From Bioplastics to Reusable Packaging: What K 2025 has to offer the Packaging Industry
30.09.2025
Whether for food, cosmetics, or medical products, plastic packaging is indispensable in numerous industries. In the first part of our series, we highlighted why plastics play a central role in modern packaging solutions.
6 World Premieres You Can Only Experience at K 2025
10.09.2025
More efficient, more intelligent, more sustainable – numerous machine solutions will celebrate their world premiere at K 2025. If you don't want to miss out on the plastics processing trends of tomorrow, you should make a note of these six highlights.
AGGLOREMA by EREMA: Efficient Recycling of Contaminated Film Waste
05.09.2025
At K 2025, EREMA presents AGGLOREMA – a new recycling system designed to convert heavily contaminated post-consumer plastic waste into high-density agglomerates. These are ideal as input for chemical recycling, enabling more efficient use of low-grade film fractions in a circular economy.
EFSA Confirms Positive “Scientific Opinion” for Starlinger recoSTAR PET art Recycling Process
11.08.2025
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a positive Scientific Opinion for Starlinger’s bottle-to-bottle recycling process recoSTAR PET art under the stricter requirements of Regulation (EU) 2022/1616. This marks the first endorsement of its decontamination performance, reducing allowable residues by up to 50 % and paves the way for faster authorisation and licensing to PET recyclers.
Plastics in the Packaging Industry: More than just a protective cover
06.08.2025
Did you know that the average smartphone contains around twenty grams of plastic? Plastics are not only found in the housings, but also in tiny components such as insulators on circuit boards or flexible connecting elements. They make modern devices lighter, safer, and more powerful and are therefore a key driver of innovation in electronics.
Boosting Recycled Polypropylene: Milliken and ExxonMobil Deliver Automotive-Grade rPP
16.06.2025
Milliken and ExxonMobil joined forces to tackle the limitations of recycled polypropylene (rPP) in demanding automotive parts. Their solution – a synergy of DeltaMax® performance modifiers and Exact™ elastomers – delivers impact strength, stiffness, and flow rate improvements that meet OEM standards while supporting sustainability goals.
Sustainable Automotive Materials: SK chemicals and Hyundai Collaborate
24.02.2025
SK chemicals and Hyundai·Kia are driving sustainability in the automotive sector through innovative recycling technology. By incorporating circular and bio-based materials into Kia's EV3 Study Car, the collaboration paves the way for a more eco-friendly vehicle production model.
The World's First Enzymatically Recycled Garment
22.01.2025
Carbios, a French biotechnology leader, is at the forefront of innovation in plastic recycling, introducing a cutting-edge process of enzymatic recycling that promises to revolutionize the industry. This method allows PET-based textiles to be broken down into their original building blocks and repurposed, creating the foundation for a true circular economy.
Rendering packaging sustainability transparent with blockchain
30.12.2024
How much recycled plastic is really in a given product? Maximum transparency is a fundamental factor to achieve quotas and sustainability targets. Manufacturers who want to disclose how much plastic recyclate is actually used in packaging can only do so if they include the entire value chain. Blockchain technology allows for seamless tracing along the entire value chain.
Lidl and Kaufland are Leading the Way: Shopping Baskets Made from Recycled Material
11.12.2024
They look familiar, but they've got something special: the new shopping baskets from Lidl and Kaufland are made from recycled plastic. This turns waste into a high-quality product that conserves resources and reduces CO₂ emissions. With this step, the Schwarz Group is setting an example for sustainable retail.
Opportunities and limitations of recyclates in medical technology
13.11.2024
One of the European Union's declared goals is sustainable development by 2030 - a development that does not stop at the medical technology industry. Gradical GmbH advises medical technology companies on the choice of materials for their applications.
Material determination at the touch of a button using NIR spectroscopy
25.09.2024
Plastics industry strives to recycle plastics as comprehensively as possible. However, this is not always so easy – especially when different types of plastic are difficult to distinguish visually. This is when near-infrared spectrometers (NIR) come to the rescue, identifying the types of plastic and thus facilitating further processing.
UBQ is literally turning trash into treasure
30.08.2024
Using its patented process, UBQ takes everyday garbage, strips out any abrasive metals, glass or minerals, and converts it into thermoplastic resins that be molded or extruded into a vast range of durable products. Such garbage is everywhere, hence the company’s name of UBQ, which stands for ubiquitous. It’s a global problem and requires a global perspective.
Digital Twin for Resource Management
14.08.2024
The circular economy presents an increasingly complex challenge for companies. Sustainability is no longer just a compliance issue but a crucial success factor. In this context, Interzero offers a solution: the Materialkonto (‘material account’). This provides companies with a digital twin of their resource and circular management.
Sustainable Pleasure: Wine Bottle Made From rPET
17.07.2024
PET water bottles, PET beer bottles – so why not PET wine bottles? The combination may seem unconventional at first, but it offers significant advantages over glass bottles: PET bottles have a lower CO2 footprint, are more cost-effective, lighter, and safer due to their unbreakable nature. ALPLA's solution also stands out by using rPET.
Stadium seats for the Olympic Games made from plastic waste
17.07.2024
For Marius Hamelot, the 2024 Summer Olympics in France will provide a glimpse into his vision of turning trash into treasure. An architect and entrepreneur, the 29-year-old Hamelot has been working for several years to transform waste plastic collected in local Parisian neighborhoods into high-quality, durable products.
Digital Recycling Tool: CYCLOPS
03.07.2024
An innovative tool called CYCLOPS – Circularity Optimisation for Plastics has set itself the task of closing the gap between the need for information and the supply of recycled materials. By providing comprehensive data and assessments, it helps companies to make more sustainable decisions and organise their production processes in a more environmentally friendly way.
Sustainability thanks to the circular economy
26.06.2024
How does the circular economy work? Focus on sustainable practices and environmental benefits.
Bend it like PU – Plastics in football
31.05.2024
The European Men's Football Championship is casting its shadow ahead. It will take place in Germany from 14 June to 14 July 2024 and promises exciting matches and thrilling moments. But it's not just the players who are in the spotlight. The materials used also play a decisive role in the success of a match: plastics.
Plastic Toys: Versatile, Robust, Sustainable
15.05.2024
Sustainability is becoming increasingly important – even in the playroom. From classic toys such as Playmobil and Lego to innovative projects that focus on recycling and the Circular Economy, there is a wide range of applications and initiatives that take into account both the needs of young users and the requirements for environmental compatibility.
The rediscovery of plastics in the textile industry
27.03.2024
The textile industry is in the midst of a green transformation, with sustainability and recycling taking centre stage. This change is being driven by a growing awareness of the environmental impact of textile production and consumption. Plastics, particularly synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon, are ubiquitous in the industry due to their versatility and cost-effectiveness.
Borealis to acquire Integra Plastics AD, an advanced mechanical recycling player based in Bulgaria
26.01.2024
Borealis announces the signing of an agreement to acquire a 100 % stake in Integra Plastics AD, an advanced mechanical recycling player based in Bulgaria. The investment will strengthen Borealis’ advanced mechanical recycling portfolio.
Digital marketplace as a driver for the Circular Economy
10.01.2024
The forthcoming EU packaging regulation is casting its shadow: minimum quotas for recyclates are putting the plastics industry under pressure. Cirplus presents a digital platform that not only makes the recyclate market transparent, but also enables real-time coordination between the players.
Circular Polymers by Ascend and ReDefyne experts highlight expanded options for post-consumer recycled nylons, PET and PP
15.12.2023
Experts from Ascend, a leader in recycling post-consumer carpet, and ReDefyne highlight new opportunities for recycled nylon, PET and PP. Their proprietary process allows them to convert end-of-life carpet into feedstocks for materials used in various finished goods, including automobiles and household appliances.
traceless materials secures €36.6 Million Series A to build first industry plant for bio-circular alternative to plastic
01.12.2023
The bioeconomy start-up traceless materials has closed a financing round of 36.6 million euros, led by UB Forest Industry Green Growth Fund and SWEN Blue Ocean. The company produces a sustainable biomaterial that serves as an alternative to plastic and combats plastic pollution.
Reifenhäuser relies on new "Circular Plastics Traceability" Guideline by using digital product passports from R-Cycle
06.11.2023
The Reifenhäuser Group uses R-Cycle, a digital product passport for plastics based on GS1 standards, to enable its customers to trace products. This facilitates data management in the manufacturing process and promotes the recycling of plastic packaging.
Recycling programme for engineering plastics
22.09.2023
Wherever there is movement in manufacturing, the plastic plain bearings and energy guiding chains from igus can be used. Even in packaging machines, e-chains and plain bearings made of high-performance polymers ensure movement. The products are durable but at some point they also have to be disposed of. igus has set up its own recycling programme for this purpose.