Evening Parliamentary Gathering of the National Plastics Association
The German Plastics Processing Industry Association (GKV) hosted its annual Parliamentary Evening on July 8, 2025, bringing together over 100 guests to discuss new growth opportunities and challenges facing the sector. The event, held in the rooms of the German Parliamentary Society, was moderated by journalist Anke Plaättner.
GKV President Helen Fürst opened the discussion, highlighting the promising growth driven by sustainability and recycling innovations. She expressed optimism and called for a mindset shift towards greater trust in the responsibility of businesses within the plastics processing industry.
The circular plastics market is expanding rapidly, with Germany projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of about 10.1% through 2035. This growth is driven by regulatory requirements, brand commitments, and innovations in recycling that support a sustainable, zero-waste economy. Circular plastics are a major pillar for packaging, automotive, and consumer goods sectors.
Advances in sustainable materials, such as Dow’s new Innate TF 220 resin for flexible packaging, improve recyclability and processing efficiency while maintaining product performance. This technical opportunity marks a significant step forward for German plastics processors.
However, unresolved trade disputes and market uncertainties remain significant challenges. There remains significant uncertainty around trade tariffs and political risks, especially concerning U.S.-EU relations. This uncertainty hampers investment decisions and market growth. The overall sales outlook is cautious, with some associations expecting flat or slightly declining sales if new orders are not ramped up quickly.
The plastics processing sector faces competitiveness challenges due to factors like energy costs and geopolitical tensions, which can impact production costs and investment willingness. These challenges were expressed as concerns by Fürst, as well as Michael Thews MP (SPD) and Julian Joswig MP (Alliance 90/The Greens), who were part of the discussion.
Christian Bonten from the Institute for Plastics Technology, University of Stuttgart, also participated in the discussion, advocating for a mindset shift towards greater trust in the responsibility of businesses within the plastics processing industry.
The conversation at the Parliamentary Evening highlighted the need for collaboration between industry leaders, politicians, and researchers to overcome the challenges faced by the plastics processing industry. The event concluded with a get-together, providing an opportunity for further discussions and networking.
In summary, German plastics processors see promising growth driven by sustainability and recycling innovations amid a cautiously improving economic environment. However, unresolved trade disputes and market uncertainties remain significant challenges discussed at the Parliamentary Evening in 2025.
- The German Plastics Processing Industry Association (GKV) emphasized the need for a mindset shift towards greater trust in the responsibility of businesses within the plastics processing industry, during their discussion on new growth opportunities and challenges at the 2025 Parliamentary Evening.
- The growth in the circular plastics market is driven by regulatory requirements, brand commitments, and innovations in recycling that support a sustainable, zero-waste economy, with Germany projected to grow at a CAGR of about 10.1% through 2035.
- Despite the promising growth driven by sustainability and recycling innovations, the plastics processing sector faces competitiveness challenges due to factors like energy costs and geopolitical tensions, which can impact production costs and investment willingness, as expressed by GKV President Helen Fürst and politicians Michael Thews MP (SPD) and Julian Joswig MP (Alliance 90/The Greens).
