Extrusion International 5-2019

PREVIEW 56 Extrusion International 5/2019 processed at the end of its service life and be reused to create a new product – in an infinite loop. While some materials have limitations that do not allow this, a vast array of polymer materials are perfectly suitable for this approach. A circular economy dramatically reduces waste and also protects the resource of crude oil, because wher- ever new products are made from recycled plastic, there is no need to use raw, i.e. previously unused, materials. About seventy years ago, plastics became a mass product. The University of California estimates that about 8.3 bil- lion tons of plastics have been produced since then. Par- ticularly in the wake of the strong population growth in many parts of the world, plastics production rates have shot up in recent times. The survey shows that the figures rose sharply: from 2 million tonnes of plastics produced in 1950 to 348 million tonnes in 2017. Accordingly, we have witnessed a substantial rise of plastic waste and we are faced with an urgent question: how to manage plastic waste sensibly? Two pressing problems are at the root of this complex challenge: littering and the unrestricted use of resources, which not only damages the environment but also slows economic growth. Many countries have now realized that they need to change their approach if they want to harness the un- deniable benefits of plastic products for years to come. In its plastics waste management strategy presented in 2018, the EU has shifted its focus to the recycling sector. In China’s current five-year plan, circular economy is pos- tulated as a goal. Countries such as India and Indonesia have declared war on plastic waste pollution. There are Circular Economy: Hot Topic at K 2019 Plastic products have become an integral part of almost every area of life. For good reason. Plastic packaging ex- tends the shelf life of food, plastic parts in cars reduces their weight and CO 2 emissions. In medicine, plastics ensure maximum hygiene standards and make medical products safe. Despite its many advantages, this impor- tant raw material has come into disrepute for some time now – because of the plastic waste that pollutes entire regions and floats in huge carpets on the world’s oceans. But this problem can be solved. As the concept of “circu- lar economy” plays a central role in this, it has become a hot topic at K 2019 which will be hosted from 16 to 23 Oc- tober 2019 in Düsseldorf/Germany. The idea at the root of the circular economy concept is quite simple: once used, valuable raw material can be (Photos:MesseDüsseldorf, Constanze Tillmann)