That´s why plastic is a sustainable material
More on the role of high-tech plastics for tomorrow’s mobility
Cooperation instead of bans – this is what Rüdiger Baunemann, General Manager of the PlasticsEurope association, sees as a good foundation for creating functioning plastic cycles.
“A landfill ban for plastic waste demonstrably leads to dramatically higher recycling rates”. Rüdiger Baunemann is Managing Director and Regional Director Central Europe of PlasticsEurope.
What steps do you consider conducive to reducing plastic waste? For example, what do you think of the EU action plan on recycling?
The EU activities acknowledge how important plastics are in our society. We fully agree with the EU that plastic waste has no place in the environment. In order to find solutions here, we need the cooperation of all players along the value chain from the manufacturer to the consumer. The issue has already reached a wide audience, not only in the chemical industry, but also among processors, brand owners, retailers and the recycling industry. We see the approach to disposable plastic, as in the case of cotton swabs, more as a symbolism aimed at consumers. It would be nice if governmental policies would lead to a change in awareness – away from a disposable culture – because it is oriented towards the most frequently found plastic items. But substitute products, for example for plastic bags, are not necessarily more environmentally friendly. And especially in the field of food packaging, plastic serves to protect food that would otherwise spoil more quickly.
Which policy lever would be particularly effective?
A European ban on plastic waste in landfills is crucial. This demonstrably leads to dramatically higher recycling rates. In addition, the export of waste must be better regulated. Plastic waste must not be allowed to turn up anywhere that has no capacity for processing it. Moreover, Europe contributes relatively little to environmental pollution from plastic waste. If we develop good solutions here, however, we can help other regions come to grips with the problem. The German government has already taken constructive steps in this direction at the G-7 and G-20 levels.
Do you consider a specific recycling path to be particularly promising?
Plastic can easily be recycled several times, including as a reusable bottle. It can also be recycled like PET bottles are, which are 100 percent recycled into new PET bottles. Or it can be broken down into its chemical components, from which identical plastics with the material quality of original new plastics are produced – processes that have been known for decades, but are only economical under certain conditions. Last but not least, thermal recycling is also available. It is interesting in light of the fact that around 80% of crude oil is used for combustion. This variety of recycling methods is only available for plastics. And, each of them still has potential.
How can conflicting goals be resolved when it comes to recycling?
EU policy already regulates products, chemicals and waste, and not always in a consistent manner. Many plastic products can be recycled, but some contain substances that are no longer in use. In such cases, we would like to see a pragmatic approach so that plastic can still be recycled despite critical additives – such as in closed material cycles. The use of recycled materials for food packaging is also tightly regulated and difficult to implement. Implementable solutions are currently lacking.
What do you expect from the corporate actors in the industrial plastics recycling sector?
They should develop new concepts for plastics applications and put recyclability high on the agenda. Depending on the application, this may mean eliminating disposable packaging, multi-layer composite materials or using more suitable additives. Here, I place my trust in the creativity and innovative capacity of the industry.
