New publications on historical contamination as a challenge for establishing clean plastic cycles in the construction sector

We are pleased to announce the publication of two new studies.
The environmental costs of clean cycles - Quantitative analysis for the case of PVC window profile recycling in Germany

In this study, together with researchers from the Luxembourg Institute for Science and Technology (LIST), we investigate the complex trade-offs between eliminating pollutant contamination, increasing recycling and reducing environmental impacts, using the recycling of lead-containing PVC window frames in Germany as an example.

The results of our study show that without a restriction on lead in recycled PVC, lead concentrations in old PVC window frames would exceed 0.3% by the end of this century, even though the use of lead in new PVC was already phased out in 2015. By restricting the recycling of old PVC window frames containing lead, as provided for in EU Regulation 2023/923, lead can be removed from product cycles more quickly. However, in this case, lower recycling rates and higher environmental impacts of waste management of PVC window frames are to be expected, which cannot be fully compensated by the introduction of new waste treatment technologies.

From a methodological point of view, in this study we combine a dynamic material and substance flow analysis with a prospective life cycle assessment and thus lay the foundation for our new dynamic modeling framework, which enables the assessment of trade-offs in the context of establishing clean plastic loops and aims to support the development of more sustainable recycling strategies.

The publication can be accessed via the following link (Open Access): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jiec.13559

Increasing the Recycling of PVC Flooring Requires Phthalate Removal for Ensuring Consumers' Safety: A Cross-Checked Substance Flow Analysis of Plasticizers for Switzerland

In this publication, developed in collaboration with researchers from the Chair of Ecological Systems Design at ETH Zurich, we investigate the re-introduction of plasticizers classified as (potentially) hazardous to health into new PVC flooring due to the recycling of old PVC flooring.

Using a dynamic material flow analysis over the period from 1950 to 2100, we determine the concentrations of the three plasticizers DEHP, DiNP and DEHT in PVC floor coverings. The results show that without additional measures, the concentrations of DEHP in recycled PVC flooring could remain above the legal limit in the coming decades. By dispensing with certain plasticizers and the targeted elimination of these plasticizers in recycling, higher recycling rates can be achieved without jeopardizing product safety.

The publication can be accessed via the following link (Open Access): https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c04164

Both publications were produced as part of the IMMEC research project, which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG - project number 490612391) and the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR - 2021 CORE Call-Project number C21/SR116217831/IMMEC).