Page 52 - Plastics News June 2024

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The commissioner of the state Pol- costs are also included. timelines for arbitrary recycling tar-
lution Control Agency is tasked with Finally, the bill notes that “it is the in- gets; mandates to fund recycling for
establishing statewide recycling, com- tent of the legislature that if a bottle massive commercial operations that
posting, reuse, return and reduction deposit return system is enacted in the can manage their own recycling costs
target rates, as well as post-consumer future, it will be harmonized with this or landfilling; and unrelated mandates
content requirements. act.” around packaging composition.”
The PRO will reimburse local programs The original version of the Packag- “The Minnesota packaging EPR legis-
for the net costs of covered services in ing Waste and Cost Reduction Act in- lation before Governor Walz demon-
a phased-in fashion. By Feb. 1, 2029, cluded target rates for recycling and strates that each state is unique and
the PRO will have to reimburse at least composting, source reduction and should approach any recycling, com-
50% of the annual net costs, rising to post consumer recycled content, but posting and packaging policy by first
75% by Feb. 1, 2030 and 90% by Feb. those were removed from the final bill considering its existing infrastructure
1, 2031. text. Instead, the commissioner will set and laws,” Ameripen added. “It also
Reimbursable costs include the cost to those targets, consulting with the PRO. reflects compromise, and a reminder
collect, transport and process covered Ameripen lauded that change, stat- that legislative debates do not produce
perfect policy, but rather a reflection of
material, adjusting downward for the ing in this EPR framework, the PRO what may be possible at any given mo-
average fair market value of the cov- can “remain focused on core activities ment.”
ered material in the region. Contami- without the burdens imposed by EPR
nation management and administrative laws in other states, such as artificial Source – RESOURCE RECYCLING

Recycling Wind Turbine Blades: Path to Circularity

Managing Wind Turbine Blade Waste
The fast expansion of the wind energy industry has resulted in a signifi-
cant rise in Wind Turbine Blade (WTB) waste. Unfortunately, conventional Disposing of wind turbine blades
disposal methods can exacerbate environmental issues. through incineration or landfilling gen-
erates microplastics that persist in the
environment and harm ecosystems.
Additionally, these processes release
pollutants that degrade air quality and
pose health risks to humans. At the
same time, the leachate from decom-
posing blades pollutes both ground-
water and surface water, posing sig-
nificant risks to aquatic ecosystems.
Recycling wind turbine blades is chal-
lenging due to the composite materi-
als used in their construction. Wind
turbine blades primarily comprise
glass—or carbon-fiber-reinforced
polymers (GFRP or CFRP), combin-
ing high-tensile-strength fibers with
polymer resins. About 80% to 90% of
a blade’s mass is a composite mate-
As wind turbine blades ing to most of the old blades ending rial, with reinforcing fibers up to 60%
reach the end of their life- up in landfills. This creates significant to 70% and resin 30% to 40%.
cycle, newer, more efficient disposal and image challenges for the These materials are strong, light-
models replace them, lead- clean-energy sector.

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June 2024