PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2019

imprint EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Alexander Büchler, Managing Director HEAD OFFICE heidelberg business media GmbH Bunsenstr. 14 69115 Heidelberg, Germany phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 info@hbmedia.net EDITORIAL Kay Barton Heike Fischer Gabriele Kosmehl Michael Maruschke Ruari McCallion Waldemar Schmitke Anthony Withers WikiPETia.info petplanet@hbmedia.net MEDIA CONSULTANTS Martina Hirschmann hirschmann@hbmedia.net Johann Lange-Brock lange-brock@hbmedia.net phone: +49 6221-65108-0 fax: +49 6221-65108-28 LAYOUT AND PREPRESS EXPRIM Werbeagentur | exprim.de Matthias Gaumann READER SERVICES Till Kretner reader@hbmedia.net PRINT Chroma Druck & Verlag GmbH Werkstr. 25 67354 Römerberg Germany WWW www.hbmedia.net | w ww.petpla.net PETplanet Insider ISSN 1438-9459 is published 10 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (1-year subscription 149 EUR, 2-year subscription 289 EUR, Young professionals’ sub- scription 99 EUR. Magazines will be dispatched to you by airmail). Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Note: The fact that product names may not be identified as trademarks is not an indication that such names are not registered trademarks. 3 PET planet Insider Vol. 20 No. 09/19 www.petpla.net This year’s K trade fair in Düsseldorf will open its doors from 16-23 October. Machine and raw material producers traditionally use this event to showcase innovations and cultivate customer contacts. This will be the case again this time. However, business discussions are likely to be overshadowed by the global economic situation. Brexit will happen shortly after the trade fair ends if the EU and UK are unable to reach an agreement. How detailed coop- eration will be handled from 1 November is still unclear. Key global economic indicators are flatlining and contribute to lively discussions on whether the world is slipping into recession, or just taking a breather following many years of growth. A recession is looking increasingly likely if the USA and China continue with their imposition of protective tariffs. But it is not just the economic figures which are open to broad interpreta- tion. What the global environmental community failed to achieve over many years, Greta Thunberg has managed to accomplish with her Friday move- ment in just over 12 months. Climate change and sustainability are now at the top of everyone’s list of priorities and dominate discussions at political level and within industry. Alongside current discussions on sustainability, environmental pollution caused by plastics has become a major issue. Concrete solutions have not amounted to much thus far. Dr Oliver Möllenstädt, Executive Director of the German Association of Plastics Converters (GKV), summed up the current dilemma as follows: “The European Commission and individual national Gov- ernments are attempting to respond to consumer concerns with symbolic ges- tures such as restricting the use of single-use plastics and plastic bags. While this approach might reassure the public in the short term and give them the impression that much is being done, such actions will not have the desired effect in terms of environmental protection and sustainability”. One such example is the EU Directive on restricting the use of single-use plastics, adopted by the European Parliament in March and which is expected to be implemented in Member States by 2021. The Directive covers 10 common items found on EU beaches. Measures being introduced include a ban on a number of single-use plastic products to which the market can offer sustainable alternatives. These items include cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, drink stirrers, cups, expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers, all products made from oxo-degradable plastic, together with balloon sticks. The Directive also sets a 90% collection target for plastic bottles by 2029 (77% by 2025). The Directive also introduces design requirements for attaching caps to bottles, as well as setting targets for recycled plastic content. All PET bot- tles are to consist of 25% of recycled material by 2025 and all plastic bottles to comprise 30% recycled content by 2030. As well as going to Düsseldorf with a large budget, we will also be taking a number of creative and innovative ideas with us to the Rhineland. Your PETplanet Insider Editorial Team Dear readers,