From the Sector

Ökobilanzierungen dienen oftmals als Entscheidungsgrundlage für die Auswahl von umweltfreundlichen Verfahren, Einsatzstoffen oder Dienstleistungen beim Kunststoffrecycling. Doch wie sieht eine vergleichbare und transparente ökologische Bewertung aus, die unterschiedlichen Ansprüchen gerecht wird? Fraunhofer CCPE Forschende haben zehn Herausforderungen und zehn Anforderungen herausgearbeitet, die Vergleichbarkeit und Transparenz bei der ökologischen Bewertung des Kunststoffrecycling erhöhen.

Mit Ökobilanzstudien lassen sich nicht nur Produkte und Dienstleistungen über ihren gesamten Lebenszyklus hinweg bewerten, sondern es können auch verschiedene Recyclingverfahren und recycelter Kunststoff mit Neuware verglichen werden. Die Ergebnisse dienen als Entscheidungsgrundlage bei der Auswahl der Optionen mit den geringsten Umweltwirkungen. Die grundlegende Vergleichsgröße in jeder Ökobilanz ist die funktionelle Einheit. Alle Umweltwirkungen werden auf diese Größe bezogen. Das Recycling von Kunststoffen erfüllt immer mehrere Funktionen wie die ordnungsgemäße Behandlung von Abfällen und die Bereitstellung neuer Ressourcen für weitere Produkte. Der Umgang mit dieser Multifunktionalität in der Ökobilanzierung des Recyclings wird seit langem ohne Konsens diskutiert.

Die Fraunhofer CCPE-Forschenden möchten mit ihrem gerade erschienenen Positionspapier diese Herausforderungen und Anforderungen verdeutlichen, die bei der Bewertung und dem Vergleich von Kunststoffrecyclingaktivitäten bestehen. Der Fokus liegt auf der Unterscheidung zwischen den Funktionalitäten der Abfallbehandlung und Materialbereitstellung. »Wir wollen mit dem Positionspapier Raum für einen offenen und transparenten Austausch zwischen Wissenschaft, Industrie und Politik eröffnen, um Entscheidungen auf Basis des ökologischen Vergleichs verständlich und belastbar zu gestalten«, so Anna Kerps, Initiatorin des Positionspapiers und wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin des Fraunhofer CCPE.

Die Autor*innen weisen darauf hin, dass vergleichende Ökobilanzen zudem von verschiedenen Randbedingungen und Annahmen abhängen. Die Prüfung logischer Widersprüche in den Annahmen ist eine Hauptanforderung für aussagekräftige Vergleiche. Inkonsistente Ökobilanzstudien führen oft zu Fehlinterpretationen. Weitere Herausforderungen sehen sie im Umgang mit den verschiedenen Technologierouten und -skalen sowie der Komplexität von Recyclingrouten gemischter Abfälle. Unterschiedliche Abfallherkünfte und mitgesammelte Störstoffe beeinflussen die Qualität der Rezyklate – und müssen in der Bilanzierung berücksichtigt werden.

Weiterhin ist es auf methodischer Ebene wichtig, Modellierungsansätze in Bezug auf Multifunktionalität und Systemgrenzen zu verbessern. Der Vergleich verschiedener Recyclingverfahren und von Neuware mit Rezyklat ist herausfordernd, da sie unterschiedliche Funktionalitäten haben. Insgesamt fehlt es bisher an einem methodischen Konsens, um robuste und vergleichbare Ökobilanz-Ergebnisse zu erhalten.

In January 2024, ERCA Textile Chemical Solutions TCS was launched as an independent entity within the ERCA Group.

The decision to make ERCA TCS a separate company stems from the desire to focus exclusively on solutions for the textile industry and to build an agile entity oriented towards responsible research and production, while continuing to leverage a solid productive and financial background from ERCA S.p.A.

ERCA TCS aims to be the unique and innovative point of reference for textile companies in terms of products and services specifically designed for the needs of a sector that is currently facing challenges and opportunities related to sustainability and responsible production.

ERCA TCS bases its activity on the principles of "green chemistry" to offer the textile industry chemical solutions that make concrete the concepts of safety, performance, and circularity. Its flagship product - REVECOL® - is born from critical waste materials (used vegetable oils) and present in abundance, which through a process attentive to environmental compatibility and safety, are transformed into a line of innovative, certified, high-performance chemical auxiliaries usable by the entire textile industry.

ERCA Group has six plants in three macro-regions: Europe, Latin America, and Asia and produces chemical specialties and auxiliaries with an approach of responsible innovation. Its production covers several markets: textile, cosmetics, polyurethanes, concrete. It has a turnover of 150 million euros and employs 350 people worldwide, 100 of whom are in the sole Grassobbio plant.

Solvay awarded a scholarship to facilitate an educational alliance between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Fermi High School in Cecina. The initiative unfolded during an event held at Solvay's Rosignano site in Italy, providing a platform for students and faculty. Through this partnership, 200 Fermi High School students participated in STEM* and digital lessons from MIT's Global Teaching Labs project, emphasizing the teaching of scientific disciplines by the American university.

Beyond the scholarship award ceremony, students received a tour of Solvay's factory in Rosignano. The tour highlighted the company's dedication to safety, sustainability, and bridging the gap between academia and industry challenges. The experience illustrated the practical application of academic studies in an industrial context, showcasing Solvay's advanced control procedures, safety protocols, technological innovations, digital transformation efforts, and sustainability measures.

Discussions during the event included key sustainability topics such as water conservation, energy efficiency, waste management, and Solvay's commitment to promoting a balanced work-life culture and diversity within the workplace.

This collaboration aligns with Solvay's global Corporate Citizenship program. Through this program, Solvay supports individuals and communities, channeling efforts to tackle worldwide societal challenges through strategic investments in education, sustainability, and local community initiatives.

*STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics

Toros Greenhalgh becomes General Manager of the new KARL MAYER subsidiary in Türkiye

In October 2023, the KARL MAYER GROUP established its own site in Bursa, Türkiye, thus increasing its presence in one of its most important markets. KARL MAYER TURKEY will meet increasing customer demands for after-sales service, spare parts (Care Solutions), and academy, in the sectors of warp knitting and warp preparation, while KARL MAYER’s long-standing regional representative ERKO focuses on machine sales.

Toros Greenhalgh was appointed General Manager of KARL MAYER TURKEY on February 1st of this year. Holding a degree in mechanical engineering and materials science from the University of Birmingham, he comes with experience in the fields of industrial plant construction management, renewable energy technologies, and the distribution of medical devices. For the past seven years he has been active in the sector of textile machinery through ERKO with particular focus on KARL MAYER machine sales, service, and spare parts.

ECHA CHEM is a new solution for publishing information on chemicals. The first release, available now, includes information from all REACH registrations.

ECHA’s current Information on chemicals platform, launched in 2016, grew rapidly and contains today information on over 360 000 chemicals. In 2022, ECHA announced that it would create a new system for publishing chemicals data. ECHA CHEM allows the Agency to better handle the growing diversity and quantity of data, while taking advantage of technological advancements.

ECHA maintains the largest chemicals database in the European Union (EU), combining industry-submitted data with information generated in the EU’s regulatory processes. ECHA CHEM is the new solution to share with the public the growing amount of information hosted by the Agency.

In the first version of ECHA CHEM, the information from all the over 100 000 REACH registrations are included that companies have submitted to ECHA. Later this year, the database will be expanded with the redesigned Classification and Labelling Inventory, followed by the first set of regulatory lists.

Refashion, a textile industry’s eco-organisation, has renewed its authority approval until 2028. 6 years during which it will continue to transform the industry in keeping with the objectives set by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition and the French Ministry of the Economy, including the objective to collect 60% of CHF (clothing, household linen and footwear textiles) placed on the market by 2028. This new period is reflected in an ambitious road map and significantly increased investment. Nearly 1.2 billion euros, financed by the marketers, will be spent on transforming the industry during this new period of authority approval.

Determined to achieve the objectives set out in the ambitious specifications set down by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Ecological Transition, Berangère Couillard, Refashion has worked on a road map with all of its stakeholders involved in the transformation that is underway. Maud Hardy, nominated as the eco-organisation’s CEO in January 2022, started a collaborative working method that will continue throughout this new period to support areas that are key in this transformation. In the next few months, projects will begin and will visibly highlight the progress made in the three phases of a product’s life cycle: production consumption, regeneration.

Production

• Recognising eco-design initiatives through the eco-modulation of the fees paid by marketers (durability, environmental information labelling, integration of recycled materials). For marketers, these initiatives should represent the scheme’s cornerstone. The aim is to involve all stakeholders in reducing the environmental impact of products.

Consumption

• As from 2023, Refashion will spend 5 million euros minimum per year in awareness-raising activities and on information to the general public by supporting an array of local authority initiatives.
• The launch of a repair fund in 2023, in particular to prolong the usage of textiles and footwear products. More than 150 million euros will be invested between 2023 and 2028 to change the habits of the French population to increase repairs by 35% (guideline target by the ADEME 2019).

Regeneration

• Accelerating clothing, household linen and footwear collection, in particular thanks to an operational mix in the sector. Funding traditional sorting operators will remain central, but Refashion will also develop an additional operational system in order to achieve the collection target of 60% of products placed onto the market (versus 34% in 2021).
• 5% of fees paid to Refashion will go towards the redeployment/reuse funds to provide support for reuse within the remit of stakeholders in the Social and Solidarity Economy. In addition to this funding, additional funding arrangements open to all stakeholders will be established. The total budget throughout the authority approval period represents 135 million euros.
• 5% of fees, i.e., 58 million euros in 6 years, will be spent on R&D to help achieve these milestones in order to industrialise the recycling of used CHF: recyclability that is considered during the design stage; automated sorting and recycling.

• EBITDA of around EUR 300 million expected for 2023
• Non-cash impairment losses of up to EUR 480 million
• Implementation of the performance program fully on track

The annual valuation of assets in accordance with IFRS for the entire Lenzing Group both nationally in Austria and internationally, has resulted in a projected asset impairment of up to EUR 480 million for the 2023 financial year.¹ The reasons for the impairment requirements are, on the one hand, continued uncertainties in the economic environment and, on the other hand, still increased raw material and energy costs as well as a higher interest rate environment.

The impairment losses are non-cash effective and have no impact on the full-year EBITDA for 2023, but do affect EBIT for the 2023 financial year. The Managing Board is specifying the previous earnings forecast for the 2023 financial year (EBITDA: EUR 270 – 330 million) and expects an EBITDA of around EUR 300 million.

Stephan Sielaff, Chief Executive Officer of the Lenzing Group: “In the third quarter of 2023, we responded to the persistently difficult market environment and launched a comprehensive performance program, which we have been consistently implementing since then with a focus on positive free cash flow and stronger sales and margin growth. We can therefore confirm our earnings forecast with an EBITDA of around EUR 300 million. The valuation adjustment in accordance with IFRS does not change the strategic orientation of the Lenzing Group.”

Nico Reiner, Chief Financial Officer, adds: “The implementation of the performance program is going according to plan. In the future, cost measures alone are expected to contribute more than EUR 100 million to earnings annually, of which more than EUR 50 million will already be effective for the 2024 financial year. We are on target, particularly in terms of strengthening free cash flow, and we also achieved positive free cash flow in the fourth quarter. The revaluation of assets is now consistent and the right step for the future direction.”

The 2023 annual results will be presented on March 15, 2024.
 

¹ Subject to potential changes resulting from the ongoing financial audit

Der Statusbericht der deutschen Kreislaufwirtschaft 2024 beleuchtet zum dritten Mal nach 2018 und 2020 die Situation der deutschen Kreislaufwirtschaft. Seit der ersten Veröffentlichung im Mai des Jahres 2018 sind fast sechs Jahre vergangen. In diesem Zeitraum haben in Deutschland zwei Ereignisse für eine veränderte Sichtweise auf die Branche geführt: Zunächst die Corona-Krise, die nicht nur die Leistungs- und Anpassungsfähigkeit der Branche, sondern auch ihre Systemrelevanz für die Funktionsfähigkeit des gesellschaftlichen und wirtschaftlichen Lebens unter Beweis gestellt hat. In diesem Zusammenhang ist seit Anfang des Jahres 2020 auch das Ansehen der Abfallentsorgung und vor allem der beteiligten Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter in der Bevölkerung deutlich gestiegen.

Der Angriffskrieg auf die Ukraine hat vor Augen geführt, wie stark Deutschland von Energie- und Rohstoffimporten abhängig ist und wie schnell Störungen in den Lieferketten zu Problemen bei der Versorgung mit wichtigen Gütern führen können. Die Abfallwirtschaft kann sowohl durch die Kreislaufführung von Rohstoffen als auch durch die energetische Verwertung wichtige Beiträge zur Reduzierung dieser Abhängigkeiten leisten.

Die Kernthesen des Statusberichtes 2024

• Das gesamte Abfallaufkommen in Deutschland bleibt seit vielen Jahren stabil bei rund 400 Millionen Tonnen, die Abfallmengen aus privaten Haushalten steigen sowohl absolut als auch pro Kopf weiter leicht an
• Die Kreislaufwirtschaft wächst weiter: Mehr Recycling, mehr Beschäftigung und ein Umsatzsprung durch höhere Rohstoffpreise.
• Kreislaufwirtschaft international: Wachsende Märkte für Technik und Güter bei zunehmendem Wettbewerbsdruck für die deutschen Unternehmen
• Kreislaufwirtschaft vernetzt: Bedeutende Beiträge zum Klimaschutz, zur Rohstoffversorgung und zur Energiewende.
• Die Wertschätzung der Branche und ihrer Beschäftigung nimmt zu, gleiches gilt allerdings nicht für die Akzeptanz der für die stoffliche und energetische Verwertung notwendigen Anlagen.
• Kreislaufwirtschaft digital und innovativ: Die Digitalisierung unterstützt Sammlung und Transport, innovative Verfahren verbessern die Recyclingergebnisse, Startups mit neuen Ideen
• Produzenten und Recycler rücken immer enger zusammen, gleichwohl sind für den Wiedereinsatz von Recyclingrohstoffen die Absatzmärkte sicherzustellen
• Brüssel gibt mittlerweile in vielen Feldern der Kreislaufwirtschaft die Zielrichtung und die Geschwindigkeit vor. Das Ziel: Die Transformation von einer linearen Wirtschaft zu einer Circular Economy
• Für den Transformationsprozess zur Circular Economy ist eine funktionierende Kreislaufwirtschaft die wichtigste Basis, gleiches gilt für den Green Deal

At the end of last year, KARL MAYER launched the TM 4 EL – a new, highly flexible machine for the mid-range segment in the four-bar tricot machine sector. The machine produces fabrics for upholstery, automotive interiors and outerwear, as well as sportswear items and home textiles.

Featuring KARL MAYER’s proven CFRP technology, the TM 4 EL is up to 30% faster than the previous four-bar tricot machine designed for the commodity sector.

The new TM 4 EL is offered in gauges E 28 and E 32. The available working widths are 210” and 280”, with a working width extension also available. Further width varieties are also planned. Equipment highlights include an integrated Laser Stop to detect yarn breakages early, and functional LED lighting, which illuminates the warp knitting area for easy handling and signals unplanned machine stops using the corresponding colour. The machine can be networked with KM.ON’s secure cloud via the k.ey device to utilise the KARL MAYER GROUP’s digital solutions. This includes, for example, the web-based lapping editor CORE LITE.

A new research project links some of Denmark's leading researchers in PFAS remediation with artificial intelligence. The goal is to develop and optimise a new form of wastewater and drinking water treatment technology using artificial intelligence for zero-pollution goals.

In a new research and development project, researchers from Aarhus University aim to develop a new technology that can collect and break down perpetual chemicals (PFAS) in one step in a purification process that can be connected directly to drinking water wells and treatment plants.

The project has received funding from the Villum Foundation of DKK 3 million, and it will combine newly developed treatment technology from some of Denmark's leading PFAS remediation researchers with artificial intelligence that can ensure optimal remediation.

"In the project, we will design, construct and test a new, automated degradation technology for continuous PFAS degradation. We’re also going to set up an open database to identify significant and limiting factors for degradation reactions with PFAS molecules in the reactor," says Associate Professor Xuping Zhang from the Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering at Aarhus University, who is co-heading the project in collaboration with Associate Professor Zongsu Wei from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering.

Ever since the 1940s, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) have been used in a myriad of products, ranging from raincoats and building materials to furniture, fire extinguishers, solar panels, saucepans, packaging and paints.

However, PFAS have proven to have a number of harmful effects on humans and the environment, and unfortunately the substances are very difficult to break down in nature. As a result, the substances continuously accumulate in humans, animals, and elsewhere in nature.

In Denmark, PFAS have been found in drinking water wells, in surface foam on the sea, in the soil at sites for fire-fighting drills, and in many places elsewhere, for example in organic eggs. It is not possible to remove PFAS from everything, but work is underway to remove PFAS from the groundwater in drinking water wells that have been contaminated with the substances.

Currently, the most common method to filter drinking water for PFAS is via an active carbon filter, an ion-exchange filter, or by using a specially designed membrane. All of these possibilities filter PFAS from the water, but they do not destroy the PFAS. The filters are therefore all temporary, as they have to be sent for incineration to destroy the accumulated PFAS, or they end in landfills.

The project is called 'Machine Learning to Enhance PFAS Degradation in Flow Reactor', and it aims to design and develop an optimal and permanent solution for drinking water wells and treatment plants in Denmark that constantly captures and breaks down PFAS, while also monitoring itself.

"We need to be creative and think outside the box. I see many advantages in linking artificial intelligence with several different water treatment technologies, but integrating intelligence-based optimisation is no easy task. It requires strong synergy between machine learning and chemical engineering, but the perspectives are huge," says Associate Professor Zongsu Wei from the Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering at Aarhus University.