Tests on Composting of Degradable Polyethylene in Respect to the Quality of the End Product Compost
The evaluation of degradable polyethylene as an input material for composting processes was carried out. The degradation of EPIs (Environmental Products Inc.) TDPA (total degradable plastic additives)-based polyethylene is accomplished using an additive a
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Abstract. The evaluation of degradable polyethylene as an input material for composting processes was carried out. The degradation of EPIs (Environmental Products Inc.) TDPA (total degradable plastic additives)-based polyethylene is accomplished using an additive approach such that both lifetime control and final total degradability are achieved. The influences on the rotting process and the compost produced were investigated in a one-to-one field scale research programme established at the composting plant of Wiener Neustadt in Austria. The EPI TDP A-based polyethylene (PE) was mixed to source-separated organic biowaste from households and yard waste into a tunnel-batch of approx. 60 t (approx. 1.1 % FM of PE). The feedstock was processed over a total residence time of 26 weeks. As a result, EPI TDPA-based polyethylene is principally qualified as a compo sting input material and does not cause any negative effects on the parameters compost quality and composting process.
Introduction Packaging materials made of olefins and recoverable through composting and degradation are going to become more popular in the future. No tendency can be observed for a decline in the use of products made from, e.g. polyethylene or polypropylene. Its popularity is based on the wide spectrum of useful physical and chemical characteristics of these ubiquitous thermoplastics and on the relatively low price, making them highly competitive with other materials. Packaging waste represents about 17% by weight of the municipal solid waste (28 Mio t per year). Ten t of plastics are used for packaging purposes only, about 17% of specific packaging material are disposed of in the packaging waste bin (EC 1999). Disposal of plastics is still a very important problem to cope with in modem waste management. In particular, the addition of packaging material to source-separated organic waste is a major issue in waste management. Concerning compo sting of organic waste, impurities lower the quality of the compost IMining University of Leoben, MU-IED, Peter Tunnerstr. 15,8700 Leoben, Austria & TB flir UmweJtschutz und Entsorgungstechnik, 5322 Hof/Salzburg, Austria 2GUA Corporation for Comprehensive Analyses Ltd., Sechshauserstrasse 83, A- 1 150 Vienna, Austria 3EPI (Canada) 802-1788 W. Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6JI YI, Canada 4EPI (Europe) Dunston Rd., Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S41 8Xa, UK H. Insam, N. Riddech, S. Klammer (Eds.) Microbiology of Compo sting © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2002
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produced. Biodegradable packaging material may help to increase the quality obtained (Raninger and Steiner 2000). For many years research activities have been going on to develop biodegradable plastic materials to reduce the problems caused after their use during waste treatment and disposal. The company EPI (Environmental Products Inc.) achieved an advance in biodegradable polymer development with their totally degradable plastic additive (TDPA5) approach to promoting the degradation of polyolefins. This technology enables the use of p
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