
The preliminary OECD report “Policy Scenarios to 2060” predicts that, if no far-reaching measures are taken, worldwide plastic consumption is set to increase from 460 million tonnes (Mt) in 2019 to 1,231 Mt in 2060. This would represent a significantly higher increase in comparison to most other raw materials.
This leaves us with a problem, despite the fact that plastics are a wonderfully versatile material.
If we successfully manage to recycle this material in a consistent way, we can reap the benefits of having a flexible material available to use and, at the same time, minimise negative environmental impact.
The EU-funded Di-Plast research initiative tackles every stage of the value chain of recycled material. A digital toolkit, made up of eight tools, has been developed to provide effective support for research, science, politics and industry. These digital tools support data analysis and process optimisation. This ultimately leads to more recycled material being used in production.
Using the Value Stream Management (VSM) Tool, you can find out the best way to present material and information flow data which is both analysed and optimised with the circular economy in mind.
The VSM Tool is clearly explained in an easy-to-follow video, which focuses on the optimisation of individual processes. A fictitious business is used as an example:
Pipe is a company that manufactures plastic tubes which are necessary components in the shells of buildings. The plastic they use offers high standards in terms of quality and durability. To make their production more sustainable in future, recycled materials should now start to be used. This adjustment forces changes in the manufacturing process, as the new material has to be prepared for use first. Their production times still appear to take too long.
By preparing a Value Stream Management of all the individual stages of production, they were able to identify a bottleneck in the extrusion stage which was caused by the changes in the production process. The tool also recognised that potential savings could be made when materials are premixed. By optimising these two factors, Pipe not only improved their production times compared to their previous process, but they also saved money.
Get to know the VSM Tool, as well as the entire Di-Plast digital toolkit, and learn how to use more plastic recyclates in your production process. And, at the same time, you can become a driving force behind the implementation of a circular economy in the plastic industry.
And if you have any questions, send us an email or give us a call. We’re always happy to help!