System technology for a green future: energy efficiency in the plastics industry

The plastics industry faces the challenge of harmonising efficiency and sustainability without compromising on performance. With a unique portfolio of products and services, ONI-Wärmetrafo supports plastics processing companies in becoming more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, which is of immense importance, especially in times of rising energy prices.

In an interview with K-Mag, Rüdiger Dzuban talks about the relevance of heat recovery and energy optimisation systems for the plastics industry, what the biggest challenges currently are and how they can be tackled.

Mr Dzuban, at first glance ONI is not a classic K exhibitor, but at second glance it is a very important service provider for the plastics industry. Can you briefly describe why you have been exhibiting at K in Düsseldorf for many years and how the plastics industry benefits from this?

Rüdiger Dzuban: By developing the world's first heat recovery and energy optimisation systems for plastic injection moulding machines in the early 1990s, we pioneered energy efficiency in the plastics industry. This was also the starting signal for us to use the K trade fair as a platform for marketing these systems. Our company's development shows that this has been successful over the years. Having started with three people in 1983, we are now the German world market leader with almost 500 employees and a unique portfolio of products and services.

Today, we offer companies in the plastics industry an unrivalled range of particularly efficient plant and system technology. In view of the massive rise in energy prices and the Energy Efficiency Act passed last year, our range of services is in high demand. This means that plastics processors can find system technology from cooling systems to heat recovery, ventilation and clean room technology to dynamic mould temperature control, all geared towards the efficient and sustainable use of energy.

And as we now supply customers in over 70 countries around the world with our systems, they also come to K in Düsseldorf time and again to find out about the latest ONI developments. In addition, it is also the place where the foundations are laid for valuable business contacts, which are established through trust-building dialogue in face-to-face meetings.

In recent years in particular, sustainability and energy saving have become top priorities in the plastics industry. Where do you currently see the biggest challenges and how should they be tackled?

Dzuban: In my opinion, you have to look at both the ecological and the economic aspects:

• Ecology: plastics in the environment, microplastics in food, plastic image, recycling, circular plastics economy.
• Economy: consumer behaviour, energy prices, location costs or government regulations.

Energy prices and other costs have risen massively. Reliable political statements are needed on where the journey is heading. There will only be a significant improvement if people's uncertainty is reduced. The energy companies should lower energy prices and their disproportionately increased profit margins should be siphoned off through taxes. The bureaucratic burden should not only be reduced through announcements, but also in everyday practice.

If plastic does not become a recyclable material and the shipment of plastic as a problem material remains high as a result, we will have to pay a price that we cannot even imagine in our wildest dreams. The spectrum ranges from the costs of collection and disposal to the costs caused by damage to health. We need a price for plastic that is 5 or even 10 times higher than before. This makes it very likely that no more plastic will be disposed of in the environment.

Then it will be worthwhile for everyone to collect plastic in the yellow bin, because every kilogramme of recyclable material represents an attractive monetary value. Recycling will become a significant economic factor and recycling rates will increase dramatically for all types of plastic. Furthermore, in my opinion, a small group of experts who are not pursuing a political interest and who are able to point out lines of development and provide a corresponding action plan are needed to develop solutions.

For Germany, the biggest challenge that all stakeholders and politicians must face is: "How do we make Germany an attractive and competitive location?" We will only have laid a good foundation if promising products, systems and concepts are developed here that are in demand worldwide. If we ensure that the location is competitive in order to produce such plants and systems and that our expertise is of value to customers worldwide, we will be well equipped for the future. 

How do you assess the topic of energy-saving technology in the global plastics industry? In your opinion, which countries are already leading the way and which have the most catching up to do?

Dzuban: Wherever energy costs have played a subordinate role in the past (as they have for us in the past), the topic of energy efficiency and sustainable energy utilisation has simply been neglected. In the meantime, the European energy price picture has changed drastically. As a result, this issue has become much more important in all European countries, with the exception of Scandinavia (hydroelectricity) and France (nuclear power). Nevertheless, as with us, it takes a certain amount of time for such a wheel to start moving.

In the meantime, Germany has taken on an absolute pioneering role with regard to the use of energy-saving technology because energy prices have "gone through the roof", energy-saving measures are being promoted and climate and environmental targets are also being demanded by automotive companies from their plastics processors. This is particularly true for the plastics processing industry. For every plant we supply, whether as a refurbishment or new construction project, we provide a reliable profitability analysis and an overview of achievable savings through individual measures or holistic energy-saving concepts as early as the concept phase. In Austria, Switzerland and Poland, the topic of energy-optimised plant technology has been playing an increasingly important role for some time (and in the Czech Republic since the tripling of industrial electricity prices last year). In our view, France and Italy have the greatest need to catch up (despite very high energy prices).