ISO/TR 23891:2020

TECHNICAL ISO/TR
REPORT 23891
First edition
2020-09
Plastics — Recycling and recovery —
Necessity of standards
Plastiques — Recyclage et valorisation — Nécessité des normes
Reference number
©
ISO 2020
© ISO 2020
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Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Overview prerecycling plastic technologies . 1
4.1 General considerations related to recycling . 1
4.1.1 Process into the polymer resins . 1
4.1.2 Design for sustainability . 1
4.1.3 Additives . 2
4.2 Plastics processing and conversion . 2
4.2.1 Blow moulding . 2
4.2.2 Compression moulding . 3
4.2.3 Extrusion . 3
4.2.4 Injection moulding . 3
4.2.5 Reaction injection moulding (RIM) . 3
4.2.6 Thermoforming . 3
4.2.7 Transfer moulding . 4
5 Brief overview of plastic waste management . 4
5.1 Waste management . 4
5.2 Overview of the supply chain uptaking recycled plastics . 6
6 Inventory of existing standards (national, regional and global) . 6
6.1 General . 6
6.2 ISO/TC 61, Plastics, SC 14, Environmental aspects . 6
6.3 CEN/TC 249, Plastics . 7
6.4 ISO/TC 122/SC 3, Performance requirements and tests for means of packaging,
packages and unit loads, ISO/TC 122/SC 4, Packaging and environment and
CEN/TC 261/SC 4, Packaging and the environment . 7
6.5 ASTM Subcommittee D20.95 on Recycled Plastics (USA) . . 8
6.6 UNI (Italy) . 9
6.7 BIS (India) .10
6.8 JISC (Japan) .10
7 General description of mechanical and chemical recycling techniques .11
7.1 Material recovery .11
7.2 Mechanical recycling .11
7.2.1 General.11
7.2.2 Preparatory activities for mechanical recycling .11
7.2.3 Mechanical recycling process .11
7.3 Chemical recycling feedstock recovery .12
8 Mapping of relevant challenges .13
8.1 General .13
8.2 Lack of standards .13
8.2.1 Calculating recycling rate .13
8.2.2 Right choice of recycling method.14
8.2.3 Quality and properties of recyclates .14
8.2.4 Renewable and recycled feedstock .14
8.2.5 Resource efficiency .14
8.2.6 Traceability and marking in design stage .14
9 Necessity of standards — Background for necessity based on challenges with
missing standards, list up .15
Annex A (informative) Additives and functions .16
Annex B (informative) Participating cities .18
Bibliography .24
iv © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
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ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
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expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www .iso .org/ iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 61, Plastics, Subcommittee SC 14,
Environmental aspects.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
Introduction
Facing resource consumption beyond the capacity of the global ecosystem, the complex challenges
connected to the plastics recycling must be overcome globally. It is more efficient that processes and
a better management of waste indicate the most obvious potential to increase resource efficiency.
This management can be achieved by reducing waste or by reusing, or recycling of the waste. Plastics
waste entering a formal waste management system, are usually recycled, incinerated or disposed
of in landfill. However, in communities where a formal waste management system does not exist, a
substantial proportion of plastics waste is disposed of in uncontrolled dumps, watercourses, or burned
openly (UNEP, 2016). Different kinds of plastics included in plastic waste, must be reused, collected and
recycled to a much higher degree than today. Therefore, an agreement for this work and identification
of the necessity of standards in the plastics recycling system and giving direction for the adoption
of regional standards and/or the developing of new and existing standards took place at ISO/TC 61
Plastics-meeting in Japan 2018 and gave the reason for the work on this document.
This document has been developed to assist all plastics industry stakeholders in the development of
new and improved standards for plastic recycling.
It gives a short general introduction to plastic recycling and describes the process from feedstock to
plastics, the different types of recycling technologies and highlights common problems in relation to
recycling of plastic materials and products. Both fossil and non-fossil feedstock are discussed.
In Clause 6, existing standards are mapped. In Clause 8, challenges in the transition to a sustainable
plastic system are discussed. The necessity of standards is identified in Clause 9.
The overall structure of this document is as follows:
— brief overview of the current situation;
— general description of recycling techniques;
— inventory of existing standards (nat
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