Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • CEO Issue
    • Diversity
    • Best Places to Work
      • 2022 winners
    • Processor of the Year
    • Rising Stars
    • Women Breaking the Mold
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • BRICS and Plastics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • Reuters Responsible Business Europe 2022
    • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Resin Prices
    • All Resins
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
November 12, 2018 01:00 AM

German packaging firms expect growth, but new rules await

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Plastic packaging currently accounts for 44 percent of the German packaging market.

    The German plastic packaging industry is set to grow in 2018 as the country braces for more stringent packaging rules in 2019.

    According to figures published by the German Plastics Packaging Industry Association (IK), the sector is expected to register a 5.1 percent year-on-year increase in sales, reaching 15.4 billion euros ($17.3 billion) by the end of 2018, with volumes rising 3.9 percent to 4.5 million metric tons.

    “The plastic packaging industry is continuing to benefit from generally very good economic conditions in Germany,” Inga Kelkenberg, an IK industry expert said as she reported on the current situation.

    According to Kelkenberg, “negative reports and discussions in the media” have not had effects on the market, which has posted noticeable growth in all segments.

    Additionally, the ability to pass on rising raw material prices has helped the growth in revenue, she noted, but added that the industry will continue to confront the twin challenges of rising energy costs and shortage of skilled labor.

    The IK (Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen e.V.) is the trade association representing the interests of plastic packaging and industrial films manufacturers in Germany and Europe.

    The predominantly medium-sized companies in the sector employ over 90,000 people and generate annual sales of 15 billion euros ($16.9 billion). Plastic packaging currently accounts for 44 percent of the German packaging market.

    Germany is set to introduce a new packaging act in 2019 which will require all businesses placing goods on the German market to register with the central packaging registry.

    The new act aims to improve the existing law on packaging by focusing on recycling and the prevention of packaging waste. As part of the new law, an impartial central office will be set up to check that all packaging placed on the German market is licensed properly.

    Additionally, the new act will increase recycling targets for different materials, reaching 63 percent for plastic by 2022, up from the current 36 percent. A target of 90 percent has been set for metal, glass and paper and board by 2022. The act will also encourage reusable packaging, setting a goal for total reusable beverage packaging of 70 percent.

    Furthermore, the act will offer incentives for packaging producers to incorporate recyclability considerations into packaging design.

    The extent of the new act's impact on the plastics packaging industry is not yet clear.

    “The packaging act is going to influence the fees for the collection systems. This means, for example, that non-recyclable packaging would get more expensive. [But] to what extent is still not known,” Kelkenberg said in a written statement to Plastics News Europe.

    What is clear is that different parts of the supply chain will have to work closer together to achieve the ambitious targets set by the new act. 

    “We have to double the recycling rate quite soon, so efforts are needed to improve the design of the packages [for recycling] and to improve sorting and the waste stream,” she noted.  

    Another area that needs to be addressed is the creation of markets for recyclates, so manufacturers can use them in their products and verify their recycled content rates. 

    In addition, big players may have to rethink their marketing strategies and reduce their use of “shiny or colorful” packaging, according to Kelkenberg. 

    “We will need more dialogue along the value chain. In fact, a lot is happening now in this regard,” she added. 

    IK is currently informing its members about the packaging act and is offering training sessions on the new regulation as well as on how to advance ‘design for recycling' in the coming year. 

    The trade association will also publish "ecodesign guidelines" for the plastic packaging industry next year to support its members in complying with the new regulations. 

    Overall, the IK leader pointed to a slowdown in economic growth in Germany, and its potential impact on the packaging sector, which she said is “closely connected” to the general economy.  

    It is expected that the German GDP will grow 1.6 percent next year after a somewhat higher growth this year. This, according to Kelkenberg, will “most probably influence the demand for packaging.” 

    Some of the bigger industries in Germany, such as the chemical and automotive segments, have already shown signs of slowdown, the IK official concluded.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Natech Plastics buys three new injection presses
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    California passes strictest plastics law in US, with EPR and recycling targets
    2
    Material Insights: Explaining the excise tax; why are PS prices rising; and how California will impact EPR
    3
    IRS provides guidance for how excise taxes will impact resin pricing
    4
    Congress debates pause on plastics growth, ‘disposable communities'
    5
    Packaging suppliers face winding pathway on the road to sustainability
    SIGN UP FOR TO RECEIVE THESE EMAILS AND ENEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Urethanes Technology
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Tire Business
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • CEO Issue
        • Diversity
        • Best Places to Work
          • 2022 winners
        • Processor of the Year
        • Rising Stars
        • Women Breaking the Mold
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • BRICS and Plastics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • Reuters Responsible Business Europe 2022
        • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Resin Prices
      • All Resins
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified