BENCHMARK ANALYSIS FOR RECYCLED GLASS IN AUSTRIAN WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Karl Friedrich - Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering, Montanuniversitat Leoben, Austria
- Stephan Holzschuster - Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Austria
- Theresa Fritz - Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering, Montanuniversitat Leoben, Austria
- Roland Pomberger - Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering, Montanuniversitat Leoben, Austria
- Alexia Aldrian - Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering, Montanuniversitat Leoben, Austria
- Available online in Detritus - Volume 13 - December 2020
- Pages 87-98
Released under CC BY-NC-ND
Copyright: © 2020 CISA Publisher
Abstract
The amendment of the Waste Framework Directive of the European Commission has set a new target for the use of recyclates. It is one of the most significant findings of this strategy that recyclates are currently too infrequently integrated into new products. Glass recycling, however, is widely accepted by the society. The chemical and physical properties of glass enable an almost 100% rate of recycling. Furthermore, the society is experienced in separating glass by colour, resulting in high-quality recycling glass for the production of new glass. Cullets are significant here. Evidently, the price of recyclates is linked to the price of primary material. Practical experience has shown, however, that pricing also correlates with different quality parameters such as degree of mixing, degree of degradation and presence of impurities. This paper examines the correlation between different quality features and how they affect the price of cullets. Experts from the Austrian processing and recycling business were interviewed about the important parameters of their quality inspection and how they affect the pricing policy. Additionally, quality parameters for input and output material are included. Besides the interviews, specific questions on correlations between the price and quality of cullets were e-mailed to several stakeholders in the glass industry. Experts from the glass processing industry did not confirm a correlation between price and quality, however: higher quality does not necessarily mean higher prices. Glassworks are ready to pay higher prices for higher qualities in order to meet their sustainability objectives or to expand their production capacities.Keywords
Editorial History
- Received: 27 Feb 2020
- Revised: 16 Aug 2020
- Accepted: 17 Sep 2020
- Available online: 28 Dec 2020
References
Abfallwirtschaftsgesetz (AWG), 2002: Bundesgesetz über eine nachhaltige Abfallwirtschaft (Austrian federal act for sustainable waste management). BGBl. I Nr. 102/2002. RIS (Law information service Austria): (accessed on 06 August 2019)
Aldrian, A., Pomberger, R., Schipfer, C., Gattermayer, K., 2018. Altglasrecycling - Anteil an Störstoffen im Altglas in Österreich (Recycling of waste glass - Amount of impurities in waste glass in Austria). In: Pomberger et al. (eds.) (2018) Conference Proceedings for the Recy&DepoTech Conference November 2018, Leoben. p. 193-198
Austria Glas Recycling, 2020a: Austria Glas Recycling Website. Available online at https://www.agr.at/, checked on 7/9/2020
Austria Glas Recycling, 2020b: Information received via e-mail from Austria Glas Recyclings Support on 14 August 2020
Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft e.V. (BDE), 2019. Klare Regeln und anerkannte Standards stärken das Recycling von Altglas (Precise rules and recognised standards strengthen the recycling of waste glass). https://bde.de/themen/kreislaufwirtschaft/glasrecycling (accessed on 06 August 2019)
Bundesministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Energie, Mobilität, Innovation und Technologie (BMK), 2020: Die Bestandsaufnahme der Abfallwirtschaft in Österreich Statusbericht 2020 (Referenzjahr 2018) (Inventory of Waste Management in Austria Status Report 2020 (Reference year 2018))
Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft (BMLFUW) (2017): Bundes-Abfallwirtschaftsplan 2017, Teil 1 (Austrian National Waste Management Plan 2017, Part 1)
Bundesministerium für Nachhaltigkeit und Tourismus (BMNT), 2017. Bundesabfallwirtschaftsplan 2017 (National waste economic guide 2017). ISBN: 978-3-903129-32-0. December 2017. Vienna, Austria
Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V. (BV Glas), Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft e.V. (BDE), Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (BVSE), 2014. Standard sheet T 120. Leitlinie ‚Qualitätsanforderungen an Glasscherben zum Einsatz in der Behälterglasindustrie‘ (Guideline ‚Quality requirements for cullets to be used in the container glass industry‘). Edition: 25 March 2013
Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (BVSE), 2019. Hoher Reinheitsgrad erforderlich (High purity required). https://www.bvse.de/glasrecycling/themen/hoher-reinheitsgrad-erforderlich.html (accessed on 06 August 2019)
Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (BVSE), Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft e.V. (BDE), 2013a. TR 201. Produktspezifikation Sammelware Hohlglas Weiss (Product specification of collected hollow glass, type flint glass). Edition: 25 March 2013
Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (BVSE), Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft e.V. (BDE), 2013b. TR 202. Produktspezifikation Sammelware Hohlglas Grün (Product specification of collected hollow glass, type green glass). Edition: 25 March 2013
Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (BVSE), Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft e.V. (BDE), 2013c. TR 203. Produktspezifikation Sammelware Hohlglas Braun (Product specification of collected hollow glass, type amber glass). Edition: 25 March 2013
Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (BVSE), Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft e.V. (BDE), 2013d. TR 204. Produktspezifikation Sammelware Hohlglas Bunt (Product specification of collected hollow glass, type stained glass). Edition: 25 March 2013
Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (BVSE), Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft e.V. (BDE), 2013e. TR 310. Mindestqualitätsvorgabe ‘ofenfertige Glasscherben’ (Minimum quality specification of oven-ready cullets). Edition: 25 March 2013
Bundesverband Sekundärrohstoffe und Entsorgung e.V. (BVSE), Bundesverband der Deutschen Entsorgungs-, Wasser- und Rohstoffwirtschaft e.V. (BDE), 2013f. TR 101. Leitlinie ‚Qualitätsanforderungen an Glasscherben zum Einsatz in der Behälterglasindustrie‘ (Guideline: ‚Sampling of cullets for usage in the container glass industry‘). Edition: 25 March 2013
European Commission, 2019. Circular Economy, Implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/index_en.htm (accessed on 06 August 2019)
EUROSTAT, 2020: Price indicator and trade volume for waste glass, EU-27. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=File:Price_indicator_and_trade_volume_for_waste_glass,_EU-27.png (accessed on 14 August 2020)
Initiative der Glasrecycler im Aktionsforum Glasverpackung, 2019. Richtig Glasrecyceln (Correct glass recycling). https://www.was-passt-ins-altglas.de/richtig-glasrecyceln (accessed on 06 August 2019)
Österreichisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung (WIFO), 2016: Volkswirtschaftliche Effekte durch Recycling ausgewählter Altstoffe und Abfälle (Economic effects of recycling specific waste and scraps)
Neill, C.L.; Williams, R.B., 2016: Consumer Preference for alternative milk packaging: The case of an inferred environmental attribute. In J. Agric. Appl. Econ. 48 (3), pp. 241–256.
DOI 10.1017/aae.2016.17
Verpackungsverordnung, 2014. Verordnung des Bundesministers für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft über die Vermeidung und Verwertung von Verpackungsabfällen und bestimmten Warenresten (Directive of the Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management on the prevention and recycling of packaging waste and certain remnants of goods). BGBl. II Nr. 184/2014. RIS (Law information service Austria): (accessed on 06 August 2019)
Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP.ORG.UK) (2008): Realising the value of recovered glass: An update, Market Situation Report. September 2008
Wirtschaftskammer Österreich - Fachverband der Glasindustrie (WKO), 2017. Jahresbericht 2017 (Annual report 2017). https://www.wko.at/branchen/industrie/glasindustrie/jahresbericht-glasindustrie-2017.pdf (accessed on 06 August 2019)