Substitution potentials of recycled HDPE and wood particles from post-consumer packaging waste in Wood–Plastic Composites

Published Date
December 2015, Vol.46:76–85, doi:10.1016/j.wasman.2015.09.011

Author 
Philipp F. Sommerhuber ^a,,

Johannes Welling ^a,

Andreas Krause 

• aThünen Institute of Wood Research, Leuschnerstraße 91c, 21031 Hamburg, Germany
• bInstitute of Mechanical Wood Technology, Department of Wood Sciences, University of Hamburg, Leuschnerstraße 91c, 21031 Hamburg, Germany

Received 14 July 2015. Revised 2 September 2015. Accepted 7 September 2015. Available online 12 September 2015.

Highlights

• Cascading use potentials of resources in Wood–Plastic Composites are addressed.
• •
  Using recycled HDPE is technically and economically feasible up to 70% in the matrix.
• •
  Economic feasibility of using recycled wood depends on waste wood processing and sorting techniques.
• •
  Technical properties of WPC are more affected by wood proportion than wood origin.

Abstract 

The market share of Wood–Plastic Composites (WPC) is small but expected to grow sharply in Europe. This raises some concerns about suitable wood particles needed in the wood-based panels industry in Europe. Concerns are stimulated by the competition between the promotion of wooden products through the European Bioeconomy Strategy and wood as an energy carrier through the Renewable Energy Directive. Cascade use of resources and valorisation of waste are potential strategies to overcome resource scarcity. Under experimental design conditions, WPC made from post-consumer recycled wood and plastic (HDPE) were compared to WPC made from virgin resources. Wood content in the polymer matrix was raised in two steps from 0% to 30% and 60%. Mechanical and physical properties and colour differences were characterized. The feasibility of using cascaded resources for WPC is discussed. Results indicate the technical and economic feasibility of using recycled HDPE from packaging waste for WPC. Based on technical properties, 30% recycled wood content for WPC is feasible, but economic and political barriers of efficient cascading of biomass need to be overcome.

Keyword

Wood–Plastic-Composites

Cascade use

Waste valorisation

Mechanical properties

Substitution

Recycled resources

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Supplementary data 1

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  Corresponding author.
  
  

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