German Association Publishes Guideline for Recycled Plastics
The German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI) has published a comprehensive guideline on the use of plastic recyclates in the electrical industry. The framework aims to standardize circularity by offering practical guidance for integrating recycled plastics into products like luminaires and control gear. This move addresses growing client and regulatory demand for documented sustainability credentials.
- The guideline encourages a "trialogue" between plastics manufacturers, the electrical industry, and recycling companies to improve the availability and quality of recyclates. It emphasizes designing products with future recyclability in mind, for instance by selecting plastics that can be effectively reprocessed at their end-of-life and designing for easier disassembly. - A key challenge for lighting designers is the potential for performance shifts when using recycled plastics; for example, recycled polycarbonate may show slight yellowing or reduced light transmittance in the violet range of the spectrum compared to virgin material. However, suppliers are now offering high-performance recycled polycarbonate (PC) and PC/ABS blends with up to 98% post-consumer recycled content that deliver mechanical properties comparable to virgin grades. - Leading lighting manufacturers are already incorporating high levels of recycled plastics. Signify produces 3D-printed luminaires with up to 75% recycled PET and bio-circular materials in the printed parts, which are also 100% recyclable at their end-of-life. Similarly, Zumtobel is using materials with high recycled content, such as a luminaire with a housing made from 98% recycled aluminum. - The use of products with documented recycled content can contribute to points in green building certifications. For instance, under BREEAM, using recycled materials can earn credits in the 'Waste' (WST 1) and 'Management' (MAN 3) categories, enhancing a project's sustainability score. While WELL v2 doesn't have a specific credit for recycled content in lighting, the 'Materials' concept promotes transparency and the reduction of hazardous substances, aligning with the use of certified, high-quality recyclates. - In Germany, electronic products must be labeled with the 'crossed-out wheeled bin' symbol to indicate they should not be disposed of with household waste, a requirement under the WEEE Directive (ElektroG in Germany). Manufacturers must also be clearly identifiable on the product. - Recycled polycarbonate can exhibit slightly reduced impact strength and ductility compared to virgin material; studies suggest that using up to 20% reground recyclate results in no significant deterioration of mechanical properties. For non-structural or internal components, higher percentages are readily achievable. - The EU's Circular Plastics Alliance, which includes an "Electronic and Electrical Equipment" working group, is driving the market for recycled plastics with a target of using 10 million tonnes in new products annually by 2025. This initiative supports the development of design-for-recycling guidelines and a transparent monitoring system for recycled plastics across the EU. - Designing for disassembly is a critical principle for circularity, involving the use of standardized fasteners over adhesives, creating modular sub-assemblies, and minimizing the variety of materials to simplify end-of-life sorting and recycling.
