Interview with Lauren Kjeldsen about Evonik's Global Circular Plastics Program | Evonik

Yeah, so Evonik has started recently over the last months its own Circular Plastics Program. And basically what we've done is we've collected the various ideas and projects that have been ongoing in the company and put them together under a program. And this allows us to take a look at the various different businesses that are involved in circularity and also the different sciences that are applied to get that cross exchange, to make sure that we have the best and most efficient solutions. It's a privilege for me to sponsor that project as it lies close to my heart. We're developing nicely with the topic here at Evonik.

Yeah, so for several reasons. One of the main drivers is that we have a toolkit. We have several different options to help enable circularity. So whether it comes to existing recycling technologies that are available today or whether it comes to some of these solutions that the mass producers of plastics are looking for to make sure their processes come into a full circle, we have technologies to offer to enable circularity. In addition to that, we have our own responsibility for the environment and the footprint that we have. And if we're able to take on more circular raw materials and use less virgin raw material, then we make a contribution. Or if we're able to enable our customers, or even ourselves, to do less incineration and keep carbon in the cycle, then we make our contribution. And lastly I would say, and probably the most important, but this is our sweet spot. So this is the type of challenges that a specialty chemical company is made for. So these very complex systems and looking for better solutions, this is our business.

So in the program that we've defined today, we have a cluster of different projects within it, and we look at around the order of magnitude of 350 million euros in the pipeline right now by 2030. So it's not small. It's definitely a start. And we hope as we move forward and find these solutions that we can develop even more potential. Our customers, our partners are asking for it.

Our portfolio of projects span the commercialization width to R&D. So several of the projects are still firmly in the R&D area. We also have several parts of our portfolio that are already commercialized. For example, in mechanical recycling where you think of bottle sorting and grinding and cleaning and separating, we have technologies that are used for this and commercially available. And then we have products and even processes that are still in development in the R&D phase. The two biggest criteria for developing those products through the portfolio are two things. One, we look at the economics. So if a new circular process is four times as expensive as a traditional process to make plastics, this is a challenge. So maybe we have to go back to the drawing board and come with the next iteration of a solution before we have something that would be widely adapted. What's critical is that we're meeting the end goal. So for example, if a circular process is four times more energy consuming, is that really meeting the expectation we have intended? And to measure that, we do life cycle analysis which then we spend time and efforts to define where are your boundaries, how do you evaluate it, and are we really offering something that's more sustainable?

Yeah, absolutely. So in addition to what's traditionally known for mechanical recycling, there's also a new form of recycling that's being developed as well in the circular topic, and that has to do with chemical recycling. And this is basically where you use technology to be able to take the used plastic material and be able to regenerate out of it raw materials in various different forms. And the goal here, of course, as I already mentioned, the economics and also making sure that it's environmentally stable or sustainable. But the other part would be to make sure that we have solutions that can be reused in high-end applications. So there are definitely solutions where you can do this today, but the materials that are available aren't necessarily able to be used in high-end applications, and that limits the use of the recycled material. So this is really important for us.

When I talk about high-tech applications, I talk about applications for example in e-mobility applications where we look for lightweighting of materials, where we look for the ability to isolate heat in automobiles so that we can convert them into electric mobility. Or to look at medical devices where we have really high purity, very durable devices that are used. Those are plastics, but used in really specific applications. We also have for example high performance polymers where we are able to make applications more durable, safer, longer lasting. And these areas, I would say, are more high-tech applications.

I would go back to the discussion as to what is really the life cycle on projects and products that are being used in the market and to compare really what is more sustainable or not. And when we look at the ability of a lot of our products to be able to stay in service longer, to isolate or insulate housing longer, it's a pretty critical life cycle analysis to see whether it's part of the problem or solving the problem.

Yeah, so when I was responsible a few years ago for one of our businesses, I saw an image at that time of a stack of mattresses in a landfill and it was pretty impressive. And I thought, well, if everyone should have the right to a good quality of life, then we probably have more of these pictures going forward. So this is really a challenge. And how do we solve this? So from that point forward, not only did it leave an impression, but I made a commitment that at least the area of scope that I come in contact with, we would look for solutions to this.