Innovative Solutions Address Global Plastic Waste Crisis
Siewert concluded his presentation with a call to action for the industry to work together to create a sustainable future.
SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The global plastic waste crisis continues to escalate, pushing the recycling industry to adopt more advanced and integrated solutions. At the recent AMI Plastics World Expos in Cleveland, industry expert Enrico Siewert outlined how innovative approaches to recycling can help address the mounting challenges of plastic waste management and create sustainable pathways for the future.
Siewert, a 25-year veteran of the plastic recycling industry, brings a wealth of experience to his role at Van Dyk Recycling Solutions. Having owned and operated his own recycling facilities before transitioning to the equipment side of the business, Siewert is now focused on solving customer challenges in mixed waste recycling.
'I am focusing on some of the shifts in the industry that we're seeing from our sector of the industry that we service through Van Dyk Recycling Solutions,' he said.
Van Dyk Recycling Solutions, based in Norwalk, CT, specializes in designing and integrating advanced recycling systems for single-stream and mixed-waste management.
A legacy of innovation in recycling
Van Dyk Recycling Solutions, headquartered in Norwalk, CT, has been a leader in the recycling industry for over 40 years. The company, which partners with European equipment manufacturers, specializes in designing and integrating turnkey systems for single-stream recycling and waste management.
'We don't build equipment ourselves,' Siewert explained. 'But we provide systems for our customers, primarily in the single-stream recycling space, helping to sort and unscramble the omelet, as we say.'
With more than 2,400 projects completed, Van Dyk has established itself in the industry. The company's test facility in Norwalk is one of the largest in the US, offering customers the opportunity to analyze material characteristics and test sorting technologies.
'We also have what we call Van Dyk University,' Siewert noted. 'It's a training ground for our customers, where they can work on live systems and learn about the latest advancements in recycling technology.'
Addressing the global plastic waste crisis
Siewert emphasized the global nature of the plastic waste problem, referencing the 2018 report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation that highlighted the growing issue of plastic pollution.
'This is not just a North American or US problem — it's a global problem,' he said. 'Our customers are coming to us and asking, 'How do we help solve this plastic problem? What do we do?''
The answer, according to Siewert, lies in going 'beyond the bale.' Traditionally, recycling systems have focused on sorting mixed household waste into bales of materials like cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastic, and glass. These bales are then transported to other facilities for further processing. However, Siewert explained that the industry is now being asked to take on more responsibility.
'Our industry is asking us to do more than just make a bale,' he said. 'They're asking us to be fully responsible from the beginning — when the waste is collected at the curb or at businesses — all the way to creating a usable product that can be converted back into something consumers buy on the shelf.'
Vertical integration: The key to sustainability
To meet these demands, Van Dyk is focusing on vertically integrated solutions that add value to recycled materials. This involves taking materials from bales and processing them further through additional sorting, size reduction, washing, and pelletization.
'We're taking all these different ingredients that have been mixed together at the household or industry level and converting them back into a usable feedstock that ultimately competes with virgin plastic,' Siewert explained.
This approach is particularly important in today's challenging market. Siewert highlighted the impact of depressed global commodity prices, tariffs, and competition from inexpensive virgin plastics, particularly from Asia.
'It's a difficult financial environment,' he said. 'Recycling is under pressure from commodity pricing, and we need to find ways to add value to our customers' bottom line.'
One way to achieve this, Siewert suggested, is by reducing cost and increasing efficiency.
'If you're making a plastic product from a bale, you can go up the value chain by further processing it into a regrind or pellet form,' he said. 'This allows us to cut costs and compete with virgin commodities.'
The role of demand in driving change
While technology and supply are critical components of the recycling process, Siewert stressed that the real challenge lies in creating consistent demand for recycled materials.
'There's abundant supply and technology to recover materials, but the end markets have to be consistent,' he said.
He pointed out that recycled content materials often face challenges in competing with virgin plastics, which are less expensive and more consistent in quality.
'Recycled content materials are not perfect, and they're competing against perfect,' Siewert said. 'How do we create demand for products that can sustain these up-and-down markets and justify the capital investments needed for large-scale facilities?'
Siewert said he believes the solution lies in creating contractual demand for products that use recycled content.
'If post-consumer recycled (PCR) content is something you require in your product, it has to have its own brand equity and pricing structure,' he said. 'We need to decouple ourselves from the price of virgin materials.'
A call to action
Siewert concluded his presentation with a call to action for the industry to work together to create a sustainable future.
'There's a lot of plastic floating in the ocean, and only 10% of plastic is being recovered from what we consume,' he said. 'That means we have a 70% to 90% opportunity to do better.'
Further, he emphasized that the technology to sort, wash, and extrude recycled materials is already available. What's missing is a commitment from end markets to create consistent demand for recycled content.
'Once we create that recovery, it allows the material we consume at the household level to be put in the bin and ultimately turned into something valuable,' Siewert said.
As the recycling industry faces mounting challenges, companies are stepping up to provide innovative solutions. By focusing on vertical integration, creating value beyond the bale, and driving demand for recycled materials, they are paving the way for a more sustainable future.
Courtesy: www.plasticstoday.com