3. Assessment of the fate of BDEs in waste

To track the fate of BDEs in articles we have focused on reviewing New Zealand and international literature in this area. Volumes of recycled polymers are discussed in Section 4.2 below. This section indicates that very little recycling of BDE containing products has been undertaken historically in New Zealand (or internationally) and therefore in New Zealand most BDE containing waste articles are likely to be located in landfills.

Only recently (last 3-5 years) have a number of specialist electronic equipment (e-waste) recycling operators emerged in New Zealand along with one expanded polystyrene recycler in Porirua. Prior to this most e-waste was deposited in landfills. Using stated assumptions on the rate of disposal to landfills and product lifetimes, it is estimated that total deposited tonnes will reach 1,200 tonnes within 10 years, although the rate of increase is slowing with a reduced level of prevalence in both imported and New Zealand made goods.

Our statistical analysis has tracked two potential sources of BDE containing articles that could be deposited in New Zealand landfills4:

  • Imported finished consumer and industrial products
  • Imported polymer resins that are used to make polymer based material that may contain BDE and be deposited in landfills

Table 7 below shows our estimate of the volume of BDE that is entering New Zealand landfills per year.

Table 7 Estimate of BDE flows into New Zealand landfills (tonnes)
 

 

In-Use

 

Entering
landfill

 

Cum'tve landfill
total
1988 6 1 9
1989 15 2 11
1990 25 3 13
1991 37 4 17
1992 51 20 37
1993 66 20 57
1994 125 20 77
1995 181 21 98
1996 237 22 120
1997 293 6 126
1998 347 9 135
1999 372 41 176
2000 389 47 223
2001 410 43 266
2002 427 54 320
2003 445 59 379
2004 436 51 430
2005 433 48 478
2006 426 48 526
2007 391 64 590
2008 325 90 680
2009 281 62 743

The ‘in use’ column shows a maximum during 2005. Before this year the mass of BDE in products ‘in use’ was increasing annually. After this date, mainly due to lower amounts of BDE in imported and manufactured products the mass of BDE in articles ‘in use’ has started declining. Based on an average lifespan of product of 15 years it will be post 2040 before the ‘in use’ volume is back at pre 1990 levels.

|

4 This information is based on an interrogation of New Zealand Statistics harmonised trade data, an extrapolation of Plastics New Zealand mass balance survey data (2008) as an indication of polymer resins product end use, and sample analysis of products by our team to understand BDE% for articles and weights.