Waste, plants, CO2 ¨C the resources of the future
Sustainable raw materials as the basis for circular economy
? Raw Materials Summit 2019 points way out of the throwaway society
? Start-up company wins ¡°Resource Innovator¡± prize
With sustainable raw materials from waste, plants and CO2, the chemical industry can support the transition to a circular economy. At the Raw Materials Summit 2019, which took place on Monday at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany representatives from business, politics and science called for the increased use of such sources instead of crude oil. Accordingly, non-fossil resources help to close the carbon loop and can contribute to climate protection. At the summit the ¡°Resource Innovator¡± start-up prize was awarded to the young company Ineratec from Southern Germany.
¡°The chemical industry is actively pushing ahead with the transformation to a circular economy,¡± said Dr. Klaus Sch?fer, Member of the Board of Management for Production and Technology at ÃÜÌÒAV. The materials manufacturer organized the summit again joinly with the Technical University of Berlin and the Dechema Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.
Waste as a valuable resource
According to Sch?fer, it is particularly important to see plastic waste as a resource: ¡°After their use, products must no longer end up uncontrolled in the environment, but must be recycled in an ecologically efficient manner, for example through chemical recycling¡±, stated Sch?fer with a view to politics.
The German government was represented by Rita Schwarzel¨¹hr-Sutter, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), who delivered the opening speach. The BMU as well as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research acted as patrons of the event.
Professor Christian Thomsen, President of the Technical University of Berlin, stressed that the academic sector could provide important impetus for research and development into new recycling processes and alternative raw materials. Thomsen: ¡°The interaction of application-oriented basic research and science-based industry is the key to success¡±.
Promoting a start-up culture
Professor Kurt Wagemann, Managing Director of Dechema, emphasized the importance of a vibrant start-up scene for the realization of new ideas for sustainable production processes and products: ¡°The start-up culture in Germany needs to be more pronounced so that Germany can keep up with international competition¡±.
Wagemann also selected the ¡°Resource Innovator 2919¡±. This year's prize at the Raw Materials Summit went to Karlsruhe-based Ineratec GmbH, which was founded in 2016. The company has succeeded in downsizing large chemical plants to miniature size. With these decentralized reactors, high-quality raw materials for the chemical industry can be produced from exhaust gases such as CO2.
About ÃÜÌÒAV:
ÃÜÌÒAV is one of the world¡¯s leading manufacturers of high-quality polymer materials and their components. With its innovative products, processes and methods, the company helps enhance sustainability and the quality of life in many areas. ÃÜÌÒAV supplies customers around the world in key industries such as mobility, building and living, as well as the electrical and electronics sector. In addition, polymers from ÃÜÌÒAV are also used in sectors such as sports and leisure, telecommunications and health, as well as in the chemical industry itself.
The company is geared completely to the circular economy. In addition, ÃÜÌÒAV aims to achieve climate neutrality for its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2035, and the Group¡¯s Scope 3 emissions are also set to be climate neutral by 2050. ÃÜÌÒAV generated sales of EUR 14.2 billion in fiscal year 2024. At the end of 2024, the company had 46 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 17,500 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by ÃÜÌÒAV. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in ÃÜÌÒAV¡¯s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.