Eric Herman new director of Maltha Glasrecycling Group

He will take up the challenge of developing a more explicit positioning for Maltha Glasrecycling and preparing the company for the opportunities that present themselves on the market. “Maltha’s ambition is to become a better and more successful organisation. The circular economy presents opportunities and our existing and potential clients are demanding innovations, which is why we will focus strongly on this area,” Herman says. “It is clear that in today’s society we need to deal with energy and raw materials in a different way. Maltha is responding to this situation by valorising our process flows and using them to create new materials. We have a product with fantastic properties, but what are its potential applications? A highly innovative approach will be required and in some cases that will mean working together with other parties. The flow of glass to the glass factory will certainly continue, but there is so much more that could be done!”

Maltha is setting its sights on further growth in Europe. “In the Netherlands glass collection is well established, but there are still countries where there is room for improvement. We will be investigating where there is particular growth potential for Maltha. Here we are partly dependent on legislation, when it comes to questions like who is the owner of the glass, for example. It is important to establish whether glass is sold on the public market or whether the glass manufacturer is the owner of the glass, as is the case in France.”

Herman studied materials science at Delft University of Technology and started his career in 1991 at General Electric. During his time with this company he lived and worked in the Netherlands, the UK and China, before returning to the Netherlands in 2008, one year after General Electric Plastics had been acquired by Sabic. In 2010 he made the switch from Sabic to A.P. Moller Maersk, a move that saw him leave the chemicals sector for logistics. He also climbed the ladder at this company, most recently holding the post of global Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Damco, the logistics service provider within the Maersk group. He sees his new role at Maltha Glasrecycling as a welcome challenge. “Follow your ambitions, nothing is impossible – that’s something I have experienced for myself over the years!”