The German Plastics Packaging Association (IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen) met with a leading figure from Dow Chemical Co. recently to underline the need for cooperation between raw material producers and processors.
The meeting was sparked by the high number of force majeure notifications in Germany and Europe in the past year, which has led to significant pressure on the producers of plastics packaging.
As a result, raw material shortages triggered price increases.
IK President Roland Roth met with Javier Constante, commercial vice president of Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics EMEA, at the Dow site in Horgen, Switzerland.
Roth said: "Producers and processors have gone separate ways for a long time. We must ensure that the tensions we experienced in 2015, I need only say 'force majeure,' are not repeated. Our industry must close ranks."
Constante added: "We believe that the European packaging industry will continue to grow. Europe is not only a market, but first and foremost an innovation production location. We view the future positively and plan to maintain capacities and offer new products on the market."
Roth and Constante also agreed on cooperation between raw material producers and processors in respect of the often unfairly negative image of the industry perceived by the public.