Menu

Image: Cars on a production floor; Copyright: traimakivan

From mechanical engineering studies to the award for young talent in plastics technology

16/10/2024

The more insights, the broader the knowledge and experience - that's what Marcel Piechnik realized during his studies. At the same time, he discovered his enthusiasm for plastics. In many different areas, he has deepened his insights into plastics and their variety.
Read more
Image: View over the shoulder of a woman photographing the entrance area of the K with her cell phone; Copyright: Messe Düsseldorf

One year to go until K 2025: trends that move the industry

08/10/2024

In a year's time, it will be that time again: K 2025 will open its doors and bring the global plastics and rubber industry together in Düsseldorf. From October 8 to 15, 2025, K will once again be the place where innovations are presented, new trends are discussed, and contacts are forged. The industry is already looking ahead to what will be on the agenda in October 2025.
Read more
Image: several blister strips with tablets; Copyright: Tatiana Mara

Making Blister Packaging More Sustainable

21/08/2024

During the last allergy season, they may have ended up in your garbage once again: Blister packs. And you may have noticed how few tablets there are in a comparatively large pack. Not particularly sustainable, is it? That's what Olivia Falconnier Williams thought, too, and she set about researching how the packaging could be made more resource-efficient.
Read more
Photo: Children and adults with a banner at the Wongpanit Suvarnabhumi Recycle Station; Copyright: Indorama Ventures

PET Youth Camp for Sustainable Plastic Management

12/08/2024

Indorama Ventures, a global leader in sustainable chemical production, has partnered with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and its Department of Education to host the "PET Youth Camp for Sustainable Plastic Management." This initiative aims to educate and empower young leaders from BMA schools in effective plastic waste management, with a focus on PET recycling.
Read more
Photo: Building blocks with the individual words: We, need, people, like, you. They are stacked on a table, with a red wall and a palm leaf visible in the back; Copyright: Uuganbayar – stock.adobe.com

Skills shortage in the plastics industry

24/07/2024

The shortage of skilled labour poses considerable challenges for the plastics industry. In an interview with K-Mag, Sven Weihe from the German Plastics Processing Industry Association (in German: Gesamtverband Kunststoffverarbeitende Industrie e.V. - GKV) explains the main causes of the shortage of qualified specialists and what measures the association is taking to counteract this.
Read more
Photo: Frank Kössig and Dennis Sagel holding their certificates for the 2023 Günter Schwank Award, surrounded by other ARBURG employees; Copyright: ARBURG GmbH + Co KG

ARBURG trainees get Günter Schwank Award 2023

19/01/2024

Two former ARBURG trainees, Frank Kössig and Dennis Sagel, have been awarded the Günter Schwank Award 2023, which is presented by pro-K for outstanding achievements in the plastics processing industry. The two received certificates, 1,000 euros in prize money and are now members of the "Club of the Best", where they receive regular invitations to network meetings.
Read more
Image: Apprentices are shown a machine; Copyright: envato

Working in the plastics industry

19/12/2023

The plastics industry offers a wide range of career paths in various disciplines. Each has its own focus and gives the opportunity to promote sustainability in the industry.
Read more
Image: Children are shown a plastic object; Copyright: Pöppelmann

Educate, empower, inspire: Zukunftsmobil imparts plastics knowledge to young people

29/11/2023

Plastics are a valuable resource that can contribute to climate protection. Pöppelmann's Zukunftsmobil ("Future Mobile") educates schools, for example, about precisely this. With interactive workshops, it combines knowledge transfer about plastics with practical learning and shows children and young people the diverse possibilities and potential of plastics recycling and the Circular Economy.
Read more
Photo: Children and adults are gathered in a circle around a table doing handicrafts; Copyright: ZOOM Kindermuseum/Natali Glisic

Borealis supports ZOOM Children's Museum in promoting playful learning in new interactive exhibition "WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!"

10/11/2023

The company Borealis is supporting the ZOOM Children's Museum in promoting learning through play in the new interactive exhibition "WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!" The new hands-on exhibition can be visited from October 4, 2023 and is designed to inspire enthusiasm for science and chemistry.
Read more
Image: Notebook, notepad with pen and laptop with soft light in background; copyright: kitzstocker

Academic training and further education in Mexico

05/09/2023

ARBURG and Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Tec de Monterrey) have jointly launched a four-month academic training course in Mexico for the plastics industry, with the aim of producing skilled professionals. The course began with 16 participants and a commitment from ARBURG to support industry growth and development in the country.
Read more
Image: Solar panel in front of black electric car on the road; Copyright: anatoliy_gleb

With the power of the sun to the mobility of the future

20/07/2023

Team "Sonnenwagen" presented the new Covestro Adelie solar racing vehicle in front of a large crowd and high public attention at the Eurogress Aachen. Covestro supports the team as a main sponsor and provides innovative material solutions as well as technical exchange to optimize the vehicle for participation in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
Read more
Image: four young people with smartphones; Copyright: leszekglasner - stock.adobe.com

Training in the Plastics Industry: TikTok is Indispensable Today

16/06/2023

Boundaries are only in your head - with this motto, Thomas Deser took over as Teamlead Apprenticeship at KraussMaffei at the beginning of March. In this interview, the 51-year-old talks about his first successes in his new job, his goals and why TikTok and Instagram have become indispensable in the department of apprenticeships.
Read more

Plastics Engineering Studies at the JKU Linz

01/03/2023

Plastics must be newly thought and designed - that is the credo at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz. From autumn 2023, courses on plastics technology will be offered here. Plastics don't just play a supporting role there, they are the star of the show. Because they are a key factor for both the present and the future.
Read more

Digitization, automation, networking: "We have the whole wide bandwidth!"

09/08/2022

Twenty-year-old Yannick Herzog trained as an electronics technician for automation technology at Arburg and now works in the company's printed circuit board production. Since August 2021, he has been responsible for SPI and AOI for quality control of printed and assembled PCBs, respectively, in a production line. These are used in the control systems of the Arburg machines.
Read more

Training in the plastics industry: technical college and companies get trainees fit for the job

06/05/2022

At 16, did you already know where you wanted to go on your professional journey? With the range of choices available to young people today, it can be difficult to make a decision at first glance. That's why it's beneficial to be taken by the hand and introduced to different professions. Wentus GmbH from Höxter sets a good example.
Read more

School meets business: getting young people excited about the plastics industry

19/04/2022

At 16, did you already know where you wanted to go on your professional journey? With the range of choices available to young people today, it can be difficult to make a decision at first glance. That's why it's beneficial to be taken by the hand and introduced to different professions. Wentus GmbH from Höxter sets a good example.
Read more

From the idea to a (sustainable) company: Circular Valley promotes start-ups

11/03/2022

Mentoring in areas such as marketing and sales, direct contact with large companies, and support from industry experts – this is what every start-up dreams of. In the Circular Valley in Wuppertal, Germany, this is reality. Entrepreneurs from a wide variety of fields who want to contribute to the Circular Economy with their work are supported here.
Read more

eCampus offers online training for employees in the plastics industry

04/03/2022

Knowledge is power – this also applies to the plastics industry. But training courses cost time and tie up participants, although they are actually needed elsewhere. So that companies do not have to do without employees for entire days during such training courses, the SKZ has developed the eCampus together with Hanser Verlag.
Read more

Recyclable furniture from the creative workshop

24/01/2022

Plastic is a versatile material that can be used for a wide variety of projects. What's more, it is reusable and can be given new forms – so it can be given a second life in the sense of the circular economy. In the plastikfabrik in Saarbrücken (Germany), Daniela and Pascal Becher breathe such a second life into plastic.
Read more

Young plastics researchers are on the trail of proper recycling

07/01/2022

The Pöppelmann Research Week on the topic of "Plastics and Recycling" brought young people closer to the topics of plastics and recycling.
Read more

Program aims to help students tackle the challenges of plastics waste

07/12/2021

Plastics waste presents a major challenge for humanity. There are many innovative people taking impactful action to address this issue, but their efforts are often on a small scale or overlooked, with no good means to scale them to make a significant difference.
Read more

"If you never ask, you'll never know" – traineeship in plastics extrusion

12/10/2021

There is a desperate need for skilled workers in the plastics industry. Yet the industry has a lot to offer. Reifenhäuser GmbH also proves this with its diverse range of training programs.
Read more

Apprenticeship programs for the plastics industry: ENGEL empowers young female trainees

16/06/2021

The plastics industry is still dominated by men. However, there are now also more and more women. One positive amplifier of this development is campaign days such as Girls' Day.
Read more

Connecting apprentices with plastics companies

30/03/2021

Preparing small and medium-sized plastics manufacturing enterprises for the challenges of digitization in the vocational training and continuing education of employees and apprentices – that was the objective of the project titled "Kunststoff goes Future", abbreviated KungFu. The project ran for three years in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe district, Germany. It was successfully completed in mid-2020.
Read more