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Dear Readers!
The refugee crisis, caused by the war in Syria, has awakened Europe from a deep slumber. Individual member states are outdoing each other – introducing one uncoordinated measure after another as they attempt to stem the seemingly never-ending flow of people desperately seeking help. Whilst Chancellor Merkel is hoping to bring about a European solution, others are closing their borders and seriously thinking about exiting the European Union. No matter where you look, people are saying the party is over. It is time now for facts rather than emotions to be brought to the table. Germany has around 81 million inhabitants and its economy has never been so good. Approximately one million refugees had entered the country when the state elections were held in Baden-Württemberg, Saxony-Anhalt and Rhineland-Pfalz on 13 March. To use the same metaphor: if 81 people are invited to a party and they are joined by one international guest, then the party is by no means over. On the contrary, there is a great opportunity here for the new guest’s culture, experience and vitality to enhance the event and make it even more interesting.
As Germany’s population continues to fall, demographers are assuming that the country will need around 500,000 new immigrants every year simply to keep its social security system functioning. In the future, therefore, we may find ourselves being grateful each time a migrant decides to stay and do an apprenticeship in our country. What is needed is genuine integration. The Minister for Labour, Social Affairs and Inclusion in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rainer Schmeltzer, recently published a brochure in four languages so that refugees could find out how the public transport system works in the district of Unna. Whilst talking to one of REMONDIS’ board members, he called on the recycling sector to do something similar. The majority of the migrants have little or no experience of using different coloured bins to separate waste. REMONDIS has stepped up to the mark and published a flyer in German, English, French, Farsi and Arabic. We would also be very pleased to receive applications from registered refugees wishing to do an apprenticeship at our company, for example to become a professional truck driver.
If the state of North Rhine-Westphalia were to be a country in its own right, then it would be among the top 10 European nations when it comes to population figures and economic power. The latest waste management report shows that our industry has become one of the biggest drivers of growth. Whilst traditional industries, such as coal, steel and energy, continue to decline, an ever increasing number of people are working in recycling, industrial and municipal services and water management. REMONDIS is both a driving force and the backbone of this really pleasing development. And what makes REMONDIS what it is, is its 32,000 employees who work for their local inhabitants and their municipal and industrial customers in 33 countries every single day. Looking at all this, it is a shame that politicians would appear to be paying so little attention to the IFAT exhibition which is being held in Munich from 30 May to 03 June. REMONDIS is going to be there even if the Federal Minister of the Environment is not. We look forward to seeing you there!
Yours
Ludger Rethmann
An extensive range of services
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Last summer, BUCHEN began providing an extensive range of logistics services for one of the largest refineries in Germany. The company is in charge of waste management logistics, transporting materials between on-site facilities and handling all mail at the plant. REMONDIS West is also helping it to carry out the recycling work.
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More than simply petrol stations
BP provides services for and sells products to millions of customers across Germany every single day with its BP, Aral and Castrol brands. The company operates refineries and produces fuels, heating oil and lubricants which are sold on to wholesalers and distributors as well as to final consumers via its petrol stations. BP runs its Scholven and Horst plants in Gelsenkirchen (a town situated in the Ruhr area) as an integrated refinery. Each year, it processes around 12 million tonnes of crude oil to manufacture over 50 different products: petrol, diesel, aircraft fuel, heating oil, bitumen and petroleum coke as well as a wide range of petrochemical products, primarily for the plastics industry.
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12 million tonnes of crude oil
The amount of oil processed by BP in Gelsenkirchen every year to manufacture over 50 different types of product
Just like a small town
The various production plants at the two sites in Gelsenkirchen are spread over around 360 hectares – approximately twice the size of the state of Monaco – and belong to Ruhr Oel GmbH, in which BP owns a 50 percent share. Indeed the site functions just like a small town as it covers such an extensive area. This is particularly true when it comes to dealing with the complex material streams: it is essential that a sophisticated logistics network is in place if everything is to run smoothly there. This is where BUCHEN comes into play, providing its logistics services and helping to take the pressure off the site’s operator by performing organisational tasks that only indirectly affect the production processes.
Material flow management in cooperation with others
One of the company’s three largest areas of work is waste management logistics which is handled by both BUCHEN and the regional company REMONDIS West. Both collaboration partners specialise in collecting and transporting all types of waste and the tasks have been clearly divided up between the two companies. REMONDIS West is responsible for all commercial waste including paper and cardboard. The various material fractions are first thrown away into a range of different containers, picked up according to a fixed schedule and then transported away for processing and recycling.
The production plants at the sites in Gelsenkirchen are spread over ca. 360 hectares – an area almost twice the size of Monaco.
All other types of waste are collected by BUCHEN and taken to the relevant plant or facility. To be able to do this work, the company procured hundreds of additional containers for the refinery in Gelsenkirchen and invested in a number of new vehicles. BUCHEN UmweltService GmbH’s Ruhr Region division is in charge of the actual operations.
Systematic material logistics
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A further contract signed by BUCHEN covers all material logistics inside the plant. The tasks here are extensive, with components and machinery having to be moved between the on-site facilities, drums containing samples taken from A to B and technical equipment transferred from one place to another every single day. All these activities are organised and performed by BUCHEN’s logistics team – a complex task that calls for high levels of flexibility and absolute reliability.
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A wide range of refinery and petrochemical facilities: the Gelsenkirchen site has a complex system in place to process crude oil
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A smooth transition
Before starting this major contract, BUCHEN invested a considerable sum of money to ensure it could carry out the comprehensive logistics tasks in the best possible way. The preparation work, concept and implementation went perfectly: BUCHEN’s services have become an integral part of the site after only a very short transitional period – to the great satisfaction of its client.