According to an article published on the industry news web page Plastic News, a new study published by the trade association European Bioplastics found that the polyethylene (PE) recycling stream can handle as much as 10 % biodegradable plastic. An earlier study reported on by the FPF on November 22, 2013 found that already 2% of biodegradable PE compromised the quality of the polyethylene recyclate. The present study was carried out by the Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites of the Hannover University of Applied Arts and Sciences, Germany, the Italian National Packaging Consortium (CONAI) and the company Biotec GmbH. François de Bie, chairman of European Bioplastics, asserts in the Plastic News article that small quantities of biodegradable do not negatively impact the recyclate and are much easier to handle than contamination with polystyrene or polypropylene. Similarly to the former, the present study was not published in an independent peer-reviewed scientific journal.
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Plastic News (January 20, 2014). “Study: Recycling stream can handle up to 10 percent compostable plastics.”
FPF article “Degradable plastics reduce recyclate quality”
