Extrusion International USA 4-2019

32 Extrusion International 4/2019 CIRCULAR ECONOMY – INTERVIEW “Packagings are high-tech, lightweight products” Foodstuffs are a very sensitive commodity; they are packaged to ensure the required hygiene as well as durability. This also saves resources used in the production of foodstuff, such as water and energy. The engineering company Brückner supports the concept of a recycling economy: plastic packaging should be used where it is of direct benefit, relying on easily recyclable film mono-structures. At European level, Brückner is active in the field of sustainability and recycling of flexible packagings by cooperating with Ceflex together with over 100 enterprises from the plastics value-added chain How can a company such as Brückner Maschinenbau contribute to circular economy? Michael Baumeister: We are inten- sively looking for ways to improve recyclability of plastics products. For example, we address the question of how to produce packages by us- ing easily recyclable mono-structures on the basis of polyolefin that have the properties achieved today with compounds of polyamide, polyester or metallised film which are all dif- ficult to recycle. We practically apply a preliminary stage of circular econo- my that makes recycling possible for many products in the first place. Material compounds are often used to make foodstuff more durable. Is this necessary to the degree presently applied? Baumeister: Packaging films are be- coming ever thinner while they retain their protecting function, thus saving more and more raw materials. There are high-tech lightweight products which protect the valuable commod- ity of food for as long as possible. It is particularly worthy of protection as the production of foodstuffs also uses many scarce resources, such as great amounts of water and en- ergy. Not least because of this, it is necessary to drastically reduce spoil- age of food. Packaging and cooling are decisive factors. Compared with the much higher good food the CO 2 footprint of packaging is negligible. Interview with Michael Baumeister, Managing Director Technology and Logistics, Br ¾ ckner Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG in Siegsdorf