NextGen Plastics: New Momentum for the Plastics Packaging Industry

How can the transition to a circular plastics economy be achieved – and what role does the next generation play? With its new NextGen Plastics format, the German Association for Plastics Packaging and Films (IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen) has created a platform where young professionals and emerging leaders worked alongside industry experts to develop ideas for the transformation of the plastics packaging industry.

The event opened with a keynote by climate activist Carla Reemtsma, who addressed the industry's responsibility in tackling the climate crisis. The subsequent discussion focused on how defossilisation, the circular economy, and economic realities can be reconciled. Reemtsma argued that a sustainable transformation requires a consistent circular economy approach and sufficiency as key elements.

In workshops on communication, the use of recycled materials and the role of the next generation in the industry, participants developed further ideas and impulses. According to IK, the outcomes of the workshops will be incorporated into the association's future activities.