How plastics and the environment can be brought into harmony was the central topic of Gerhard Böhm, Arburg Managing Director of Sales, in conversation with Plas.TV presenter Guido Marschall.
ARBURG
Arburg takes a walk in the woods with Plas.TV
Gerhard Böhm (Left) and Plas.TV host Guido Marschall
During a summer hike through the northern Black Forest, the two plastics experts discussed current projects relating to the circular economy and the future potential offered by the resource-saving use of plastic as a recyclable material.
“A world without plastics is barely conceivable today,” Marschall began.
Böhm replied: “The material is so high-quality and durable that it doesn’t simply disappear of its own accord when it is thrown away. Recycling has been working for a long time when it comes to metals, paper and glass. We need to treat plastic as a recyclable material too, and establish a functioning recycling economy for it.”
New business models
Böhm believes that plastic itself is not the problem, it’s more that the material is being disposed of incorrectly, or not at all. “If value-adding products can be made from valuable recyclates, then the plastic is collected instead of being thrown away as rubbish. A lot of countries could develop new business models from this and earn money,” he added. “However, generating value from plastic starts here with us. The plastics industry is tackling this from the ground up. Together with waste management companies, we have already developed approaches and technical solutions.”
Asked how Arburg manages the balancing act between environment and plastics with its arburgGREENworld programme, Böhm said: “We can’t just look at what we produce and how we distribute it. Instead, we want to use arburgGREENworld to tread a path towards becoming a system provider that ensures sustainability as part of the circular economy. Arburg's one-location strategy is very beneficial here.” Böhm adds that Lossburg generates a lot of green energy and the machines are produced with low emissions and a relatively small carbon footprint. The company actively participates in various projects, including the marking of plastics for recycling, for example.
