Sustainability means responsibility

A Google search for the word "sustainability" yields over 350 million results. But what does sustainability actually mean?

Sustainability – as found on Wikipedia – stands for "principle of action regarding resource use" or for responsible action, ecologically speaking: handling finite resources responsibly and thus treating our environment, our one(!) Earth, sustainably and well.

When we think about our environment, we think of pollution, waste, recycling, but of course also the controversial plastic.

When we turn to plastics, we must acknowledge that the plastic itself cannot be held responsible for how we use them – it is all of us: we humans simply use plastics with varying degrees of responsibility! Therefore, we can and must only look for the responsibility within ourselves!

As a manufacturer and distributor of plastic products, we see ourselves as one of the first in the consumer chain to have a responsibility for product liability.

First, a few facts about the plastic itself:
  • PlasticDue to their low weight and diverse recycling possibilities, ff products make a significant contribution to environmental protection and resource conservation.
  • Fewer and fewer plastics are needed to achieve the same or even more ambitious goals. For example, packaging is about 28% lighter than it was 10 years ago.
  • Technical plastic components for the automotive industry contribute to reducing fuel consumption. An estimated 100 kg of plastics replaces 200-300 kg of conventional materials – this corresponds to a reduction in fuel consumption of 750 liters per 150,000 km.

The plastics processing industry adheres to the principle of extended producer responsibility. This means that products must be designed in such a way that waste is avoided or reduced during production and that environmentally sound recycling after the product's use is ensured.

We already use films that, depending on the type of film, are already completely recycled.

The plastic production waste of folienconnection GmbH Our production waste is recycled in Germany in accordance with the requirements of the Waste Management Companies Ordinance pursuant to Section 56 of the German Waste Management Act (KrW/AbfG). They are recycled materially (recycled).In material recycling, used plastics are mechanically processed. Their chemical structure remains unchanged; rather, the used parts are shredded, cleaned, and separated according to different types of plastic. Material recycling is always worthwhile when used plastics can be collected by type. The newly obtained material (recyclate) can serve as a raw material for various applications and replaces newly produced granules.

The recycled material thus serves as a raw material for the production of plastic products and is subsequently reused in the plastics processing industry, for example in the production of semi-finished products in the construction, furniture or advertising industries.

Our calendered films are 100% recyclable. and can be “up-cycled” into new products at the end of their life, which means that the amount of waste from “short-term applications” with a lifespan of a few months can be reduced, as the items can be transformed into products with a lifespan of 30 to 100 years or more.

In addition to material recycling, two other recycling processes are used:
  • Rawmaterial recycling
    In raw material recycling, polymer chains are broken down by the application of heat. This produces monomers or oils and gases that can be used for the production of new plastics, as well as for other purposes. This type of recycling is suitable for both mixed and contaminated plastic collections.
  • Energy recovery
    In the energy recovery process for plastics, the energy contained within them is recovered through combustion. Simultaneously, the energy generated is used to produce electricity, steam, or process heat. Energy recovery is also recommended for mixed or contaminated plastic fractions.
The primary methods of waste management are energy recovery and material recycling. Only a small, non-recyclable residue is landfilled. According to the German Federal Environment Agency, in 2019 approximately 46% of all collected plastic waste was recycled materially and less than 1% was recycled into feedstock. 53% of all waste was used for energy recovery.

In certain situations, the often criticized energy recovery can indeed be the more economically and ecologically sensible alternative, provided the product has saved enough alternative resources over its life cycle.

In general, the plastics processing industry advocates for a recycling mix of the three recycling options. Only in this way can maximum eco-efficiency be achieved, i.e., optimal resource conservation at reasonable economic costs.

Our raw material suppliers promote and supportVinylPlus as a voluntary commitment by the European PVC industry to increased sustainable production and use of PVC by 2030. (VinylPlus unites the vast majority of leading companies in the PVC industry from 27 EU member states, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. VinylPlus is monitored by an independent advisory board comprised of representatives from the European Parliament, the European Commission, trade unions, industry, and consumer organizations.)

The VinylPlus initiative builds on the successes of the previous Vinyl 2010 voluntary commitment, all of whose targets were met or even exceeded. (With a recycling volume of over 770,000 tons, the industry achieved another new record in 2019, exceeding 96% of the 2020 target and representing a 4.3% increase compared to 2018. VinylPlus has achieved this since 2000.)(A total of five million tons of PVC were recycled and ten million tons of the greenhouse gas CO2 were saved.)


As part of the Vinyl 2010 initiative, a Europe-wide infrastructure for the collection and recycling of more than 250,000 tons of PVC per year was successfully established, and additives such as cadmium stabilizers were replaced. With VinylPlus, the European PVC industry has now set itself the following new goals:
  • To achieve a quantum leap in PVC recycling volumes and the development of innovative recycling technologies. The goal is to recycle an additional 900,000 tons of PVC annually by 2025, and at least 1,000,000 tons of PVC annually by 2030.
  • to address concerns regarding organochlorine emissions
  • To ensure the use of additives based on sustainability criteria.
  • To increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies and raw materials in PVC production.
  • To promote sustainability throughout the entire PVC value chain.
Furthermore, it will be necessary for industry to already know the end application of the product and to tailor the additive mixtures and plastics accordingly, so that they optimally fulfill their intended purpose and can be recycled in a resource-efficient manner. This will only work if the chemical industry networks vertically and also utilizes digitalization to better plan the entire life cycle of a substance. The innovative German chemical and plastics industry should see these challenges as an opportunity to shape an economically sound and ecologically sustainable future.


Did you know?
  • thatPVC, compared to other thermoplastic products, consumes fewer fossil resources.PVC is produced from 43% crude oil and 57% saltIs it produced? Other polymer products use more than 80% crude oil.
  • thatDoes PVC consume less energy in production compared to other thermoplastic products?
  • thatDoes PVC cause less environmental pollution (in terms of CO2) than other plastics?

Sources:
  • www.google.de
  • www.wikipedia.de
  • www.alkordraka.com
  • www.renolit.com
  • www.ikb-blog.de
  • www.gkv.de
  • www.vinylplus.eu
  • www.umweltbundesamt.de