Food Packaging and Circular Economy (3)

Recycled use refers to the reduction of packaging materials or packaging containers that have been used but are difficult to reuse or recycled into products with other uses.

A: The composite packaging material is decomposed into paper, plastic and aluminum, or a mixture of plastic and aluminum, and then different products are separately produced; the composite plastic is decomposed into a homogeneous plastic of the original composition.

B: Concentrated incineration or pyrolysis of used packaging materials or packaging containers to use their residual chemical energy for heating or power generation.

(1) In theory, domestic waste has a high heat equivalent. According to statistics of some European countries, the heat equivalent of domestic garbage is 3000 Kcal/Kg, compared with 12,000 Kcal/Kg for fuel oil and 4000 Kc, al/Kg for wood. However, the design and improvement of waste incinerators are still relatively late in the country. To improve efficiency and ensure safety, research and development should be stepped up.

(2) Residue remaining after combustion can also be used as road filling or other building materials;

(3) pyrolysis can also be used to produce flammable gas;

(4) Air pollution from incineration or pyrolysis should be given full attention. In particular, the handling of chlorine-containing compounds such as PVC should be very careful. It will not only bring in acidified air. According to my guess, it may also produce dioxin and other highly toxic substances.

c. For packaging waste with high organic content (such as straw pulp packaging, residual food, etc.), methods such as cellar, landfill or composting can be used to generate heat or improve soil.

5. Application of degradable plastics

In recent years, degradable plastics have developed rapidly at home and abroad. Its main purpose is to solve "white pollution" and protect human living environment.

Degradable plastics can be divided into biodegradation, photo-biodegradation, and photodegradation. The reason for this is that only when the molecular weight of the plastic is less than 500, the microorganism can gradually degrade it. So scientists used different methods to reduce the molecular weight of plastics. One method is to use starch-like ingredients to create a breakthrough within the plastic molecular structure (micro-molecules) to reduce the molecules of macromolecule plastics; another method is to use a photosensitive material after polymerization of the plastic to make it Biodegradation begins after light (ultraviolet light) irradiation; another method is to degrade the plastic under K-light.

The food packaging industry is a user and a downstream industry in the plastics manufacturing industry. The basic requirements for degradable plastics are:

Nine use performance should meet the basic requirements for ensuring food safety;

Different foods and different conditions of use have different requirements, such as disposable shopping bags, lunch boxes, and food packaging bags and boxes that have a reasonable shelf life, and their requirements are quite different. The development of degradable plastics should follow the principle of easy first and hard;

B. The start time of degradation should be controllable, and the packaging material should not be degraded before its shelf life or even before it is used. This requires great difficulty in implementation, and the adaptability of microorganisms is very strong. Variations are very fast. Difficult to control effectively;

C. Complete degradation is the direction of development

The current plastic degradation is still limited to the disintegration stage. Although studies have shown that residual plastics in the soil have no effect on the root development of crops when their area is less than 4 square centimeters. However, it is not a nutritious soil after all.

D. The role of degradable plastics can only reduce pollution and it is difficult to achieve the purpose of recycling. Its significance for saving resources and energy is hard to say. Therefore, materials that can be reused or recycled are best not to degrade plastics.

  Measures taken by developed countries

Measures taken by Western developed countries can be summarized as:

Formulate relevant regulations;

Set up the sub-inspection, treatment and recycling organizations for packaging wastes at all levels;

Strengthen publicity and education for end consumers.

1. Formulate appropriate regulations

On June 12, 1991, the German government promulgated regulations to reduce packaging waste. The core content is:

A packaging material manufacturers and distributors must take responsibility for the sorting, processing and recycling of packaging waste;
B. Society will be freed from the responsibility for waste disposal;
C. Use moderate packaging and recycling to reduce the total amount of packaging;
D. Reusable packaging will be particularly promoted;
R. Repeated use of packaging is preferred to heat treatment;
F. Allowing manufacturers and distributors of packaging materials to delegate their responsibilities to third parties or self-help organizations;
C. As packaging for transportation packaging, display packaging or secondary packaging, packaging material manufacturers and distributors must take back after use.
u. In the future, packaging material manufacturers and distributors will need to assume more economic responsibilities and cannot leave problems to consumers.

2. Establish a dual-track system

On the one hand, the government organizes the sorting and recycling of packaging waste, and packaging material manufacturers and distributors pay the necessary fees in the name of taxes. On the other hand, a company may also be set up by associations or manufacturers to undertake the task of sorting and recycling packaging waste. In 1991, 600 companies including distributors, packaging and food industry industries joined the joint venture.

After joining the joint company, packaging material manufacturers and distributors can exempt and dispose of the relevant taxes. The consortium signed a contract with tens of millions of German citizens before December 1992. Each household collects and classifies the garbage of its own family. Each household is equipped with a trash can or bag to concentrate tin, aluminum, plastic or composite. material. Return to the branch office for unified processing.

The purpose of this is to reduce the amount of waste that has to be landfilled or burned. About 25% of the total waste weight; 50% of the total volume.

Germany has set up a sign called greendot with this sign:
Manufacturers have been legally recognized for environmental protection;
After paying a certain fee, you can use green signs on your own product packaging;
Inform consumers that the package is recyclable

3; Strengthen publicity and education

Whether it is families, kindergartens or schools, education should be conducted on conservation and environmental protection.

4. Following Germany, Denmark, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and other countries have taken response measures.

In 1991, the European Community (EEC) published guidance documents on packaging and packaging wastes in order to harmonize relevant regulations or measures of member states and avoid confusion and disorder in mutual trade and competition. Its main spirit is:

(1) Who pollutes and who govern;
(2) Use recycling as the preferred method. It is required that 60% of all types of packaging materials can be recycled within 10 years, and 90% of the waste should be used;
(3) The use of incineration to generate heat energy can also be used;
(4) After 10 years, 60% of all packaging materials should be recycled and 90% of all wastes should be used;
(5) The use of incineration to generate heat energy can also be used;
(6) In the course of 10 years, the collection, classification and recycling of packaging waste should continue to progress;
(7) The required funds should be resolved from taxes or other economic methods;
(8) Establish a monitoring mechanism to prevent policy distortions;
(9) Certain companies can exempt this tax if they can guarantee the recovery of all their packaging waste;
(10) The original intention of the guidance document is not to reject packaging but to join hands with companies, consumers, and relevant authorities to solve the problems brought about by the pollution of the community;
(11) The establishment of a recommendation committee is responsible for making recommendations on certain details.