Environmentally Sound Energy Recovery from Automotive Shredder Residue: European Overview of Co-Combustion Using Modern Mass Burn Facilities

Research, development, and demonstration of environmentally and economically responsible and sustainable recovery options for plastics from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) is an active area of study. The plastics industry has been researching a variety of mechanical recycling, feedstock recycling, energy/fuel recovery, and reuse options for post-use automotive plastics. This paper reports on recent commercial experience and test programs using automotive shredder residue (ASR) containing post-use automotive plastics as an environmentally sound energy source in modern waste-to-energy plants. Commercial experience in Europe, especially Germany and Switzerland, is highlighted. A major test program cosponsored by the Association of Plastics Manufacturers in Europe (APME) and the American Plastics Council (APC) has recently demonstrated that co-firing ASR with municipal solid waste (MSW) can be carried out in compliance with strict German air emissions and ash management regulations. Residues were tested with excellent results meeting different European and United States standards. Co-combustion with MSW is presently the recovery option of choice for ASR in some areas of Germany, France, Sweden, and Switzerland, and experience over the past year has shown the technology to be both economically and environmentally sound. Regulatory barriers existing in Europe and the U.S. limit wider application at the present time.