Extrusion International USA 5-2019

59 Extrusion International 5/2019 Interviewwith Thomas Herrmann, CEO at Herrmann Ultraschalltechnik GmbH & Co. KG All players along the plastics value-added chain are joining forces in Europe to initi- ate a functionable circular economy. No other country has such an initiative. Will Europe soon be at a competitive disad- vantage? Thomas Herrmann: A functioning cycle for plastics is closely linked to striving for sustainability, reduced use of resources andmaterial recycling. It ismore likely that the knowledgeof theseprocesses and the development of the required technolo- gies will bring Europe a competitive edge, as other regionswill alsohave todeal with this issue in the future so that the Europe- an industry and research landscapewill be able to occupy new export fields, in terms ofmachines and systems aswell as process technology. What canHerrmannUltraschall do as part of the value-added chain? Who or what can you influence? Herrmann: The machines and compo- nents we develop for blending plastics avoid additives such as glue or screws and, ipso facto, contribute to avoiding unnecessary use of material or material compounds. For this purpose, ultra-sound welding is very energy-efficient compared to other joining technologies, that means theweldingprocess uses very littleenergy. Consequently, this saves resources. Ultra- sound joining technology also works with components made of recycled granulates and various bioplastics. Plastics packaging, perceivedby thepublic as floating layers of plastics in the oceans, have become the target of criticism. How do you deal with this criticism? Herrmann: Of course, the pollution of oceans with plastic waste is tragic and in- acceptable, but it results from incorrect handling of garbage and not from the compared to other joining methods, the situation will get interesting. EU regula- tion would definitely help encourage and increase theuseof bio- or recycledplastics. What should politicians do to support cir- cular economy? Herrmann: The role of politics is to pro- vide the framework conditions, bearing in mind global competition. We need regulationbecause experience shows that market response is best achieved by legal provisions. We should however beware of over-regulation. Theminimum require- ment is uniform European standards in order to ensure that we, in a European liv- ing and economic space, pave theway for circular economy into a successful future. Towhatextentdoesdigitalisationsupport the implementation of circular economy? Herrmann: Digitalisation is a prerequi- site. Plastics that circulate in a cycle will not have constant or uniform properties. The better the digital signature of the raw material is and the more data from the individual process steps can be used, the better the recycling steps will work. In otherwords, all informationalong the val- ue-added chainmust be consistently avail- able to enable the appropriate additional processing steps for closing the cycle. Thank you for this interview. “Circular economy will give us a competitive edge” Herrmann Ultraschall Descostr. 3-9, 76307 Karlsbad, Germany www.herrmannultraschall.com plastics product itself. Plastics packaging plays an important role in ensuring that an ever-increasing world population is fed, and they reduce the use of natural resources. Approximately, one third of all produced foods deteriorate on the way from production to processing; that means before they can even be pack- aged. The right plastics packaging whose weight and CO 2 footprint makes up just a fraction of the food to be protected helps avoid this wastage. But there is still po- tential for improvement. The amount of unnecessary one-way packaging must be reduced, and some secondary packaging must be scrutinised. Couldbio-plastics become the commodity of the future? Herrmann: We think that plastics from renewable raw materials will gain impor- tance in future. Apart from process engi- neering and hygienic standards they must also meet ethical requirements. We must consider whether they aren’t produced in fields which are then no longer avail- able for the productionof food. However, these materials will not solve the problem of pollution as they are not fully biode- gradable under natural conditions. Which commercial benefits does circular economy offer? Herrmann: The predictable end of fossil fuel availability will lead to a clear rise in mining costs. The climate-damaging im- pact is already noticeable and holds great economic risks. For these reasons, circular economy can only have commercial bene- fits as in particular mining and production costs but also the costs of repairing dam- age and renaturation will decrease. It is a win-win situation for all parties involved, the economy, the environment and all mankind. Currently, processed granu- late is more expensive than virgin mate- rial. From an economic point of view, the motivation to use this is low. If, however, our technology offers vital advantages K 2019: Hall 11 / E26 CEOThomas HerrmannandHeadof DevelopmentMarco Lanzadiscuss thedigital requirements for theCircular Economy