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PLA Recovery & Recycling - a pilot project at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Paul Fowler Biopolymers Symposium October 17th, 2012
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FRESH project overview
Focused Research Effort for Sustainable Habits
UW-Stevens Point Dining Services began purchasing PLA food serviceware in Fall of 2009 to replace styrofoam containers
However, no industrial composting capability on campus or source segregation of bio-based plastics
Explore landfill diversion options other than composting
Chemical recycling of post-consumer PLA waste
Study environmental sustainability and economic feasibility of using and recycling PLA products
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Objectives
Study the environmental sustainability and economic feasibility
Divert from landfill as much post-consumer PLA on campus as possible
Work toward engaging Stevens Point area businesses using PLA products and implement collection efforts
Evaluate quality & end uses of post-consumer derived lactic acid
Undertake LCA study
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Marketing & Education
Promotional effort with unified brand
Poster campaign
Collection bin advertising
Facebook and Twitter campaigns
Presence at Freshman orientation
Website (http://www.uwsp.edu/fresh)
Questionnaire and survey
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Logistics & Research
Secure support from diverse campus entities:
o Dining Services
o Facilities’ Management
o Custodial staff
o Materials’ Recovery Center
Collect weight data for material recovered
Compare source segregated product against stock inventory
Undertake waste audit to check for material not source separated
Monitor for PLA occurring in other campus recyclate streams
Evaluate chemical recycling
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Results: 1
Recovered 592 pounds of post consumer PLA
Largest proportion recovered from existing commingled plastic recycling bins across the campus
Next largest portion from the main residential dining hall with few bins for disposal choices
Picture for recovery from Residence Halls skewed because 2nd phase implementation of program
28 31.04
42.66
103.27
8.48
8.02
1.6
369.19
UWSP Total Pounds of PLA Collected by Location
Unknown
DUC 1
DUC 2
Debot
Homegrown Café
Residence Halls
Food for Thought Café
Commingled clear plastics
recycling (excluding soda
bottles)
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Results: 2
In all cases the amount of
contamination in source-
segregated bins outweighed the
amount of post-consumer PLA
recovered
Majority of contamination was
food waste
PLA was separated from
contaminants, rinsed and dried to
determine dry weight recovery
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
PLA vs. contamination collected from
FRESH bin in DUC 2, by weight
PLA Wt
Junk Wt
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Results: 3
Contamination was removed by
hand sortation and warm water
rinsing of the post consumer PLA
Rinse rate 3-5 lbs PLA per gallon
of water, approx 90 degrees F 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
PLA vs. Contamination Collected from
DeBot, by weight
PLA Wt
Junk Wt
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Results: 4
Levels of source-segregated PLA
recovery increased with publicity
campaigns
Publicity campaigns had short-
lived effects
Typical recovery of PLA versus
contaminants in source-
segregated bins ranged between
11% and 67% 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
% PLA Collected from DUC 1
% PLA
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Results: 5
PLA recovery from pre-sorted
commingled plastics to remove
soda bottles, opaque and colored
plastics 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Percent PLA recovered from
commingled clear plastics (excluding
soda bottles)
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Results: 6
In the dining services hall (DUC 1
and DUC 2)
Recovery of all PLA inventory
by either source segregation or
commingled recycling is 51%
Some 49% is entering the trash
waste stream
Daily average PLA collection in DUC
Food Service Hall
Trash (49%)
Commingled recycling (42%)
FRESH bins (9%)
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Results: 7
In the Homegrown Café:
Recovery of all PLA inventory
by either source segregation or
commingled recycling is 47%
Some 53% is entering the trash
waste stream
Daily average PLA collection from
Homegrown Café
Trash (53%)
Commingled recycling (44%)
FRESH bins (3%)
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Results: 8
Recovery from campus-wide
commingled plastics collection
contributes most significantly to
yields
Rate of recovery remained
constant over the campaign
Winterim and spring breaks
impact on accumulated PLA
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
Cumulative PLA collection by source over time
Commingled
recycling
DeBot
Homegrown Café
DUC 2
DUC 1
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Results: 9
Daily average PLA collection
in DUC 1&2
Waste (49%)
Commingled
recycling (42%)
FRESH bins (9%)
27.90%
35.83%
7.22%
9.98%
10.61%
8.47%
Breakdown of DUC Plastics
Recycling Stream
PET
HDPE
Clear PLA
Other
Plastic
Plastic
bags
FRESH PLA
Data courtesy: UWSP Advanced Solid Waste Class
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Chemical recycling
Breakdown PLA to constituent
lactic acid molecules
Acid hydrolysis at elevated
temperature and pressure
Result is concentrated solution of
lactic acid
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Lactic acid evaluation
Three PLA samples used in
hydrolysis experiments:
Pre-consumer
Post-consumer (H2O wash)
Post-consumer (PET wash)
Performance evaluation
underway
Cost evaluation to be undertaken
RESULTS
Pre-consumer: afforded 96% of
theoretical recovery of lactic acid
(pale yellow appearance)
Post-consumer (H2O wash):
afforded 92% of theoretical
recovery of lactic acid (amber
appearance)
Post consumer (PET wash):
afforded 90% of theoretical
recovery of lactic acid (pale
amber appearance).
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Opportunities for re-generated
lactic acid
Non-food end uses
Descaling properties and
widely applied in household
cleaning products
Lactic acid is used as a natural
anti-bacterial agent in
disinfecting products
Runway anti-icer and de-icer
Use LCA to assess comparative
impacts of different end-of-life
scenarios in context of UWSP
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Challenges
A diversity of stakeholders on the University campus – achieving buy-in from all constituents
Our campus audience recognizes PLA serviceware as being compostable
Starting recycling effort requires different messaging
Messaging in a sea of other messages vying for the campus attention
Differing opinions about what is the ‘best’ end of life management option
Small proportion of overall waste stream
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Acknowledgements
Waneta Kratz
Lizzy Lepinski
Amy Novak
Christine Kuhn
Aaron Howard
Dan Neckar
Funding from Wisconsin State
Energy Office – John Baldus
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Videos, website, contact
http://tinyurl.com/7gc2q3g
http://tinyurl.com/7ymkxxw
http://www.uwsp.edu/fresh
Contact:
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: 715-346-3767