Innovating the future

Developing high-quality and high-performance products and solutions that are sustainable can be highly complex and challenging. It requires innovative technologies and some of the best scientists, engineers and most innovative minds, and has been the bedrock of the leaders of our industry for over a century.

With a focus on innovation and significant investments in R&D, process technology and environmental protection, major advances in the sustainability of plastics have been, and continue to be, made. They span the use of sustainable bio-based and plastics waste feedstocks for polymer production, innovative materials and designing for recyclability to significant progress in cutting-edge chemical recycling technologies. It is what allows us to provide the solutions demanded by an ever-changing world.

Plastics have an essential role

We believe our industry has an essential role to play in making plastics more sustainable. Developing the necessary levers requires a concerted effort by everybody who can contribute. This is why collaborating and investing in long-term partnerships with academia, governments, civil society and local communities, and other companies across the plastics value chain is so crucial.

Innovations in building and construction

Using plastics waste that accumulates in the environment to build affordable housing in sub-Saharan Africa is the thrust of a project from Norwegian start-up Othalo.

Learn more about sustainable homes made from plastics waste

Innovations in mobility

By 2050, Michelin’s tyres will be entirely sustainable, made from renewable, recycled or bio-sourced materials. At least, this is the objective announced by the French tyre giant.

Discover how: Carbios and Michelin: on the road towards 100% sustainable tyres in 2050

Innovations in health and wellbeing

A 78-year-old blind man has regained his sight after receiving the world’s first synthetic cornea implant.

See how an artificial cornea was designed to restore sight

Innovations in packaging

By 2030, all plastics packaging in the EU must be recyclable or reusable. This is a major challenge, but one that is inspiring fresh thinking and out of the box concepts.

Discover Hipli, the packaging with several lives

Innovations in agriculture

Farmers seem to have found the magic formula to boost yields using fewer pesticides and less water. In two words: agricultural plastics. They have revolutionised farmers’ daily lives and our eating patterns.

Discover how plastics are sowing the seeds for farming’s future

Innovations in electronics

At the intersection of two worlds – electronics and plastics – plastronics imbues moulded plastics objects with a portion of its intelligence. Plastronics creates smaller, more beautiful and more resistant objects. A new technology without which many connected objects would never have seen the light of day. (© FESTO)

Read about plastronics, an electronic love letter to plastics

Innovations in sport

With little or no crowds, the Tokyo Olympic Games will not go down in history as the most festive games. However, for the athletes, the most important thing will always be performance and records. This means that the equipment will be put to the test, as will the polymers that they are made of.

Discover more Olympic Games: Polymers back in the game