Circular Economy Plastics and Circularity – Caught between Necessity and Potential

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K 2025 from 8 to 15 October in Düsseldorf has set itself the goal of addressing the central issues of our times. One of its three Hot Topics reads “Shaping the Circular Economy”. Reason enough to shed some light on the current state of affairs in terms of circularity six months ahead of the world-leading trade fair of the plastics and rubber industry.

The world is experiencing a raw material crisis: more than 100 billion tons of raw materials are consumed annually but over 90 % of the raw materials used are not recycled. An alarming ratio flagged up by the European Investment Bank (EIB). Rising CO₂ costs, volatile raw material prices and geopolitical insecurities put additional pressure on companies to manage resources more carefully.

Circularity is considered the decisive lever for achieving a sustainable future. An analysis by management consultancy Material Economics shows that Europe could save 450 million tons of CO₂ equivalents through closed material cycles by 2030 – this corresponds to 8 % of the current emissions. In the long term, the Ellen Macarthur Foundation forecasts that up to 45 % of emissions could be avoided by a closed-loop circular economy.