Pieter Kuiper

‘There are opportunities for both recycling companies and the authorities to improve results by taking a more rational look at separation processes.’

Smarter separation
Kuiper: ‘A product gains value with every step in the production process. In this respect, the separation process does not differ from any other production process. At every stage, the value of the product increases. There is a challenge here for recycling companies and the authorities: they should look at separation processes just as rationally as primary production processes. Let's “separate smarter”.’

Increasing value
Recyclers should make a greater effort to find customers for streams that are still partly mixed. If a customer does not have any problems with a mixed stream, it is not necessary to separate it. The increase in value due to separation should always be higher than the costs of separation.

Separation requirement
The government must learn how better to deal with mixed streams. If an individual stream follows the same processing route after separation, there is no point in having a separation requirement. Such a requirement is often implicit, for instance when only pure streams may be exported. A real sustainable environmental gain can only be realized if the use of primary materials is prevented and energy use/CO2 production is minimized, and all parties act on a level playing field.’

In short
Recycler: find the ideal customer for your material and then start separating.
Government: organize the requirements in such a way that a level playing field is guaranteed and the actual environmental gains are increased.

Like to know more? Then get in touch with Pieter Kuiper.