Characteristics and material flows of non-packaging plastics in municipal solid waste: a case study from Vienna

Abstract

In contrast to packaging, non-packaging plastics remain largely untargeted by EU regulations, despite their comprising over 60% of primary plastics in the EU 27 + 3 in 2022. This results in lower separate collection and recycling rates as well as fewer studies analysing recycling-relevant characteristics in non-packaging plastic waste (NPW), which are relevant to ensure the circularity and sustainable management of all plastics. This study presents a detailed characterisation of NPW found in mixed municipal solid waste and lightweight packaging waste on polymer and product levels, using the case study of Vienna, Austria. Results show that 4100 t/yr of polymers targeted for recycling, especially polypropylene, are currently discarded and lost in mixed MSW. A large share of NPW, however, exhibits recycling-hindering traits like multi-polymer objects or black colouring. While products made of high-quality food contact material were assessed to be ideal for separate collection to ensure closed-loop recycling, consideration should be given to collecting the majority of NPW via recycling centres to prevent contamination of target polymers with currently non-targeted other polymers. Design for recycling guidelines should also be introduced for non-packaging plastics, targeting separability, colouring and small-scale products. By doing so, a more sustainable management of NPW can be achieved.