6 research outputs found
Material Cycles and Chemicals: Dynamic Material Flow Analysis of Contaminants in Paper Recycling
This study provides
a systematic approach for assessment of contaminants
in materials for recycling. Paper recycling is used as an illustrative
example. Three selected chemicals, bisphenol A (BPA), diethylhexyl
phthalate (DEHP) and mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOHs), are evaluated
within the paper cycle. The approach combines static material flow
analysis (MFA) with dynamic material and substance flow modeling.
The results indicate that phasing out of chemicals is the most effective
measure for reducing chemical contamination. However, this scenario
was also associated with a considerable lag phase (between approximately
one and three decades) before the presence of chemicals in paper products
could be considered insignificant. While improved decontamination
may appear to be an effective way of minimizing chemicals in products,
this may also result in lower production yields. Optimized waste material
source-segregation and collection was the least effective strategy
for reducing chemical contamination, if the overall recycling rates
should be maintained at the current level (approximately 70% for Europe).
The study provides a consistent approach for evaluating contaminant
levels in material cycles. The results clearly indicate that mass-based
recycling targets are not sufficient to ensure high quality material
recycling