MBA Polymers Producing Plastics from E-Waste

Plastics recycling and technology company MBA Polymers has started what it says it the first commercial production line in the world manufacturing post-consumer PC/ABS pellets from shredded e-waste.

PC/ABS — a blend of polycarbonate (PC) with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS) — is used in a huge range of electronic products such as computer monitors, cellular phones and laptop computers, as well as automotive applications.

The PC/ABS plant is located at MBA’s facility at Kematen, Austria.

MBA Polymers chief executive Richard McCombs says a growing demand for post-consumer recycled plastics, as well as a commitment to environmental sustainability, drove the decision to develop PC/ABS products from e-waste. “Every 1 percent increase in the usage of our waste benefits our return on investment enormously,” McCombs said in a statement.

The company says it saves over 80 percent of the energy and between 1 and 3 tons of CO2 for every ton of virgin plastic it replaces.

The new product will be distributed under the EvoSource tradename.

“EvoSource PC/ABS and MBA Polymers’ other high-quality recycled plastics further expand the opportunities for manufacturers to use more sustainable materials, which in turn increase the realities of a circular economy,” said Arthur Schwesig, business manager, engineering plastics, MBA Polymers, Austria, in a statement.

The company says EvoSource PC/ABS products can be used in a range of applications including the automotive, electrical, industrial and consumer markets. In electronics, for example, designers will be able to specify Evosource PC/ABS to increase the use of post-consumer recycled plastics to achieve the higher ratings in the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), a global electronics registry that rates mobile phones, televisions, printers, copiers and other imaging equipment, and computers and displays.

In addition to helping supply a sustainable material for manufacturing, turning e-waste into plastic also addresses the growing global volume of e-waste, which is expected to reach 93.5 million tons this year.

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