not divert attention from upstream solutions
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02

Chemical recycling should exhibit a smaller carbon footprint than producing virgin plastic
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Recommendation: Chemical recycling should reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% compared to virgin plastic production systems
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Reductions should be greater as chemical recycling technologies scale up, and these technologies should deliver emissions reductions to meet the promise of limiting global warming to 1.
5°C above pre-industrial levels
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03

Chemical recycling must not have a negative impact on the local area and must be shown to be safe for human health
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Any chemical recycling activity should adhere to the principles of environmental justice
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Chemical recycling may involve high temperature, high pressure and/or chemical solvents, which can pose a threat to human health and must be carefully controlled
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04

Protect nature - chemical recycling must not adversely affect air, water and the environment
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While chemical recycling is an attempt to solve the waste plastic crisis, there can be unexpected risks
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We cannot trade one question for another
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05

Chemical recycling complements existing waste management systems, rather than competing with mechanical recycling for raw materials
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Plastic recycling has been successful, has the infrastructure and should continue to be used and scaled up, and chemical recycling should not disrupt these established low carbon systems
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Chemical recycling should only be used for waste plastics that cannot be mechanically recycled and is an additional new waste stream
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06

Waste plastic streams should be matched with the most environmentally friendly technologies available
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Direct each waste stream to the most environmentally friendly process
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Chemical recycling operators should be transparent about all needs, including energy and water needs and yield information
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07

Only material-to-material chemical recycling can be considered part of the recycling and circular economy
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Things such as plastic fuel recycling should not be considered recycling or part of a circular economy
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Chemical recycling operators should not count towards “recycling” the portion of material that is converted to energy, fuel, or otherwise lost during processing
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Plastic fuel does not offset virgin plastic entering the system
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08

Chemical recycling should not turn recyclable materials into non-recyclable materials
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Ideally, chemical recycling would upgrade the feedstock into more valuable materials
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Using recyclable raw materials to produce non-recyclable materials does not support the cycle
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09

Statements about chemical recycling should be truthful, clear and relevant
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The public declaration of recovery of components using the mass balance method should be clearly distinguished from physical recovery
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In addition, recycled content can only make claims for products that are recyclable in practice
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The requirement that new plastics made from chemical recycling be inherently recyclable has hindered the production of new plastics that are not suitable for existing recycling streams
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10

Plastics recycled using chemical recycling techniques should be verified through the chain of custody
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Because plastic produced through chemical recycling is indistinguishable from virgin plastic, the chain of custody must be verified by a third party to ensure the authenticity of its quantity and distribution
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