A Spotlight on the Circular Economy: Member of the Bundestag Hubertus Heil Visits PEZO in Hohenhameln
As part of his summer tour, Member of the Bundestag Hubertus Heil recently visited PEZO Holzverwertung GmbH & Co. KG at the latter’s site in Hohenhameln-Stedum together with Parliamentary State Secretary Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter. The guests were accompanied by Member of the Lower Saxony Landtag (state legislative assembly) Julius Schneider, chief administrative officer (Landrat) candidate Julia Semper, and Hohenhameln mayoral candidate Sebastian Hebbelmann. PEZO is a joint venture between Zollikofer and Peiner Entsorgungsgesellschaft (PEG), and the corresponding discussions focused on the practical implementation of local circular economy practices and the challenges currently being faced by the industry.
On-Site Insights Into Processes and Systems
During a tour of the premises, the guests got to learn more about the various stages involved in waste-to-energy and recycling processes. Among other things, this provided clarity on how various material streams, such as waste wood, paper, plastic, and metal, are processed before being used again. Against this backdrop, efficient sorting and high-quality recycling help keep valuable resources in the loop and reduce emissions. “Our goal is to use material flows as efficiently as possible and keep raw materials in the loop as long as possible. Today’s visit shows just how important it is to have direct conversations with our political representatives in order to be able to create the right conditions for that,” explains PEZO Managing Director David Pfaff.
Circular Economy Practices as the Key to Climate Protection and Regional Value Creation
The subsequent discussion revolved around the central role that circular economy practices will play in climate protection, the conservation of limited resources, and the region’s economic development. Within this context, it is precisely regional material loops that can make an important contribution to the local creation of value. Accordingly, there was also a conversation about the German federal government’s national circular economy strategy, which has the goal of using resources more efficiently, turning material streams into closed loops, and reducing dependence on raw material imports.
Hubertus Heil underscored: “PEG is an important stakeholder in the Peine region’s circular economy. The company makes sure that valuable raw materials remain in their material loop and can continue to be used, which conserves resources and creates regional value.” As part of this regional value network, PEZO takes full advantage of the corresponding waste wood and biomass recycling and waste-to-energy expertise to make an important contribution to the further development of efficient material loops.
A Focus on Key Issues for the Industry
As part of the discussion with members of the political sphere, representatives from PEZO highlighted some of the major challenges that are currently being faced by the sector. These include current setback regulations that make it difficult to integrate renewable energy into industrial power supply networks and should instead be replaced with more flexible, location-specific rules.
They also commented on the need for specific amendments to the German Waste Wood Ordinance (Altholzverordnung), including alternative assessment methods that would make it possible to reduce the importance given to measurement deviations in individual samples and set the stage for more environmentally sound recycling and heat generation practices.
In addition, the conflict between recycling and waste-to-energy targets for waste wood was brought up: While it is true that waste wood can either be used as a material by the chipboard industry or as a source of fuel to generate heat, circular economy practices should focus on prioritizing reuse and recycling wherever possible in order to keep wood in the corresponding material loop as long as possible. Processing compost overs also holds potential, as it would make it possible to recover valuable materials and use the remains for biofuel.
Conversations Between Business and Political Spheres as a Crucial Catalyst
The visit served to highlight, once again, just how important it is for the political and industrial spheres to continuously have open discussions in order to be able to create the necessary conditions for a sustainable circular economy. PEZO sees itself as an active partner in this process; one that is bringing its real-life experience to the table when it comes to political decision-making processes. “The bottom line is that we need dependable conditions that are effective on the ground so that innovative solutions in the circular economy can truly realize their full potential,” said PEZO Managing Director Dr. Tilman Rilling after the chat.