Press releases

The Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE and Plastics Europe Deutschland have announced a joint event on October 9, 2025 at the K Trade Fair. The “Circular Thursday” will take place as part of the special show Plastics Shape the Future in Hall 6, Stand C40, and will present approaches to achieving a climate-neutral circular economy for plastics. K is the world’s leading trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry. As the second themed day of the K 2025 programme, Circular Thursday will focus entirely on circularity and sustainable innovation.

Two days full of interesting discussions and presentations - that was the conclusion of the first Circular Valley Convention at the Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf.

From sustainable product developments and exciting masterclasses to an interactive ‘miniature wonderland’ - visitors can discover circular approaches to shaping the future of the plastics industry. At the Circular Valley Convention (CVC) 2025 in Düsseldorf from 12 to 13 March 2025, the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE will be presenting innovative solutions for a circular plastics economy.

As part of the new “CircularInFoam” project, researchers at Fraunhofer CCPE are developing sustainable, circular insulation materials based on recyclates and biopolymers. In view of the challenges in the building sector, which is responsible for 35% of final energy consumption in Germany, the project aims to reduce heat loss and support climate neutrality by 2045. Preliminary work is already being presented at BAU 2025 in Munich.

The odor of recycled plastics is a major challenge for their recycling and requires customized solutions. Recyclates can have undesirable odors that come from various sources, such as microbiological degradation or residues of previous contents. This is precisely where the Fraunhofer CCPE compact on December 5, 2024, on the topic of “Emission and odor optimization in plastics and recyclates” comes in. Prof. Andrea Büttner, Board of Management Member of the Fraunhofer CCPE and Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, provides initial answers to key questions in this interview.

Recycling is resource protection. This is confirmed by the study published today by Fraunhofer UMSICHT on behalf of Interzero. In 2023, the circular economy service provider Interzero avoided a total of 1.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by recycling around 2.5 million tonnes of recyclable materials. At the same time, Interzero was able to save over 11.1 million tonnes of primary resources together with its customers. In order for the transformation to a circular economy to succeed, new cycles must also be established for material groups that were previously neglected.

What topics are currently important for the circular economy Prof Dr. Manfred Renner, Head of the Fraunhofer Cluster Circular Plastics Economy CCPE, talks about the current challenges and opportunities. From necessary guidelines, like the national circular economy strategy, to the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation, such as the Circular Valley Convention in Düsseldorf in March 2025.

The sense of smell, often underestimated, plays an important role in our daily lives. In the circular economy, particularly in recycling, odor is a significant issue. Often, foul-smelling recyclates make the recycling process more challenging. This is where the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE comes in, developing various strategies to reduce odors in plastic recyclates.