POWERED BY
Plastics Shape the Future
600 qm circular exhibition and event space at K 2025
October 8-15, K-Trade Fair Düsseldorf (Hall 6, C40)
VISIT OUR
INNOVATION STAGE
Exciting formats will be used to show and discuss how the future can be shaped with plastics.
ENJOY OUR
NETWORKING AREA
The circular economy, digitalization and climate protection are just some of the topics.
SEE OUR
MATERIAL EXHIBITION
With new technologies and materials, the industry is facing up to the global challenges of our time.
Plastics Europe
Program at K 2025
October 8-15, K Trade Fair Düsseldorf (Hall 6, C40)
October 08, „Kick-Off Wednesday“
| Date & Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Wed, 10:30 – 11:15 (CEST) | K 2025 Opening CeremonySpeaker/Host*:Dr. Christine Bunte*, Managing Director (Plastics Europe Deutschland)Benny Mermans, President (President (Plastics Europe) |
| Wed, 11:15 – 12:15 (CEST) | Panel Discussion: Balancing Competitiveness & Sustainability – A Call for bold Leadership Speaker/Host*:Virginia Janssens*, Managing Director (Plastics Europe)Craig Arnold, Executive Vice President Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Base Chemicals (Borealis)Lauren Kjeldsen, Chief Operating Officer Custom Solutions (EVONIK) |
| Wed, 13:00 – 14:00 (CEST) | Press Conference: Plastics – the fast Facts 2025: Our industry in numbers Speaker/Host*: |
| Wed, 15:00 – 16:30 (CEST) | Panel-Discussion: Accelerating the Plastics Transition: Innovations & Investments for a Sustainable Future Speaker/Host*: |
| Wed, 16:30 – 16:45 (CEST) | From Power to Purpose: What’s next for Circular ThursdaySpeaker/Host*:Ralf Düssel, President |
October 09, „Circular Thursday“
| Date & Time | Speaker/Host |
|---|---|
| Thu, 10:30 – 10:45 (CEST) | Introduction: Get into the loop with Fraunhofer Speaker/Host: |
| Thu, 10:45 – 11:00 (CEST) | Keynote: Closing the Loops of Different Material Flows Speaker/Host*:Prof. Dr.-Ing. Manfred Renner*, Head of (Fraunhofer CCPE and Fraunhofer UMSICHT) |
| Thu, 11:00 – 11:15 (CEST) | Keynote: Matching recycling technologies to the task at hand: different waste streams require different approaches Speaker/Host*:Dr. Bernhard von Vacano, Vice President and Executive Expert in the Field of Closed Loop Polymer Recycling (BASF) |
| Thu, 11:15 – 12:00 (CEST) | Panel-Discussion: PPWR – Current Status and Lessons Learned Speaker/Host*:Carolina Gregorio, Sustainability Policy and Advocacy Strategy Director EMEA (Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics)Ellen Seyda, Sustainability & Circular Economy Manager (Amcor Rigid Packaging Solution) |
| Thu, 12:00 – 12:30 (CEST) | Expert Talk: WEEE – What to Expect in Electrical and Electronic Regulation Speaker/Host:Tatjana Dänzer, R&D / Rubber & Plastics Laboratory Business Unit Dishwashing (Miele & Cie. KG)Fridolin Pflüger, Managing Director, Head of Sales and Business Development. (HolyPoly) |
| Thu, 12:30 – 13:00 (CEST) | Expert Talk: Building & Construction Speaker/Host*:Eric Romers, Project Director (INEOS Inovyn)Rudy Miller, Vice President Vinyl Business (Vynova) |
| Thu, 13:00 – 13:45 (CEST) | Panel Discussion: Driving Circularity under the ELV Directive: Inside the Global Impact Coalition’s Automotive Plastics Circularity Pilot Speaker/Host*: |
| Thu, 13:45 – 14:30 (CEST) | Panel Discussion: Car-to-Car Recycling Speaker/Host*: |
| Thu, 14:30 – 14:45 (CEST) | Expert Talk: Carpet Design for Circularity Speaker/Host: |
| Thu, 14:45 – 15:05 (CEST) | KI Group & Porsche Consulting Forecast, prices and profit: the development of the European recyclate market and its prices until 2030 Speaker/Host*:Klaus Kirr, Associate Partner (Porsche Consulting) |
| Thu, 15:05 – 15:15 (CEST) | Keynote Perspectives of Chemical and Mechanical Recycling Speaker/Host*:Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Franke, Leiter Institutsteil Sulzbach-Rosenberg (Fraunhofer UMSICHT) |
| Thu, 15:15 – 15:25 (CEST) | Keynote Recycling à la carte: Melting, Cracking – or Solvent Treatment? Speaker/Host*:Dr. Christine Bunte, Managing Director (Plastics Europe) |
| Thu, 15:25 – 16:45 (CEST) | Panel Discussion: Perspectives of Chemical and Mechanical Recycling Speaker/Host*:Willemijn Peeters, CEO & Founder (Searious Business) |
October 10, „Climate Friday“
| Date & Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Fri, 10:30 – 11:00 (CEST) | Keynote: How can we accelerate the transition towards plastics circularity Speaker/Host*: |
| Fri, 11:00 – 11:30 (CEST) | Expert Talk: Tackling Microplastics Pollution by Preventing Plastic Pellet Loss: Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) and the new European Regulation? Speaker/Host*: |
| Fri, 11:30 – 12:15 (CEST) | Expert Talk: Additives: Drivers of Performance and Progress Speaker/Host*:Thomas Schmutz, Chair of (ELiSANA Cefic) |
| Fri, 12:15 – 12:30 (CEST) | Expert Talk: Product Carbon Footprint of Performance Polymers Speaker/Host*:Gregor Daun, Director Manufacturing Technologies (BASF) |
| Fri, 12:30 – 12:30 (CEST) | Expert Talk: on LCA Speaker/Host*:Florian Hermes, Sustainable Business Solutions at High Performance Polymers (EVONIK) |
| Fri, 13:00 – 13:30 (CEST) | Presentation: The importance of environmental impact analysis. How can we adapt to future requirements? Speaker/Host*:Sonia Albein Urios, Head of Circular Economy and Environment (AIMPLAS) |
| Fri, 13:30 – 14:00 (CEST) | Round Table: Monetizing Circular and Sustainable Products in the Chemical Industry Speaker/Host*: |
| Fri, 14:30 – 16:00 (CEST) | Keynote and Political Panel Discussion Competitiveness as a driver for transformation towards a circular economy from different perspectives Speaker/Host*:*, President (Plastics Europe Deutschland) |
October 11, „Smart Saturday“
| Date & Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Sat, 10:30 – 10:45 (CEST) | Introduction: AI & Digitalization for a Plastics Circular Economy Speaker/Host:) |
| Sat, 10:45 – 11:15 (CEST) | Expert Talk: AI-Powered Material Intelligence: Accelerating R&D that Enables Sustainable Innovation Speaker/Host:Dr. Stefan Thomas, Managing Director (LabV) |
| Sat, 11:15 – 11:45 (CEST) | Expert Talk: Plastics.AI Speaker/Host*: |
| Sat, 11:45 – 12:15 (CEST) | Expert Talk: AI and Sustainability Reporting Speaker/Host*: |
| Sat, 12:15 – 12:45 (CEST) | Expert Talk: Foaming Simulation and AI: Paths to Smarter Materials Speaker/Host*: |
| Sat, 12:45 – 13:15(CEST) | Expert Talk: ML-enhanced DSC – Advancing Identification and Quantification of Recyclate Compositions Speaker/Host*:Natalie Rudolph, Division Manager Polymer (NETZSCH Analyzing & Testing) |
| Sat, 13:15 – 13:45 (CEST) | Expert Talk: AI threat or opportunity for science-based industry Speaker/Host:Lars Börger, co-CEO (nova-Institute) |
| Sat, 13:45 – 14:15 (CEST) | Expert Talk: Digitalization, modeling and AI: How much of it is needed in the material world? Speaker/Host:Prof. Dr. Andrea Büttner, Head of Institute (Fraunhofer IVV) |
| Sat, 14:15 – 14:45 (CEST) | Introduction: Digitalization as enabler for the circular economy of plastics Speaker/Host*:Prof. Dr. Holger Ruckdäschel, Head of the Chair of Polymer Materials (Faculty of Engineering at the University of Bayreuth) |
| Sat, 14:45 – 15:15 (CEST) | Expert Talk: DPP made easy – Digital product passport made easy Speaker/Host*: |
| Sat, 15:15 – 15:45 (CEST) | Expert Talk: AI for Sustainability Reporting: The role of AI in sustainability reporting Speaker/Host*: |
| Sat, 15:45 – 16:30 (CEST) | Panel Discussion (GER): “Smart materials need smart systems” Focus: AI in connection with new materials, recycled materials, and bio-compounds Speaker/Host:Dr.-Ing Florian Linscheid, Co-founder (materAlze) |
October 12, „Career Sunday“
| Date & Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Sun, 11:00 – 12:00 (CEST) | Panel zum Recruiting: Mangelware Fachkräfte? – Wege aus der Recruiting-Krise Speaker/Host*:Sofie Dannemann, Packaging Developer (Zott SE) |
| Sun, 12:00 – 14:00 (CEST) | Expert Talks:Recruiting by Gaming, Recruiting by Diversity, Recruiting Stand-up, HR-Bullshit BingoSpeaker/Host:*Dr. |
| Sun, 14:00 – 15:30 (CEST) | Science and Poetry Slam on Plastics and Waste loopwards … ohne Plastik geht es nicht Speaker/Host:* |
| Sun, 16:00 – 16:05 (CEST) | Welcome and Introduction: Women in Plastics Speaker/Host*: |
| Sun, 16:05 – 16:15 (CEST) | Keynote: Women in Plastics Speaker/Host*:Stephanie Kalil, Commercial Vice President Packaging & Specialty Plastics EMEA (Dow) |
| Sun, 16:15 – 16:45 (CEST) | Best Practices: Women in Plastics – Best Practices & Success Stories Speaker/Host*:Kerstin Sochor*, editor-in-chief (Austrian Plastics Journal) |
| Sun, 16:45 – 17:30 (CEST) | Panel Dicussion: Women in Plastics Speaker/Host:Kerstin Sochor*, editor-in-chief (Austrian Plastics Journal) |
| Sun, 17:30 – open end (CEST) | Reception: Women in Plastics Speaker/Host: |
October 13, „Innovation Monday“
| Date & Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Mon, 10:30 – 10:40 (CEST) | Keynote: On Startup Ecosystems Speaker/Host*: |
| Mon, 10:40 – 11:40 (CEST) | Pitch Session I – „Newcomer„ Presentation of 6 startups (10 minutes each) Speaker/Host:*Martin Bellof*, Lead Ventures & Partnering (chemstars) |
| Mon, 11:40 – 12:40 (CEST) | Coffee Break: with networking in the Coffee Area |
| Mon, 12:40 – 13:40 (CEST) | Pitch Session II – „Big Fish“ Presentation of 6 startups (10 minutes each) Speaker/Host*: |
| Mon, 13:40 – 14:40 (CEST) | Coffee Break: with networking in the Coffee Area Speaker/Host: |
| Mon, 13:40 – 14:40 (CEST) | WAK Award Ceremony (GER): Scientific Alliance of Plastics Technology (on the main stage) Speaker/Host*: |
| Mon, 15:00 – 16:00 (CEST) | Panel Discussion: on Innovation Speaker/Host*: |
October 14, „Visionary Tuesday“
| Date & Time | Topic |
|---|---|
| Tue, 10:30 – 11:30 (CEST) | Keynote: Cradle to Cradle – an alternative business case? Speaker/Host*:Prof. Dr. Michael Braungart, Professor for Ecodesign (Leuphana University)Holger Sasse, CEO (NovoTech) |
| Tue, 11:30 – 13:00 (CEST) | Panel: Microplastics – Ways out of the crisisSpeaker/Host*: |
| Tue, 13:15 – 14:00 (CEST) | Expert Talks: Chemical Recycling Speaker/Host*: |
| Tue, 14:00 – 14:15 (CEST) | Keynote: Mechanical Recycling Speaker/Host*:Prof. Thomas Müller-Kirschbaum*, Chief Scientist (Circular Valley) |
| Tue, 14:15 – 15:00 (CEST) | Expert Talk: Bioplastics Speaker/Host*:Prof. Thomas Müller-Kirschbaum*, Chief Scientist (Circular Valley) |
| Tue, 15:00 – 15:30 (CEST) | Expert Talk: TotalEnergy integral approach : Rethink use, Reduce impact, Recycle and develop circularity Speaker/Host*:Prof. Thomas Müller-Kirschbaum*, Chief Scientist (Circular Valley) |
| Tue, 15:30 – 16:00 (CEST) | Expert Talk: When will CCU go mainstream? Speaker/Host*:Prof. Thomas Müller-Kirschbaum*, Chief Scientist (Circular Valley) |
Sponsors and Partners
Plastics Shape the Future is an initiative of the German plastics industry under the leadership
of Plastics Europe Deutschland and Trade Fair Düsseldorf.
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Start-ups: Twelve ideas for the defossilisation of the plastics industry
The startup pitch “Towards Zero” will take place at K 2025 in Düsseldorf on October 13, 2025. The focus is on the defossilization of the plastics industry.
The Plastics Transition: Our Path to a Net Zero Circular Economy
Our vision is to create a sustainable plastics system that continues to meet consumer and societal demands, whilst supporting the transitions of downstream industries.
Women in Plastics – Networking Event
at K 2025
For the first time, K 2025 will feature a dedicated forum by women, for women: Women in Plastics, a platform for inspiration, networking and driving change.
