NEWS


German converters report 4% sales fall


GKV, the trade organisation that represents German plastics processors, report- ed another fall in turnover last year.


It said this was down to


“domestic reasons” such as lower consumer spending, rising interest rates and high energy prices. GKV said that sales fell to just over €69 billion in 2024, a decline of 4% compared to 2023. Nearly 43% of sales (almost €30bn) were from exports – around 2% lower in value than the preceding year. At the same time, domestic sales fell by more than 6%, to account for nearly €40bn.


“Our industry has the potential for growth,” said Helen Fuerst, president of GKV. “The proverbial silver


German plastics converting, 2024 Sales 2024 (bn€) 39.7 29.7 69.4


Domestic Export Total


Source: GKV


lining on the horizon is gradually becoming visible after two challenging years.” The number of employ- ees in the industry fell by about 2%, to around 313,000, while processing volumes dipped by 5% to 12 million tonnes. Of this, 2.5m tonnes was recyclate – a 4% increase on 2024. The number of processing plants remained stable at just under 3,000 facilities. Figures are not broken down into specific process- es (such as extrusion).


However, the packaging sector – which is most relevant to film and sheet extrusion – saw no change in the amount of material processed (3.8m tonnes). This equated to turnover in the sector of around €16.5bn – a fall of 1.5%, said GKV. For companies in the


sector, the prerequisites for an upturn are relief from high energy costs and a consistent reduction in bureaucracy, she said. � www.gkv.de


Sabic opens PEI in Singapore


Sabic has officially launched its new US$170m Ultem polyetherimide (PEI) resin manufacturing facility in Singapore – the company’s first in the region producing the thermoplastic. The new facility is a


strategic move to support Sabic’s goal of increasing global Ultem production by more than 50% in response to growing demand in Asia-Pacific. “The Ultem resin facility reflects our commitment to


the region’s high-tech economies and advanced manufacturing sectors, supporting the growth of advanced applications,” said Abdulrahman Al-Fageeh, CEO of Sabic. � www.sabic.com


% Change -6.1 -1.7 -4.3


RecyClass updates guidelines


Following 18 testing campaigns commissioned in 2024, RecyClass has strengthened its Recycla- bility Evaluation protocols and Design for Recycling guidelines to address the impact of various packag- ing features on recycling streams. Specifically, small-size packaging, rigid rolling behaviour, and the impact of various decora- tions were assessed with sorting a primary focus. Updates include


revisions within the laminating adhesive section and the inclusion of PVOH as limited compat- ible with the PE recycling stream for coloured flexible PE. Additionally, for rigid packaging, EVA is now recognised as fully compatible with HDPE recycling, and the recom- mendation on PO foamed liners has been extended to the PP stream. Paolo Glerean, Chair-


man of RecyClass, said it is crucial to implement standards that enhance the recyclability of plastic packaging. � https://recyclass.eu


Increase in German packaging recycling rates


Germany achieved a positive mile- stone in 2023 by recycling more packaging than the previous year. This was announced by the German Environment Agency and the Central Agency Packaging Register at a press conference on 21 January, where it was also revealed the German waste


4 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | March 2025


management sector collected, sorted, and recycled more than 5.5m tonnes of packaging waste in 2023. Statutory recycling quotas have


increased significantly since 2018, with dual systems meeting five out of the eight target rates. Some quotas have been exceeded, while for plastics there


are two separate quotas: one for mechanical recycling, and another that includes both recycling and energy recovery. Figures show the share of plastic packaging undergoing mechan- ical recycling increased from 42.1% to 68.9% between 2018 and 2023. � www.umweltbundesamt.de


www.filmandsheet.com


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