PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2019

MATERIALS / RECYCLING PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 10/19 www.petpla.net 20 In the future, we will use more plastics – and why this is good news Physicist Michael Carus (MSc), founder and managing director of the nova Institute, has been working for over 20 years in the field of the bio- and CO 2 -based economy. He is con- sidered to be one of the leading experts and market researchers in Europe in this field, and his expertise is valued in many societies, associations and international organisations. Bio-based News, the “Portal for the bio-based economy and industrial biotechnology” by the nova-Institut GmbH provided an interview to share with our readers, conducted by their Chief Editor Linda Engel. We hope that Michael’s answers to today’s challenges in the plas- tics industry are as interesting for you as they were for us. Linda: Currently, the plastics industry is coming under a lot of pres- sure. But you don’t seem to be too worried? Michael: Absolutely. There are no other materials that have such a broad spectrum of properties and they can be brought into any conceivable form with the greatest efficiency. In addi- tion, plastics perform better than other materials under most sustainability criteria. This is due on the one hand to the high production efficiency already mentioned and, on the other, to their low density with which they can score points in transport. In addition, product properties can often be achieved with much less material input. Linda: So, there’s nothing to worry about at the moment and the current hysteria about plastics is unfounded? Michael: Not at all! There are significant problems, but all of them can be solved and must be solved urgently. It is estimated that around 20% of the plastics produced world- wide end up in the environment uncontrolled, that is 60 million tonnes per year, of which around 8 million tonnes end up in the sea. The rest remains on land in the soil, lakes and rivers. This is completely unaccepta- ble. The other problem is the use of fossil carbon as a raw material that escapes into the atmosphere as CO 2 at the end of life. This also has no future, the entire chemical industry must switch to renewable carbon – which can come from recycling, bio- mass or CO 2 . “The age of plastics has only just begun” Linda: According to a recent survey, almost 80% of Germans con- sider plastics to be harmful rather than indispensable. Can we really solve these problems or should we not switch to other materials? Michael: But to which ones? The reserves of metals are limited and mining often takes place under inhumane conditions. And minerals? Sand for cement is already becom- ing a scarce commodity worldwide. In the future, we will no longer be able to build our houses from reinforced concrete, as we do today, but rather from plastics. Because their raw mate- rial carbon is practically unlimited: As CO 2 in the atmosphere, which we can make usable with the help of renew- able energies or as biomass. That is enough raw material for the next mil- lennia. This is the reason why plastics will gain in importance and the age of plastics has only just begun. And this is precisely why plastics must become sustainable as quickly as possible and win back a positive image. Linda: And who bears the main blame for the whole dilemma? Michael: The chemical and plas- tics industry, which has systematically tried to sweep problems under the carpet and sit out instead of actively pointing out and solving the problems. As one should expect from a crucial future industry! Linda: What are the mistakes that were made? Michael: The microplastic problem has been well known for at least ten years, which was when the Austrian documentary film “Plastic Planet” was first shown. But the industry acts according to the motto: ignore it, do not talk or write about it, just sit out the problem. The considerable quanti- ties of plastic waste, which are also released into the environment in an