From waste to recyclable material - a look behind the scenes of the cycle
Material with a mission - conserving resources, shaping the future. This attitude characterises the philosophy of Steinbeis Papier and is the guiding principle for Thomas Rogée, who, as Waste Officer and Head of Magazine and Material Manager, works every day to make the internal material flow as efficient and resource-saving as possible. In this interview, he talks about the importance of closed loops, the challenges of sorting and breaking down special types - and the responsibility that all those involved along the value chain bear.
What is the role of the waste manager at Steinbeis Papier?
I've been with the company for over four decades, originally working in maintenance with a focus on electrical engineering. I have been responsible for magazine and materials management since 2021. Being a waste officer is an additional task that I take on in this role. It is not an independent position, but a secondary activity that is integrated into my existing area of responsibility.
How would you describe your responsibilities?
The tasks are very varied. It starts with coordinating the container service - for example when a container is full and needs to be replaced - and extends to extensive reporting duties. I organise the disposal routes, select suitable disposal companies and ensure that everything is ordered and documented properly. One important point is the annual waste report. In it, I record all relevant waste fractions, their quantities and the respective disposal or recycling routes. The data is sent to two different statistical centres. This is based on internal SAP analyses, data from the power plant and feedback from the waste disposal companies. This requires a lot of coordination, especially at the beginning of the year.
How is cooperation organised within the company?
I work closely with various departments. Controlling provides volume and cost data, while the power plant provides information on residues such as ash. The internal forklift team is also important: they take care of emptying the tipping skips and provide feedback if, for example, waste has been sorted incorrectly or something has changed at the collection points. Externally, I am in regular contact with certified waste disposal companies. I usually visit them twice a year to get an idea of the facilities. This is important to me so that I can understand the routes our waste takes myself.
How is the responsibility distributed - and where does it end?
I am responsible for organising, monitoring and documenting the internal waste flows. This means that I coordinate the collection, check the collection points and take care of everything that needs to be disposed of as part of ongoing production or at construction sites. We start the morning in Materials Management with a short meeting. This is usually followed by orders, analyses and comparisons of offers. At the same time, spontaneous requirements come in: Containers need to be swapped or special waste disposed of. I clarify this directly, often on site. I archive waste disposal records, create new types of waste and keep the necessary data up to date in the system in coordination with Controlling. Once a week, I cycle around the site, check the collection points and check whether everything is correctly labelled, whether there is enough capacity and whether there is a need for improvement.
Which departments do you liaise with regularly?
On a day-to-day basis, I work closely with the internal transport, controlling, power plant and technology departments. Colleagues on site often report to me directly if there is a need for action somewhere. And I am in regular contact with the external partners - i.e. the waste disposal companies - to clarify deadlines and coordination or discuss special requirements.
What role does paper fibre sludge play in the volume of waste at Steinbeis Papier?
Paper fibre sludge is by far the largest amount of waste that we produce. The official designation in the waste list is "fibre waste, fibre filling and coating sludge from mechanical separation". The paper fibre sludge is primarily incinerated in our two power plants, where it is used to generate steam and electricity for paper production and the site. Another recycling route is brick production: the sludge is mixed with clay and the fibres burn during the firing process, creating the desired porosity in the bricks. We also supply sludge to AVR in the Netherlands, which uses it to produce a certified powder for road construction and concrete replacement.
What is the difference between these recycling methods? What are the ecological and technical advantages?
Thermal utilisation in the power plant is particularly efficient because it produces energy through combined heat and power generation, which supports our operations - we generate electricity and steam there, which drives the paper production. This keeps the raw material cycle as closed as possible. Utilisation in the brickworks is a classic recycling process in which the sludge is used as a raw material in the building material, which conserves material resources. At the same time, burning the fibres in the brick creates the desired structure in the material. AVR's product in the Netherlands is technically very innovative: a high-quality substitute building material is produced from sludge, which is certified and used in road construction. Material recycling always takes precedence over energy recovery - so we choose the best ecological route wherever possible. We do not send a tonne of paper fibre sludge to landfill. We are guided by the waste pyramid: avoidance is of course ideal, but we are technically limited in this respect. We therefore focus on preparation for reutilisation, recycling and energy recovery.
Apart from paper sludge, what other waste products are produced at Steinbeis Papier?
In addition to paper sludge, we have classic commercial waste such as metals from technology and waste paper, wood waste, green waste and building rubble. The metal components are carefully sorted out - even stainless steel and electric motors are collected separately so that they can be recycled to a high quality. Wood waste is either processed into chipboard or used to generate energy, green waste is composted and construction waste is disposed of professionally. We work with reliable external partners for all these fractions.
How do you ensure that this waste is really recycled in an environmentally friendly way?
I personally visit our partners' disposal facilities to check the processes on site. This enables me to ensure that our waste is not simply disposed of, but recycled or reutilised in a sensible way. Trust and control are the basis of our sustainable cooperation.
Are there special solutions for materials that are difficult to dispose of?
Yes, for example the 1000-litre IBC containers made of plastic and metal. Disposing of them used to be expensive and non-transparent. We now use a company that cleans, repairs and reconditions these containers - plastic parts are recycled and metal grids are reused. This means we avoid incineration, save resources and even receive CO₂ savings certificates.
What led to a discarded photocopier from Glückstadt going to the USA?
It all started relatively unspectacularly: Our product manager for printing and copying papers, Andreas Steenbock, approached me in the corridor and told me that we had three old copiers that needed to be disposed of - two of them in the new technical centre, one still in the old one. I was immediately fascinated by the third one, a real monster: 1.65 metres wide, over a metre high and weighing 522 kilos. A real piece of industrial technology. I have a soft spot for such machines - I used to be a classic car fan myself - and thought it would be a shame to simply scrap it. A Norwegian website called xeroxnostalgia.com put me in touch with Eric, a collector, who in turn put me in touch with Rick from the USA. Rick runs a prop rental company for the film industry in Pennsylvania - and he was immediately enthusiastic. He bought the device for 500 dollars. But that was just the beginning: we had to build a special crate, there were customs problems with the wood, then it only worked by air freight. In the end, the machine was actually on a US truck - maybe we'll see the old copier in a film soon.
Do old machines from Glückstadt often get a second life?
Actually, yes. That's part of my job: I take care of what is known as materials management - this also involves regularly checking with technicians to see what is being decommissioned, whether something can be sold or whether it will be scrapped. Recently, for example, we replaced larger compressors. I then try to pass on the old parts - via contacts with used machinery dealers. There is a market for this, especially in Africa or Asia. We'd rather sell something like that for a small amount than simply dispose of it. For me, this not only makes economic sense, but is also a question of attitude.
At Steinbeis, this is simply part of the job: Valuing resources, separating carefully, thinking things through.
This attitude - not to throw things away straight away, but to think ahead - is evident throughout the work. Is this a personal sustainability aspiration?
Absolutely. I grew up at Steinbeis and started learning here when I was 16. It's ingrained in you: valuing resources, separating things carefully, thinking ahead. This also continues in my private life - I prefer to buy yoghurt in a reusable jar, for example. And I also try to improve processes here at the company. We recently purchased 20 new tipping skips to separate fractions even better. I don't do this because it's written on a piece of paper, but because I think it's the right thing to do. And I think many of my colleagues here feel the same way - at Steinbeis it's just part of the job.
What are the biggest challenges and developments in waste utilisation at the moment?
Waste utilisation is becoming increasingly complex. In Schleswig-Holstein in particular, landfill space is becoming scarce, which requires new solutions. At the same time, bureaucracy is causing us problems - I sometimes have to send the same report to two different authorities. A centralised digital solution is long overdue. There are also many legal changes, such as the new Substitute Building Materials Ordinance. All of this is increasing the workload, which you shouldn't underestimate as a part-time waste management officer. Nevertheless, it is exciting because you realise how many players are working on sustainable solutions.
Where is the greatest potential in waste avoidance and recycling?
We are already well positioned in this area - for example in the separate collection of wood, metal and paper fibre sludge. The latter are even the subject of research projects at our company, for example for use as insulation material or for biogas. I am particularly proud of our separate collection rate: we are at over 93 per cent. This has also been externally certified - with the praise that we operate a "circular economy par excellence". For me, this is a strong sign that we really take our responsibility seriously.
Cover picture: Steinbeis Papier
Author
As a senior editor, Benjamin Seibring specialises in developing content on sustainability, mobility, technology and lifestyle. An editorial traineeship at a German media group and his many years of experience in corporate publishing form the basis. With a high affinity for trend topics and innovative AI tools, he implements cross-media storytelling.
