The new school year starts on Monday in most districts of Aargau. This is a big step not only for the first graders, but also for the kindergarten children. After a certain introductory period, they face the challenge of making their own way from home to kindergarten.

To achieve this, they are supported by police officers. Members of the Aargau regional police force regularly visit schools and kindergartens. They show them how to cross the road safely. "Wait, wait, wait, run", explains Roger Schneider from Repol Zurzibiet.

Comic by Globi illustrator

In many of the 50 or so participating municipalities, children and parents received a school route comic - together with the timetable - before the summer vacations, drawn by Zurich Globi illustrator Samuel Glättli. "It explains, for example, that the safest and not the fastest route should be chosen," says Schneider.

Once the kindergarteners have completed their traffic lessons - after the start of the school year - there is another highlight: the traffic instructors present them with a magnetic illuminated medal with the words "I can do this. I walk on foot".

"This can be attached to the luminous ribbon or the luminous vest," says Schneider. And it should also motivate the children to walk to school on their own.

20,000 children reached annually

Following the launch in the Baden region, the municipalities in the neighboring district of Zurzach have also been involved in the campaign for some time. Together with the municipality of Köniz BE and three municipalities in the canton of St. Gallen, according to the website Icandothat.ch The campaign reaches around 20,000 children every year. (SDA/swi)

The increasing networking of OT (operational technology) and IT is creating a complex, dynamic environment that is susceptible to cyberattacks. Legacy systems, growing attack surfaces and an overstretched workforce are exacerbating the problem. At the same time, AI as a new technology will further improve the operation of industrial networks. "Operational technologies, and the industrial network in particular, have become a key differentiator for organizations globally," says Vikas Butaney, SVP/GM, Cisco Networking - SD-WAN, Multicloud and Industrial IoT. "IT and OT leaders recognize that strengthening their OT security is critical to driving business resilience, improving efficiency and preparing for the next wave of AI innovation."

Cybersecurity regulations in OT "extremely important"

According to the "State of Industrial Networking Report" study by Cisco, 89% of respondents consider compliance with cyber security regulations in OT to be very or extremely important. This shows that CIOs are increasingly aware that the greatest vulnerabilities lie in their operational infrastructure. At the same time, 92 percent of managers recognize the benefits of a uniform cybersecurity solution for OT and IT networks. 

However, many companies are still a long way from comprehensive collaboration. For example, 41 percent of respondents report that their OT and IT teams work independently of each other. However, a unified approach can lead to greater cyber security (39 %), more efficiency (32 %) and more monitoring options (29 %). 48% of respondents believe AI is the technological advancement that will have the greatest impact on industrial networks in the next five years. Accordingly, AI will be a high priority for spending on automating tasks, improving network performance and providing predictions. At the same time, 49 percent expect AI to improve network management for IT and OT.

The most important lessons learned from the study

• Prioritization of cyber security in OT: Companies that integrate cyber security into their industrial network strategy will need less effort, time and money to defend against attacks. They can invest more resources in developing OT as a platform for innovation and growth.
• Improved collaboration between IT and OT: The required technologies and knowledge are increasingly overlapping between OT and IT. Teams can therefore no longer work in isolation. Comprehensive organizational processes and uniform technological solutions are needed to optimize and protect data and systems.
• AI as a competitive advantage: Innovative companies are using AI in OT to manufacture high-quality products faster. They can also use it to optimize efficiency, use data, support employees, protect themselves against cyberattacks and stay one step ahead of the competition.

Source: Cisco

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/ot-sicherheit-ist-eine-top-prioritaet-fuer-cios/

After various successful joint projects, founding the agency was the logical next step, the founders write in a press release. Among other things, they were responsible for the Fairbruary campaign for Fairtrade Germany, which reportedly generated 500 million contacts within one month, or the Awareness campaign for GummiLove responsible.

Especially in economically challenging times, outstanding ideas are a strong lever for successful communication. This is where Normal the greatest added value for its own clients. The new agency offers "the experience and expertise of a large agency in the format of a speedboat", the statement continues. The agency, based in Zurich's Kreis 5 district, works for brands from Switzerland, Germany and Liechtenstein.

Many years of experience and (gaming) skills 

Before Normal, Martin Arnold worked for 19 years as a copywriter, creative director and creative director at agencies such as Wirz, Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett, Walker, Rod in Zurich and at AKQA in New York. He has worked for brands such as Google, Switzerland Tourism and BAG Love Life, won various international awards and received an entry in the Gunn Report. The former ADC Europe juror cites the successful completion of the video game "Sekiro", which is considered extremely difficult, as a further milestone.

Sven Loskill has spent 25 years as a flash designer, art and creative director helping consumer goods manufacturers, industrial clients, publishers and all German premium car brands to create interactive online highlights. He has worked for Scholz & Friends, InterOne, Fork Unstable Media, Sapient Nitro and Jung von Matt/Next, among others. At the Cannes Lions he has already been awarded in all colors.

The fact that the labor market is changing and employers are being called upon to come up with new working models to meet the increased demands of the workforce is hardly news anymore. Marketagent's labor market compass shows where to start. Since the beginning of the year, the digital market and opinion research institute has been surveying employees from Switzerland on the current mood on the labor market, not only taking a close look at domestic employees, but also highlighting preferences from the entire DACH region.

A total of 3,737 employees from the first half of 2024 provide an insight into where their priorities lie in their professional lives and what role the much-cited buzzwords "work-life balance", "home office" or the "four-day week" actually play in their desired scenario.

The formula for the dream job

A good salary, flexible working hours far from full-time, extensive home office - this is roughly what the perfect job could sound like. The latest data from Marketagent shows that in reality, employees' priorities are more diverse than these platitudes.

Does fair pay play a significant role in the job? Yes - in Switzerland and Austria even significantly higher than in Germany (Switzerland: 67% vs. Austria: 65% vs. Germany: 59%). A not insignificant proportion would also be happy with a flexible working time model, with the Swiss in particular standing out with 47% (compared to 42% in Germany and 39% in Austria). But: "A fulfilling working day is multi-faceted. In addition to an attractive salary, a good working atmosphere, flexible working hours, job security and appreciation turn out to be key drivers when looking for a job and leave supposedly decisive framework conditions such as the option to work from home or the much-discussed four-day week far behind at the end of the day," emphasizes Thomas Schwabl, founder of Marketagent Switzerland. "In terms of employee retention and satisfaction, employers are therefore called upon to master the important balancing act between attractive cornerstones and these essential feel-good aspects."

New dynamics in the labor market

The labor market has become noticeably more dynamic in recent years. The public debate about a reduction in working hours has been fueled time and again, and not entirely without reason. After all, the Swiss would like to work an average of 34.5 hours.

"Goodbye to the 40-hour week" is not only the motto in Switzerland, but also in the two neighboring countries. While Austrians would prefer a workload of 33.5 hours, the average for Germans is the lowest in the three-country comparison, with a desired working time of 31.7 hours. If their job allowed it, they would work around 41% of these hours from home. The preferred proportion of remote work is only higher in Switzerland with 44% (vs. 37% in Austria).

Furthermore, work-life balance is increasingly becoming a key issue in today's fast-paced working world. When faced with a direct choice, the majority of Swiss respondents clearly prefer a work-life balance (78%) to a career (22%). Work-life balance is therefore not just a fashionable buzzword, but a fundamental aspect of modern working culture. It is therefore important for employers to enable such a balance without jeopardizing operational goals.

High satisfaction does not prevent job changes

A look at the satisfaction levels in the current job allows employers to breathe a sigh of relief. After all, 78% of Swiss employees state that they are very or fairly satisfied in their job. In Austria and Germany, the figure is even slightly higher at 83% and 79% respectively. However, the fact that companies cannot rest on their laurels and that competition for the most talented people remains high is shown by the high willingness of employees to change jobs. In Switzerland, no less than 41% feel the desire for a career change, even though at 45% they perceive their chances on the labor market far less positively than Germans (67%) and Austrians (64%). However, one reason for this is probably the considerable jump in salary that they expect with a new job, which they put at 31% (compared to 28% in Austria and 25% in Germany). In the "war for talent", it is therefore still important to set the right incentives.

Study profile

• Client: In-house study in Switzerland
• Method: Mobile research tool via smartphone app
• Survey period: 1.1.2024 - 30.6.2024
• Sample size: 638 net interviews
• Core target group: Self-employed professionals aged between 18 and 69 from Switzerland
• Quota control: Sample representative of the working population I weighted according to the working population in Switzerland

Jan De Schepper has achieved impressive successes since joining Swissquote in 2015 and has played a key role in shaping the company. First as Marketing Director and since 2019 as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, he has transformed the Swissquote brand. Under his leadership as CMO, Swissquote developed from a leading Swiss online banking and trading platform into the country's first digital universal bank. "The nomination makes me extremely proud, as it is recognition of our successful business and marketing strategy," says De Schepper.

The significance of the "CMO of the Year" title

The election of the "CMO of the Year" emphasizes the growing importance of marketing in the Swiss economy. With the increasing relevance of digitalization, sustainability and the meaningfulness of products and services, the role of the Chief Marketing Officer has changed. The "CMO of the Year" serves as a role model and inspiration for the industry and motivates future professionals. This year, five candidates are in the running: Joséphine Chamoulaud from Smile, Jan De Schepper from Swissquote, Christian Gut from Stöckli Swiss Sports, Nathalie Noël from V-Zug and Saskia von Moos from Intelligent Food.

Innovative strength and customer focus

Under the leadership of De Schepper, Swissquote has introduced innovative products and services. The cooperation with Stableton to introduce the Morningstar Indexes as a representation of the Unicorn Index is a globally unique private market product. Swissquote also offers comprehensive access to crypto assets. "Swissquote is like an elevator to the top. Our innovative and secure platforms enable our clients to achieve their goals faster and better," explains De Schepper. This innovative strength is also reflected in strong customer growth and an increase in turnover of over 30 %.

Sustainability and purpose as core values

Sustainability is a central component of Swissquote's corporate philosophy. The company enables investments based on ESG scores and offers comprehensive information on sustainable investing on its website. "Sustainability is very important to us. We have introduced a functionality that allows our clients to filter and select stocks based on sustainability criteria," explains De Schepper. This functionality allows customers to evaluate companies based on their environmental footprint, social responsibility and governance and optimize their portfolio accordingly. In addition, Swissquote has partnered with a non-profit organization to promote further sustainable activities.

Who will be "CMO of The Year 2024"?

Jan De Schepper's impressive achievements as Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Swissquote and his innovative approach to marketing set standards in the industry. With a clear focus on customer centricity, innovation and sustainability, he and his team have transformed Swissquote into Switzerland's first digital universal bank. Who will win the title of "CMO of the Year" in 2024 remains exciting until the exclusive award night in the Papiersaal. Until then, De Schepper will show how a successful marketing strategy can have a significant impact on the overall development of a company.

Swisscom Broadcast has been offering customized drone flights as a service for over a year. The collaboration with Nokia Drone Networks now takes the offering to a new level: the so-called Drone-in-a-Box units will improve the broad availability of operationally efficient drone applications for industrial purposes and to ensure public safety. The collaboration will enable the automation of drone operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS).

Advantages for various applications

When the drone network is launched, the following three drone services will initially be offered:

• First responder drones in the blue light environment: The use of remote-controlled drones supports the efficiency and effectiveness of blue light organizations. The information gathered from the remote-controlled drones within the first few minutes enables the rapid and coordinated deployment of all emergency services involved. Thanks to sensor-supported aerial reconnaissance of hazards, the safety of first responders on site is increased. The rapid assessment of accident sites, fires or crime scenes increases the speed of deployment, which can save lives.
• Infrastructure inspection: The drone-in-a-box units, which will be distributed throughout Switzerland and connected via the network in future, will improve the safety of people involved in the maintenance of power lines, bridges and buildings. In future, a company with critical infrastructure will be able to simply order a drone when dangerous inspections or inspections that are difficult for people to access are due. Ongoing inspections help to detect and repair damage at an early stage. In this way, companies ensure that their infrastructure is well maintained and that the legal requirements for monitoring critical infrastructure are met. Swisscom Broadcast uses drones from our drone network to fly over infrastructure at intervals specified by the customer, generating detailed image material in the process. This can be used to create a digital twin, for example, if required. Supported by artificial intelligence, it is efficiently determined whether there are significant changes to the infrastructure.
• Strengthening perimeter protection: Geopolitical changes and new technologies may require raising the level of protection of critical infrastructure, production sites, public spaces, prisons, borders and police/military facilities. The perimeter protection solution provided by Swisscom together with partners relies on drones for simple inspection tasks on the ground and in the air. Combined with alarm sensors, the security level of facilities and areas requiring protection can be significantly increased. Automated, drone-based monitoring makes it possible to reduce costs as part of a defined security plan.

Strict regulation of autonomous drone flights

Special drone regulations apply to drone flights that take place outside of direct visual contact. There is a need to minimize risks above (air risk) and below (ground risk). The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) monitors operational drone flight activities in Switzerland using the Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) method. Together with Nokia and the responsible regulatory authorities (OFCOM), it ensures that all flight activities comply with the legal framework, particularly with regard to frequency use and flight safety.

Drone flights as a service thanks to cooperation with Nokia

Nokia and Swisscom, two companies with many years of expertise in the area of 4G/5G, are working together to develop the drone infrastructure. Both companies have the know-how and corresponding resources to efficiently implement this project with a national impact. Nokia has extensive expertise in the development and production of high-quality software and hardware and has already gained experience in setting up a drone network in Belgium.

In future, customers will be able to access the drone infrastructure developed and produced in Europe via Swisscom Broadcast and obtain drone services from a single source. From consulting, automated piloting and monitoring of drone flights to secure data storage in Swisscom Data Centers.

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/drohnenfluege-as-a-service-von-swisscom-und-nokia/

Delivering content physically to every desired household is often key for non-profit organizations (NPOs) to spread their messages and gain support. However, many NPOs face the challenge of running effective campaigns with limited budgets - and using digitalization for their analogue purposes. The tool "Flyer4Good" from Campaign forum wants to start here. According to the information provided, on the one hand it is intended to enable cost-effective and easy-to-implement flyer campaigns for non-profit organizations. On the other hand, it is a flexible participation and engagement tool that allows the public to get involved and actively participate in important issues from anywhere.

"Flyer4Good offers a unique opportunity to combine digital engagement with analog reach," explains Jérôme Strijbis, initiator of Flyer4Good. Marianne Affolter, Co-Managing Director of Kampagnenforum, adds: "The online solution enables NPOs to deploy their resources more effectively while maximizing their analogue reach."

Simple functionality

Supporters can contribute directly to campaigns with just a few clicks and sponsor flyers for their causes, which are then physically distributed to the public directly in their letterboxes. This enables organizations and committed individuals to spread their messages in an efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective way without having to deal with the logistical and financial challenges themselves or identify addresses and target areas.

The digitalswitzerland organization has made it its mission to unite the private sector, the public sector, the academic community and the population of all language regions in Switzerland around a digital agenda. Such an agenda should lead to Switzerland becoming a leading nation in terms of innovation, business location and digital competitiveness. With this in mind, digitalswitzerland invited experts, visionaries, industry pioneers and innovative companies from the public and private sectors as well as academia to the PalaCinema Locarno on August 7 to highlight the revolutionary impact of artificial intelligence on the modern business world. The event focused on three forward-looking questions: How can the Swiss creative tech ecosystem develop? How can Switzerland benefit from the supercomputers in Ticino? Why do the regions need to join forces in the age of AI?

The future of film and the audiovisual arts

Raphaël Brunschwig, Managing Director of the Locarno Film Festival, Andreas Meyer, President of digitalswitzerland, and Stefan Metzger, CEO of digitalswitzerland, opened the event. Stefano Rizzi, Head of the Economic Affairs Department of the Canton of Ticino, and Mauro Silacci, Head of the Finance and Economy Department of the City of Locarno, followed with some introductory words.

Art had a special place in connection with the Locarno Film Festival. Kevin B. Lee, Professor of the Future of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), raised questions about the influence of artificial intelligence on art, artists and cinema in particular: How will the importance of cinema develop in the coming years? How does cinema envision its own survival? How are artists using this new technology - and how do audiences classify AI-generated art? His conclusion, inspired by Microsoft's closing words at the 2024 Cannes International Film Festival: Artificial intelligence is not creative - you are. But the "you" defines the value, the degree of acceptance and the reasonable disruption that AI brings with it.

AI and its many facets: from creative tech to the Swiss supercomputer

Marco Zaffalon, Professor at the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA, USI-SUPSI), began by explaining the history of artificial intelligence and its current capabilities and incapabilities. He also addressed the associated problems. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between universities, institutes, politics and industry to develop technologies and capabilities in Switzerland.

Christoph Weckerle from the Zurich Centre for Creative Economies shed light on changes in the use of AI in the cultural sector. According to Weckerle, AI was used to disseminate cultural content - today it is used to produce it. This is leading to changes that are revolutionizing the industry. Switzerland is still underdeveloped in the creative tech sector - Weckerle pointed to a lack of collaboration at all levels. He also emphasized the importance of developing a Swiss strategic agenda for this area. There is still plenty of room for progress. Giulia Lumina, ESG and Sustainability Manager at Andersen Tax and Consulting AG, explained how AI is helping her to achieve her goals.

Maria Grazia Giuffreda, Vice Director of the Swiss Center for Scientific Computing (CSCS), and Michele de Lorenzi, Deputy Director, gave an exclusive insight into the possibilities of the new Ticino center and its supercomputer "Alps", which opens its doors on September 14. The supercomputer will act as a catalyst for technological progress in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning and trustworthy infrastructure. Both emphasized the central role of the supercomputer as an element of trust, innovation and collaboration in Switzerland.

Joining forces

The event ended with a panel discussion on how important it is for Swiss regions to join forces in the age of AI and what obstacles need to be overcome. Milena Folletti, Digital Transformation Officer of the Canton of Ticino, Sophie Hundertmark, Consultant for GenAI and Bots, and Marco Zaffalon exchanged views on this topic. The discussion revealed that increased cooperation pools resources, drives innovation and strengthens confidence and Switzerland's global competitiveness. However, obstacles such as regional autonomy, a lack of public-private partnerships and differing legislation are slowing down progress.

The President of the State Council of the Canton of Ticino, Christian Vitta, concluded the discussion with the following topics: the progress that artificial intelligence has made possible in all sectors, the role that Ticino has played in technological innovation and the need for large-scale interregional cooperation.

Source: digitalswitzerland

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/zeitalter-der-ki-regionen-muessen-mehr-zusammenarbeiten/

Blank's decision to leave Kuble and found his own company was influenced not only by his desire for a career change, but also by this year's advances in AI tools, which enable even small teams to achieve high output and work efficiently. Blank wrote this in a press release on Thursday.

With Pascal Blank Consulting he now wants to support companies in the planning, implementation and optimization of digital advertising campaigns on social media and search engines. The 33-year-old is also "happy to pass on" his expertise in planning international advertising campaigns, identifying niche target groups and optimizing all steps in the marketing funnel to his clients.

From the fall, he will be teaching a course on "Performance Marketing and AI" at the FHNW in Olten, where students will learn how to use AI tools efficiently for digital advertising campaigns.

Pascal Blank is particularly looking forward to the future collaboration with his partner of many years, Eveline Birrer, who also works as a consultant and designer and recently joined CPLTS as a Creativity Copilot. This collaboration means that, in addition to campaign management, the development of creative can also be offered from a single source.

Further partnerships and mandates are also in the pipeline and will be communicated in the coming weeks, Blank continues.

Welcome back. The first employees are starting to trickle back into agencies and marketing and communications departments. So everyday life in the industry could start again. Could. Because the first few days after the summer vacations usually consist of getting an overview, deleting emails with missed deadlines and exchanging all kinds of detailed vacation and travel reports.

In short: it's everyday life after the summer vacations. A situation beautifully described at the beginning of the book 39.90 (original title: 99 Francs) by Frédéric Beigbeder. The author had used his experiences from his first day of work as an advertiser at Young & Rubicam in Paris after the summer vacation (which in France, it should be noted, is only the beginning of September) to start a shallow novel. After an endless summer break (grandes vacances), there was no work to be thought of for the first few days, which really surprised the newcomer. Although the book is not exactly required reading for young advertisers, it is still worth reading more than 20 years after it was first published. Perhaps during the next summer vacation.

The charming sister of asap

Summer vacations are an organizational challenge. Not only in France, Italy or Spain, where long summer vacations are a tradition. Even in busy Switzerland, the summer vacations are getting longer and longer. It has become a Herculean task to place a project or order on time during the school vacations, which are staggered across the cantons. Before the vacations, everything is shunted off to the agencies in the feigned ignorance that no one will be working there either. And if the agency doesn't have a query for the client, an absence report is usually sent just one minute after the order has been sent. In 2024, the rate of such absence reports was a perceived 80 percent and the few people who still had to cope with everyday work were completely under water for the last few weeks. It's no wonder that this new acronym emerged in dialog between those who stayed at home and those who stayed at work: ETA. It sounds like a cry for solidarity and commitment. But what does it mean?

This does not refer to the separatist Basque nationalist underground organization, which has long terrified the vacation destination of Spain with its attacks. ETA stands for Estimated Time of Arrival. And that sounds a bit like a vacation, even for those at home. "Do you already have an ETA for me?" There could hardly be a more charming request as to when the long overdue work that was expected before the summer will finally be delivered.

A real blessing, since nobody took "asap" seriously any more. And, it should be noted, it always had a slightly aggressive undertone. The consequence of this over the years was that the "s" in "soon" was usually never made possible. It's more difficult with the charming question about ETA. ETA literally means "estimated time of arrival". The acronym comes from logistics, transportation and aviation. ETA is an indication of the time at which an aircraft, vehicle or delivery item is expected to arrive at its destination. With online trading, the term has also found its way into the offices of customers. Instead of: Deadline asap. Is it now: when do you think the ETA is? This doesn't make getting back to work after the vacations any easier, but at least it's more charming.

Felix Schmidt has 13 years of experience in technology and digital marketing. Most recently, Schmidt was Country Manager DACH at the partner management platform Impact.com. Prior to that, he was Head of Key Account Management at Webgears.

In his new role, he is to support the expansion efforts of Epsilon as detailed in a press release. He will also focus on establishing the Epsilon name as the leading technology for brands that want to increase their visibility and performance across all channels. Important components of this strategy will be the expansion of Epsilon's CoreID, a technology for unified customer identities in personalized marketing, as well as the exploitation of the full potential of the all-in-one personalization solution Yieldify.

"The diverse agency landscape within Publicis Groupe is a decisive advantage over competitors, both in the media and technology sectors," explains Felix Schmidt. "Products like Core-ID, smart acquisitions like Yieldify and innovative platforms like Unlimitail underline the importance of technology ecosystems for advertisers compared to today's fragmented tech stacks."

Medical disposables - from gloves and blood bags to surgical equipment - generate enormous amounts of waste these days. At best, this waste is incinerated, but in many countries it ends up in landfills and can also end up in the environment. The COVID pandemic has contributed to an avalanche-like increase in the use of disposables. It is estimated that in 2022, used face masks alone will weigh around 2,641 tons per day worldwide - a huge mountain of plastic.

Thermochemical recycling as a solution

Medical waste is often overlooked in the discussion about the circular economy. Disposable medical items are usually made of various plastics that cannot be recycled with current technology. In addition, the items are considered contaminated after use and therefore need to be handled in a way that avoids the risk of spreading potential infections. It is also not possible to use recycled plastic in the manufacture of disposable healthcare items, as the requirements for the purity and quality of materials for medical use are very high.

All of these problems can be solved with the new method developed by Chalmers researchers. The technology is called "thermochemical recycling" and is based on a process called "steam cracking". The waste is broken down by mixing it with sand at temperatures of up to 800 degrees Celsius. The plastic molecules are then broken down and converted into a gas that contains building blocks for new plastic. "You can compare it to a thermal sledgehammer that smashes the molecules and destroys bacteria and other microorganisms at the same time," says Martin Seemann, Associate Professor at the Chalmers Division of Energy Technology. "What remains are various types of carbon and hydrocarbon compounds. These can then be separated and used in the petrochemical industry to replace fossil fuels currently used in production."

Great potential for saving valuable chemicals

To test the technology in practice, the researchers carried out two different projects in parallel in a test facility at Chalmers Power Central. In the first project, a number of different product types, such as face masks and plastic gloves, were subjected to the process. In the second project, a mixture was created that represented the average composition of hospital waste from the region's hospitals. The mixture contained around ten different plastic materials as well as cellulose.

The results of both projects were consistently positive, demonstrating the great potential of the technology. One of the projects was led by Judith González-Arias, who now works at the University of Seville in Spain. "What makes this technology so exciting is its ability to tackle the environmental problems we associate with disposable medical products. Thermochemical recycling not only addresses the problem of medical waste not being recycled today, but also enables the recovery of valuable carbon atoms. This is fully in line with the principles of the circular economy and offers a sustainable solution to the urgent problem of medical waste disposal," says Judith González-Arias.

The only option for products with strict requirements

Many manufacturers of materials for the healthcare sector are now very interested in creating a circular model in which products can be recycled and reused in a closed loop. However, materials to be used in sterile healthcare items have strict purity and quality requirements that basically cannot be met with sorting and mechanical recycling of plastics. With thermochemical recycling, however, it would be possible.

"It's really the only way to return this type of waste to the cycle," says Martin Seemann. "It's so elegant that the chemical industry can turn the material back into new material after it has been broken down to the molecular level." And he sees even more potential: "The same strict requirements for purity and quality actually also apply to food packaging. For this reason, most of the plastic collected from packaging is currently incinerated or recycled into items for which a lower quality is permitted."

The two projects build on Chalmers' previous research, which has shown how mixed plastic waste can be converted into raw material for new plastic products of the highest possible quality.

The technology works, but other factors also come into play

In order to spread the method, new material flows and functioning business models need to be developed in cooperation between the health and recycling sectors. Laws and regulations may also need to be changed at various levels in order for thermochemical recycling to become established in society. "Certain policy decisions would increase the value of plastic waste as a raw material for industry and increase the chances of creating viable circular business models around this type of recycling. For example, an obligation to capture carbon dioxide when incinerating plastics would create incentives to invest in more energy-efficient alternative technologies like ours instead," says Martin Seemann.

In many countries, the technical requirements for recycling medical waste and other mixed plastic waste through steam cracking are in place. However, the regulations and structural conditions vary, which determines how the players in waste management, the chemical industry and product manufacturing must work together to create functioning value chains in different parts of the world.

Source: Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden

This article originally appeared on m-q.ch - https://www.m-q.ch/de/wie-der-plastikberg-im-gesundheitswesen-rezykliert-werden-koennte/