Brightsite is driving the sustainability transition of the chemical industry through a series of core programs and emerging growth areas. One of these new areas is Water-safe Plastic Recycling, which focuses on preventing the discharge of contaminated wastewater from plastic recycling processes. This can be achieved by improving the process design of both the pre-treatment and recycling processes, as well as by developing advanced water treatment technologies to remove specific components from wastewater streams.
The transition to sustainable energy and renewable feedstocks cannot be separated from a sustainable approach to industrial water use. That is why water transition is high on Brightsite’s agenda. In close collaboration with Circle Infra Partners, Brightsite is working on solutions to significantly reduce water use and surface water emissions.
“The Water Transition base program builds on the existing Roadmap Circular Water. Monitoring and reducing microplastics is one of the water-related topics we are working on. Plastic recycling is another key theme for Brightsite, but one that currently sits within the Carbon Transition program line. By launching the new growth area Water-safe Plastic Recycling, we are bringing these two areas together and increasing both our knowledge and impact,” explains Lianne van Oord, Program Manager Water Transition at Brightsite.
Understanding the Impact of Recycling on Water
While plastic recycling often focuses on the question ‘How do you design an effective recycling process?’, this new growth area looks at what a (new) recycling process means for wastewater. Are washing steps required? Will microplastics or other components be released? How does a new technology affect water use and safety?
“That is the starting point for this growth area,” says Van Oord. “We recently held our kick-off and are now shaping the program. Covering the entire recycling process and its many variations would be too broad to start with. That’s why our initial focus is on the pre-treatment of plastic waste, where most water is used. By improving the design of this step, we can prevent water contamination with microplastics or chemicals present in the waste. At the same time, we’re looking at developing appropriate water treatment techniques to remove specific components from pre-treatment wastewater.
We’re now gathering practical experience from parties already active in plastic recycling, shaping the project scope and working on securing funding through partners and subsidies.”
Bringing Water Considerations in Early
“When developing new technologies, emissions — and wastewater in particular — are often not part of the initial scope. That’s understandable, because it makes things more complex,” explains Sieger Henke, Program Manager Microplastics at TNO. “But it’s a common innovation pattern to postpone these considerations. In the end, however, plants will still need to discharge their water. It’s smart to consider water use and wastewater impact early on, even in the pilot phase.”
Water is often used multiple times — during pre-treatment, processing and post-treatment.
“We’re starting with pre-treatment, but our kick-off meeting already showed us that water use throughout the process raises further questions,” says Henke. “To obtain a discharge permit, companies need to know exactly what is in their wastewater,” adds Van Oord. “We want to address this issue now so that it doesn’t delay the development and implementation of new technologies later on. It’s encouraging to see that companies working on plastic recycling are increasingly aware of the importance of water management.”
Challenges Along the Way
Plastic recycling brings with it all kinds of substances present in the waste stream — such as ink from labels and residues from packaging, including pharmaceuticals. Reducing these substances to the required low concentrations is technically challenging and must also be economically feasible, especially since the recycling industry is already under pressure.
“The ultimate goal is to minimize harmful discharges,” stresses Van Oord. “This also applies to new plastics that are processed using existing technologies. These may lead to the release of new, previously unregulated substances. New processes can bring similar challenges, often with uncertainty about which substances arise and whether the wastewater still fits within existing permits,” Henke adds.
A Consortium Approach
“Our ambition is to create a generic framework that maps out where the challenges and bottlenecks lie when it comes to plastic recycling and its impact on wastewater — and how to solve them,” says Van Oord. “In addition to this framework, we plan to carry out various case studies.”
To make this possible, Brightsite has brought together a strong consortium:
- Sitech and TNO contribute their expertise in process design.
- Sustainable Analytics (Brightlands Chemelot Campus) and TNO provide expertise in analyzing water composition.
- Brightlands Circular Space offers a location to test and experiment.
- Circle Infra Partners, operator of the Integrated Wastewater Treatment Plant (IAZI) at Chemelot, contributes operational knowledge.
- Several companies at Chemelot are also actively involved, providing valuable practical input during the kick-off.
“As the project scope becomes clearer and funding is secured, we may involve additional partners,” Henke explains. “Together with project leader Henk Thijssen (Chemical Engineer, Sitech), we’re looking forward to getting this growth area off the ground.”
Looking Ahead
“Regulations and analytical methods for water permitting are evolving rapidly. With Chemelot’s water permit, we’re ahead of the curve. But to stay compliant in the long run, we can’t wait until new technologies or legislation are already in place. Now is the right time to look ahead — especially when it comes to recycling,” concludes Van Oord.
