2023-09-25 22:10:52
More and more electricity is being generated from wind or solar power. This serves to protect the environment and climate, but renewable energies also leave an ecological footprint during the production, installation and disposal of the systems. This means that the rotor blades cannot be completely recycled. In addition, the German Environmental Aid DUH expects one million tons of discarded photovoltaic modules by 2030. This corresponds to the amount of all old electrical devices collected today – so the energy transition doubles the amount of electronic waste.
In construction, the energy transition is also damaging the environment; many insulation materials end up in incineration plants or landfills. “Valuable resources are often wasted and insulation materials are rarely recycled or reused,” complains the DUH. In order to improve the situation, Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) is working on a national circular economy strategy. “Circular economics should serve to conserve natural resources, protect the environment and human health, and secure raw materials,” says the goal description. “Due to its significant potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it can and should also contribute to climate protection.”
“If you use less, you become less dependent”
A new study confirms this. “Through the circular economy, climate goals can be achieved faster, cheaper and with lower energy consumption,” says a study by the Berlin organization Agora Industrie. It is necessary to couple the decarbonized primary production of goods, i.e. without fossil sources, with the circular economy. If this were achieved for steel, cement and plastics, cumulative greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 25 percent by 2045. Energy consumption would decrease by 20 percent and transformation costs could be saved by 45 percent compared to the linear economy, according to the one-hundred-page paper entitled “Resilient climate protection through a circular economy.”
Felix Schwarz Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 15 A comment from Alfons Kaiser Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 50 Jonas Jansen Published/Updated: , Recommendations: 74
Agora Industrie wants to publish the study this Tuesday. Its director Frank Peter points out that the recent crises related to the corona pandemic, wartime energy procurement and increased prices underscored the importance of resilient supplies. “The circular economy is a key decarbonization strategy for energy-intensive industries,” emphasizes Peter. “Those who use less are less dependent and can often react more flexibly.” New business models are also emerging, for example in 3D printing, high-tech recycling and innovative product design.
Components should be recycled
According to the paper, industry emits a quarter of all German emissions, half of which comes from energy-intensive raw materials such as steel, concrete and cement. 60 percent of these materials are used in just three product groups: buildings, vehicles and packaging. The stricter European emissions trading is forcing the industry to decarbonize primary production, but we cannot stop there. There is great potential for sustainability in the following stages of value creation and use, as most technologies for the circular economy are already ready for the market. However, their use requires the right regulatory and economic context.
The study recommends, on the one hand, more efficient use of materials, for example through lightweight construction, substitution and fewer production losses, and on the other hand, longer product use and service life, including the recycling of components. In the automotive industry, material waste could be halved through design optimization alone. When using steel in buildings, material efficiency could be increased by 16 percent. Overall, the study believes it is possible to reduce emissions from the production and use of steel, cement and plastics by 18 million tons per year by 2030. An increase to 30 million tonnes would be possible by 2045.
“With the National Circular Economy Strategy, the federal government should now create the framework for the development of a lead market for circular technologies and products,” suggests Peter. There is a need to promote key technologies and collaborations as well as binding standards for circular product designs. It is also necessary to systematically record the emissions embedded in products, to make public procurement sustainable and to reduce regulatory barriers. This could increase the demand for circular technologies and products.
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