We want to work together with our customers to develop long-term responsible solutions for their applications. But there are no patent remedies. We already know the path that leads to our goal of driving the circular economy forward in horticulture and packaging. In the automotive industry, too, we already offer extremely promising approaches – but once again, our own unique concepts are called for. Recycled materials that are used in highly technical plastic applications need to be just as reliably defined in terms of their material properties as virgin plastic – and the cycles in the automotive industry are very different to those for packaging, for example. There must also be no doubt that a product made from recycled material is not automatically recyclable.

Recyclability itself is a category of its own with extremely specific assignments in terms of product development. In order to provide promising and therefore future-oriented solutions, we, along with the entire industry, depend on cooperation with other stakeholders – Germany’s dual system operators, waste disposal companies and others from the fields of science and politics. But the willingness of consumers to join us on this path beyond mere “actionism” is equally important. The optimum choice of material for a specific type of packaging can only be assessed in terms of the entire product life cycle.

Against this background, we focus on three subject areas in this sustainability report: quality, eco design and supply chain. Some of the most important criteria for quality are longevity and product safety. We take the stipulations of eco design as a guideline in order to develop responsible concepts that make both economic and ecological sense. Here again, we need to find the balance between a sustainably responsible solution and product functionality with maximum added value for our customers. In recent years, the premises have shifted in this field of work. While economic aspects tended to dominate product development in the past, recyclability has become increasingly significant today – with palpable effects, for instance, on the choice of materials.

When deliberating responsible product solutions, it is also necessary to take an in-depth look at the supply chain. After all, within the combination of material choice, delivery, production, transport and use, actual added value can only be achieved with efficient processes. In keeping with our aspiration, we believe this includes being able to understand customer processes and influencing them positively.