Page 10 from: What’s inside?
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EMR UNVEILS SECOND FRIDGE PLANT
EMR has officially opened its new fridge recycling plant at
EMR Darlaston in the UK, complete with robotic separation
systems.
The multi-million-pound facility, located on the outskirts of
Walsall, replaces a nearby EMR plant and will double the site’s
capacity. Alongside EMR’s Willesden fridge recycling facility in
north London, Darlaston will provide fridge recycling services
throughout the UK.
As the number of fridges that use banned CFCs as a coolant
continues to decline, the new facility will only recycle fridges
containing pentane. Advanced robotic separation processes will
identify those containing CFCs, which will then be processed in
London.
Ceo Chris Sheppard said the state-of-the-art plant enabled
EMR to recycle more fridges than ever before. ‘We strive to
operate above and beyond industry standards and this new
recycling plant ensures we can continue to do just that. It’s a
critical piece of infrastructure that will provide much-needed
recycling capabilities for producer compliance schemes, local
authorities and manufacturers in the UK, whilst ensuring more
precious materials enter back into the circular economy.
‘This facility is a symbol of innovation, our commitment to the
environment, and a brighter, greener future.’
The facility was opened by Chris Preston, a senior official of the
government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs, who said: ‘Recycling facilities like this have an essential
part to play as the government moves ahead with its proposals
for reforming the waste electricals regulations.’
sustainable wear parts for
sustainable recycling
www.stahlwerke-bochum.com
Stand
B4 4
29
13-17
May
2024
EUROPEAN SECONDARY TEXTILE SEC-
TOR ‘ON THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE’
Recyclers are warning that the industry respon-
sible for sorting discarded textiles for reuse and
recycling across Europe is on the brink of col-
lapse.
EuRIC, the umbrella organisation representing a
range of secondary sectors, says urgent alarms
are ringing out in the Netherlands, Germany, and
the UK. Without immediate intervention, it
argues, the crisis will escalate, causing irreversible
economic and environmental damage.
At risk
A combination of rising costs, falling sales due to
intense competition and legislative gaps are put-
ting valuable reusable textile resources and the
circular economy at risk, according to EuRIC. It
points out that a glut of unsold second-hand
clothing and inadequate business models for
recycling mean discarded textiles are unlikely to
be reused or recycled.
‘The prospect of incineration becoming the only
remaining option if sorting discarded textiles
becomes financially unviable is deeply alarming,’
says Mariska Boer, president of EuRIC’s textiles
branch. ‘When second-hand clothing can no lon-
ger be supplied to countries that depend on it,
this will have a massive economic impact both
locally and within the EU.’
Measures sought
EuRIC has previously called for urgent EU-wide
action to prevent the collapse of the textile reuse
and recycling sector. It argues supportive EPR
schemes under the revised Waste Framework
Directive should be implemented.
Green public procurement measures, setting
mandatory recycled content in textile products,
and better design regulations are also seen as
essential to stimulate demand for recycled mate-
rials, encourage sustainable practices and ensure
the viability of the textile recycling industry.
CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN!
If there’s one thing I appreciate at conferences it’s
hearing a unique take that inspires new business ideas. Take Benedikt
Böhm, a German adventurer who in 2019 set a world record by climbing
one of the mountain peaks in the Himalayas in under 14 hours.
By Kirstin Linnenkoper
Böhm gave the keynote address at the recent annual bvse paper recycling conference
in Berlin. There, he dazzled the audience with video logs from his ascent and descent.
‘We are at the top of the mountain, which stands at over 7 000 metres, with tempera-
tures at minus 25 degrees. There is only about 20% oxygen at this altitude.’
Böhm’s crew decided to do something unusual: to undertake the expedition without
using an oxygen supply. ‘We’re very experienced climbers,’ he said. ‘We wanted to do
this relying purely on our own energy and willpower.’ To date, only 380 people out of
more than 10 000 have ascended without an oxygen tank. ‘In some cases, using tools
meant to keep you safe can actually prove fatal. Several climbers died up there because
they were stressed out and didn’t change the tank quickly enough.’
To be successful, Böhm and his crew knew they had to rely on teamwork and speed to
stay safe – and alive. ‘It’s best not to be up there any longer than you need to be. That’s
why decided to reduce complexity before starting our mission. Our goal: to declutter.
We carefully examined our outfit, gear, shoes – down to every last strap – and left out
what we didn’t need.’
Böhm reasons: ‘In life, you can’t take everything with you. But it’s in our nature to collect
things. Did you know that the average German consumer has between 25 000 and 30
000 items in their home? We had to fight this attitude by asking ourselves: “What is
essential? What is merely important? And what is trivial?”’
The ‘art of leaving things out’ allowed them to be the lightest climbing team to ever
make their way up a Himalayan peak, while cutting their ascent time by a third. ‘I was
wearing just 6.8kg of clothing and gear. We mapped out ahead of our expedition which
items we would leave behind at the camps along the way, of which there are four.’
Böhm recalls how he drank nine litres of water before leaving on the trip because he
only carried 350ml with him. ‘Succeeding is about setting the right priorities. You can’t
control the outcome, but you can control your preparation. I think that’s what deter-
mines 80% of your success. The remaining 20% is down to your flexibility in the
moment.’
An integral part of this is acknowledging whether the conditions are still good at crucial
junctures. ‘If they are not, you have to turn around. I previously saw this as a failure but
not anymore. Turning around is always an option. It should be. Sometimes this is the
best way forward. Nothing is worth your life, right?’
Böhm first realised this when he aborted an ascent of a famous mountain in Pakistan
after months of dedicated training. ‘Ahead of our expedition, we pledged to turn
around after 80 hours, no matter where we were… We were so close. I could see the
summit, only 20 metres away. I could almost touch it! It hurt our hearts to stop. But we’d
promised to prioritise safety over anything else. It was the right call. Two people tried to
keep going. One never came back and the other came back more dead than alive.’
Böhm adds: ‘The higher you climb, the more you have to leave your ego behind. You
realise “I’d better be humble, respect the rules of things that are bigger than me – like
nature.” Whether you’re an adventurer or a recycler, I believe we all agree it’s not wise
to play God.’
He ended his speech by pointing out that the unknown and the possibility of danger
convert into fear. ‘If you can learn to prepare for this fear, you don’t have to let it hold
you back. Remember, most of the time, we fear something that could be coming later
rather than something that’s actually right in front of us. I hope we can all find the bal-
ance between fear and courage to lead us to a new path.
COLUMN
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