UK plastics recycler MBA Polymers (Worksop; www.mbapolymers.co.uk) has started what it claims to be the first commercial production line manufacturing post-consumer PC/ABS pellets from shredded waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) at its Kematen / Austria facility. Production is expected to be built up steadily through 2016.

Output from the line will be distributed under the “EvoSource” trade name. The company said that post-consumer PC/ABS recyclate will be a vital part of meeting the growing global demand for sustainable materials in some of the largest markets in the world – automotive, electrical and consumer electronics.

Richard McCombs, MBA Polymers chief executive, said: “These are exciting times for our engineering plastics business. The decision to develop PC/ABS products reflects our determination to meet the growing demand from customers for post-consumer recycled plastic as well as extending our commitment to sustainable growth. Every 1% increase in the usage of our waste benefits our return on investment enormously. MBA is unique in being able to extract the degree of value that we are achieving today from WEEE.”

The company said that “EvoSource” PC/ABS grades have mechanical properties that make them candidates for a broad range of applications including some in the automotive, electrical, industrial and consumer markets. In electronics, designers will be able to specify the materials to increase the use of post-consumer recycled plastics to achieve the higher ratings required by the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT; www.epeat.net – see Plasteurope.com of 18.02.2011).