Plastic granulate contaminates Haselwurzbach - fire brigade in use!

Plastic granulate contaminates Haselwurzbach - fire brigade in use!

On Wednesday morning, April 16, 2025, there was an incident in Hohenems, which focused on the local environment. A worker of a transport company had made a mistake when unloading 900 kg with plastic granulate. A container slipped off the palette, fell to the ground and the granules escaped. Part of the content came into the Haselwurzbach, which led to a slight water pollution. Due to this incident, the Hohenems fire department and the police were quickly deployed to take measures and prevent the environment and drinking water at risk.

The local emergency services built a temporary water lock and ensured that the granulate was removed from the stream and disposed of properly. According to an employee of the Water Management of the Office of the Vorarlberg state government, there was no serious dangers for the environment or drinking water. It is a further warning to the importance of the safe handling of plastic granules.

background to the problem of plastic granules

Contamination from plastic granules is not only a local problem, but also affects numerous regions worldwide. According to a position paper from Plasticsurope support, manufacturers, transporters and recycled measures to reduce of losses of these materials in the environment. One central goal is to reduce microplastics by 2030.

global plastic production and its challenges

around 400 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide every year. The diversity and persistence of the material make plastic a central part of the latest lifestyle, but also have considerable environmental problems. Plastics access the ecological systems as waste or microplastics. This is done through various causes such as loss of production, weathering, littering and changing weather conditions. According to the Fraunhofer caution will be assumed to be a future increase in plastics, due to population and business growth.

The need to close existing knowledge gaps and reduce emissions and waste of plastics is considered indispensable. Therefore, a focus is placed on circular and bio -based solutions. Fraunhofer caution is working interdisciplinary on the topic of plastic in the environment and offers comprehensive services to develop technical solutions and to carry out sustainable reviews.

The events in Hohenems illustrate the pressing necessity of responsible handling of plastic granules, both in everyday life and in industry. The incident warns everyone involved to vigilance in order to avoid such impurities in the future.