(385f) Techno-Economic Analysis of Inherently Recyclable All-Polyester Multilayer Plastics

Owing to their affordability and unrivaled characteristics such as flexibility, durability, lightness, and longevity, the production of multilayer plastics (MLPs) experienced a rapid increase, reaching more than 100 million tons of flexible and rigid MLPs production per annum and representing over 30% of all plastics produced [1,2]. These MLPs comprise several layers of different materials, each selected for their specific physical, chemical, and mechanical properties [3]. This complexity, however, poses significant challenges for current recycling systems, resulting in most of these materials ending up in landfills.

In this context, we present a comprehensive techno-economic analysis (TEA) for the production and mechanical recycling of all-polyester MLPs that are inherently recyclable because their layers are chemically and mechanically compatible. We conduct a discounted cash flow analysis to determine the minimum selling price of different film structures composed of various polyester resins that can meet or surpass the functionality of commercial nonrecyclable 5–12-layer MLPs. We compare these prices with conventional benchmarks and conduct a sensitivity analysis of key economic parameters to understand their impact on the process economics. Our study identifies economically viable film structures and recycling technologies that contribute to sustainable waste management practices.

References:

[1] Collias, Dimitris I., Martin I. James, and John M. Layman (Nov. 2021). “Introduction—Circular Economy of Polymers and Recycling Technologies”. In: ACS Symposium Series. American Chemical Society, pp. 1–21. doi: 10.1021/bk-2021-1391.ch001.

[2] Lithner D, Larsson Å, Dave G. Environmental and health hazard ranking and assessment of plastic polymers based on chemical composition. Science of The Total Environment. 2011;409(18): 3309-24.

[3] Walker TW, Frelka N, Shen Z, Chew AK, Banick J, Grey S, Kim MS, Dumesic JA, Van Lehn RC, Huber GW. Recycling of multilayer plastic packaging materials by solvent-targeted recovery and precipitation. Science Advances. 2020;6(47):7599.