Circularity of plastic election posters

• Published in: Österreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft 2024-10, Vol.76 (9-10 p.427-434), p.427-434
• Main Authors: Steiner, Paul, Lasslop, Nicole, Weller, Fabian, Auer, Maximilian, Schmidt, Jannick, Woidasky, Jörg
• Format: Article
• Language: ger
• Subjects: design for environment; extrusion; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; injection molding; polypropylenes; tensile strength
• ISSN: 0945-358X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00506-024-01070-3

Posters are an important medium for outdoor advertising, with millions of posters produced annually either in paper or plastic, and are used among others for election campaigns. This publication provides circularity information on this particular field of application. The experimental investigation of used corrugated election posters made of polypropylene comprises a combination of shredding, washing, decoating, extrusion, and injection molding. The effects of these recycling steps on the material are quantified by measurements of the melt flow rate (MFR), FTIR spectroscopy to determine the carbonyl index, and tensile tests. The findings suggest that thermo-oxidative alterations are minimal during the recycling process, with a negligible impact on the tensile strength of the recycled polypropylene. However, notable variations were observed in the elongation at break, indicating that washing procedures can be a valuable addition to the recycling of used election posters. Overall, used election posters demonstrate considerable potential for recycling, although the implementation of specific eco-design strategies remains a future objective.