Creating links between ecology and economy - this was one of the key topics of the keynote speech by Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke at the German Packaging Congress 2024 in Berlin. Leaders from politics, industry, retail, brands and NGOs along the value chain accepted the invitation from the German Packaging Institute (dvi) and discussed the upcoming European Packaging Regulation in particular under the motto „Shaping Europe's future“.
What do companies in the packaging industry particularly want? Clarity! And for this, an agreement on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) urgently needed. In the course of the Packaging Congress It became clear time and again that brands and manufacturers PPWR, but there are still points that need to be discussed. are. Judith Skudelny, spokesperson for environmental and consumer protection policy in the FDP parliamentary group in the German Bundestag, expressed similar sentiments, describing the PPWR as „not a success, but not too bad either“. Similar summaries were also heard from other participants at the event.
Lack of consumer education
Another topic that has come up time and again, and which is of particular concern to the industry in the context of the upcoming legal changes, is the Consumer education. One appeal came from Lilith Laux, Senior Packaging Engineer at Henkel. Wherever possible, company employees should take the time to go to nurseries and schools to educate the youngest children about waste separation.
Discussions also arose time and again when looking at packaging materials. Where can plastic be substituted and where are paper and cardboard the right solution? Opinions differed. Where are the Limits of feasibility on the machines? There were discussions on these and other topics during the breaks and, as every year, the event was once again used for dialogue and networking.
While the first two parts of the event focussed on the Transformation along the value chain and practical examples The final topic was digitalisation and packaging. Presentations on HolyGrail 2.0 and the digital product passport provided insights into what will be depicted on packaging in the future. The Standardisation of data and their communication were the focus here.
This thematic block also focussed on cooperation between start-ups and large companies and the added value that can be created for both sides. As usual, the Packaging Congress ended with an „outlier“ topic. Kai Müller, Founder and CEO of Experience One, gave a presentation on the use of generative AI. What is already possible here and what will be possible in the future? The opportunities of the technology for companies and the German economy also took centre stage.
Source: German Packaging Institute e.V.
