What does it take to reshape the chemical industry for a circular future in terms of materials, markets, and supply chains? This was discussed by Manuel Häußler together with other leading representatives from startups, corporations, and research institutions. 📌 Recorded live at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025. 🎧 Listen to the full discussion 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6VteRHK

𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. ♻️ Real change starts with the right language and framing. In the debate on how to transform to circular systems, I often hear expressions that are in fact foremost protecting the interests of legacy industries. "Level playing field" is one such ruse often used by the representatives of the old, linear systems in plastics...and even by true circularity champions (looking at you Anja Siegesmund, Klaus Wohnig and many more 👀 ). On the surface, sounds good and fair, right? But when you think deeper about it, the plastic producing industry has a head start of 70+ years over circularity - plastic production began at industrial scale in the 1950s. This "unlevel playing field" in favor of linear industries included (and still does) massive governmental subsidies - in Germany alone: Industriestrompreis; exemption from mineral oil/energy taxation; no levy of "EU plastic tax" on the individual petrochemical player...the list goes on. So, whenever I hear people in the debate speak of "we need a level playing field for circularity", I am irritated. 𝐔𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞. Why give the linear industries a "softer landing" when what is really needed for true transformation is an "unlevel playing field in favor of circularity"? 💡 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐩𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. Not just "pari-pari", as this would slow the change and undermine investor confidence. 🔊 If you want to create the conditions for real change in the market, you must tip the balance in favor of circularity - that is why the call should be for an unlevel playing field in favor of circularity. Then, investments and economies of scale will follow faster than you can say the word circular.

♻️ 𝗘𝗽𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝟲: 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 In this episode of Plastic. Climate. Future., we speak with Dr. Christine Bunte, Managing Director of Plastics Europe, about what it really means to make plastics circular — and why achieving it is far more complex than simply recycling more. Christine brings a unique perspective, blending a background in polymer chemistry with years in public affairs, now representing Europe’s plastics producers at the center of policy and industry change. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲: 📦 Why “well-made” packaging can be more sustainable than we think ⚗️ The role of chemical and mechanical recycling in scaling circularity 💰 How cost, innovation, and regulation intersect — and where the bottlenecks are 🛍️ Why making circularity attractive to consumers is just as critical as policy targets 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts. - Mateusz Wielopolski, John Sewell, Pedro Guincho and Katarína Vargicová #PlasticClimateFuture #PlasticsEurope #Podcast #ChemicalRecycling #GreenTransformation #CircularEconomy #CarbonReduction #Innovation

🚗 Would you be willing to buy a used car for a higher price than a new one? Certainly not. But this is the challenge the recycling industry faces right now. Despite growing momentum for circular solutions, the market still favors new products. Not because they’re better, but because they’re cheaper. 😡 Thanks Global Plastics Treaty. Not. In the new episode of Circularity.fm, Christian Schiller, Manuel Häußler, Gerben Meier, Peter Seeberger, and moderator Leonhard Nima discuss the role of chemistry in enabling a circular economy, and how policy, infrastructure, and investment shape the conditions for circularity. Here’s what you’ll hear in this panel discussion: 📉 Virgin materials are cheaper. Even with long-distance shipping, recycled alternatives often cannot compete on price 🚮 Recycling infrastructure remains inefficient. Collection, sorting, and decontamination systems need to be scaled across markets 🏦 Long-term certainty is needed to unlock capital-intensive investments. Europe has a chance to lead by providing clear regulatory frameworks and incentives This episode was recorded at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025 and is part of our series in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC. 🎧 Full episode available on the Circularity.fm website, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Link in the comments 👇 #CRF25 #CircularEconomy #Chemistry #Recycling

I had the pleasure of taking part in the Innovation Forum's podcast where Ian Welsh and I talked at length about the economics of waste and why some packaging continues to be incinerated or landfilled when they can absolutely be #recycled. We also delved into ways that this can be solved by FMCG companies or in the B2B sector and what benefits this can bring to many businesses large and small. I encourage you to give it a listen !

🎙️ Excited to share my first SPALECK Circular Economy Talk podcast as co-host with Rainer Elfring – recorded a few weeks ago and now officially out! We had the chance to visit Zero Waste Group Kft. in Hungary and talk to Dominik Wiedner and Attila Sarkady, two real professionals who built one of the most advanced RDF plants in Europe. The focus? Pure recycling insight – from deep process knowledge to the key role of SPALECK’s screening technology and our ModularDESIGN+ concept. Together with Zero Waste, we found the perfect machine setup for high-level RDF processing. It was a great day, a great exchange – and huge respect to Dominik and Attila for openly sharing their knowledge in support of the circular economy. 🙌 📺 Watch the full episode now on YouTube https://lnkd.in/e9pKkVQT and connect with us at SPALECK GmbH & Co. KG #WasteManagement #CircularEconomy #RecyclingTechnology

🚛 #Recycling won’t save plastics. #Rethinking design will! 💭 ♳ Plastics won’t become circular just because we recycle more. They’ll only become circular when we design for it - from the molecule to the market. ♻️ That’s the uncomfortable truth Christine Bunte (Managing Director, Plastics Europe Germany) and we dive into in the latest episode of Plastic. Climate. Future. 👉 Well-designed plastics can outperform bad substitutes. 👉 Recycling (mechanical and chemical) is not a silver bullet - it’s a system challenge. 👉 Circularity will fail unless consumers, regulators, and industry move in sync. 🌍 Circular plastics are possible - but they’re far from inevitable. 🎧 Listen as always on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or our website (link in comments) #CircularEconomy #Plastics #ClimateAction #CircularDesign #SustainableMaterials #Innovation #Packaging #Recycling #PlasticsFuture

♻️✨ Ready to dive deeper into the How2Recycle label? Check out ICPG's latest Crazy About Packaging podcast featuring our very own Senior R&D Project Manager, Nyssa Thongthai! 💬 "Our goal is to help consumers recycle with confidence while also supporting our members in staying compliant with any of these regulations around recyclability claims," Nyssa said. "We want to make recycling easier and consistent with everyone. We do so through our clear and standardized label, and behind each label that you see on pack is a carefully developed assessment process." 🔍 Learn more about that assessment process, why clear disposal instructions are key for consumer education, and how labels like How2Recycle can support a circular economy in Nyssa's sit down with Natalie K. MacVarish, Mike Moren, and Jonathan Cage. 🎧 Listen here: https://hubs.ly/Q03D7n140 #How2Recycle #CircularEconomy #SustainablePackaging #RecyclingMadeEasy #EcoFriendly #PackagingInnovation #RecycleRight

This hits hard — we’re seeing the same pressure points across the waste and recycling sector right now. The financial squeeze on plastic recyclers is real, and it’s already reshaping how projects get scoped and funded. I think the bigger question is: who’s going to step up with a viable model that balances legislation, brand responsibility, and operational reality? Because without that alignment, we’ll keep seeing facilities shutting their doors. Really interested to hear how others in the industry are navigating this — what’s the most immediate fix you’d put on the table?

📣 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘄 What does it take to move chemical recycling from pilot projects to industrial reality? In this episode of Plastic. Climate. Future., we speak with Valentijn de Neve, CEO of BlueAlp and President of Chemical Recycling Europe, ahead of the 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 (𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱)  — taking place 16 September in Brussels. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 — 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗿? 🎧 This episode unpacks why the upcoming forum isn’t just another industry meetup — it’s a strategic moment for anyone serious about the future of circular plastics in Europe: 🔹 What sets CREF 2025 apart — and why it comes at a critical time 🔹 How regulation, innovation, and demand are aligning to drive real change 🔹 What to expect — and why it’s worth being in the room 🎟️ Register now: https://lnkd.in/eg4TGEMc 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or here: https://lnkd.in/e75DFpQe -- Mateusz Wielopolski, John Sewell, Katarína Vargicová #CREF2025 #ChemicalRecyclingEurope #PlasticClimateFuture #ChemicalRecycling #CircularEconomy #MassBalance #PlasticsInnovation #SustainablePlastics #GreenTransition #BlueAlp #Podcast #PlasticWaste #EventPromo