Estimating the flows of WEEE plastics and the contained brominated flame retardants in Japan

Abstract

This study estimates the flows of plastics in Japan originating from waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and the flows of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) contained in those plastics. Results show that WEEE plastics are mainly recovered as mixed plastics or shredder residues. In 2017, the most recent year for which detailed data are available, a large proportion of recovered mixed plastics were being exported. However, owing to China’s import ban on post-industrial plastic waste, the amount of exported mixed plastics was expected to significantly decrease after 2018. While this is sure to increase domestic processing of mixed WEEE plastics, it appears that a substantial quantity of the recycled pellets from WEEE plastics was still being exported in 2019. The results of this study show that a large proportion of BFR-containing plastics in the bulk mixed plastics that are processed are removed through wet specific-gravity separation and X-ray sorting and then incinerated, indicating that a large fraction of the BFRs contained in the original mixed WEEE plastic is being removed from the recycling chain.