When K 2019, the world’s No. 1 trade fair for plastics and rubber, opens its door from October 16 – 23, 2019, in Düsseldorf, Germany, over 3,300 exhibitors from 60 countries will showcase their latest innovations on about 1.9 million square feet net exhibit space. About 200,000 trade visitors from around the world are expected to attend.

The exhibitors’ presentations will be complemented by an ancillary program, addressing current topics of the plastics sector. A highlight will again be the “Plastics shape the future” special show, organized by Plastics Europe in Hall 6/C40, bringing together high-level representatives from politics, science, business and society. “Plastics shape the future” will serve as a central forum for exchange of information, ideas and opinions for both trade visitors and interested laymen. The focus this year will be the innovative power of materials and the industry in terms of resource-saving processes, digitalization, functionality, renewable energies, circular economy and sustainability. Also on the agenda will be critical issues such as marine plastic waste, the throw-away mentality associated with plastic packaging and the use of finite resources for their production.

The special show will feature themed days from October 16 – 22 with lectures, keynote speeches and panel discussions, partly in German, partly in English. Experts from science, industry, politics, local authorities and from non-governmental organizations will provide information and discuss economic, social and ecological challenges and solutions.

The line-up of participants will be as international as the trade fair audience itself. With a focus on marine waste it will range from a CEO fighting for a global initiative to avoid plastic waste in the environment (Alliance to end Plastic Waste) to a national NGO shedding light on awareness-raising measures. The Special Show will deliver global, European, regional and local answers to these pressing issues.

Young researchers at the FabLab Lübeck e.V. will present a preview of the future of robotics and Artificial Intelligence. At their stand they will demonstrate daily how additive manufacturing and robotics are connected with modern materials such as plastics.

The organizers will also bring back the chemist and entertainer Dr. Gerhard Heywang with his exciting plastics experiments presented in German or English on request. On October 20, several Olympic-medal winners, World Champions and European Champions in canoeing representing “Team Kunststoff” (the sponsoring initiative launched by plastics producers in Germany), will be at K answering questions and posing for photos.

Selected Content Highlights at the K 2019 Special Shows:

Wednesday, October 16

Opening of the Special Show with Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, President and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the Exhibitor Advisory Board at K 2019 and Dr. Michael Zobel, Chairman of PlasticsEurope Deutschland Keynote by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste by Dr. Markus Steilemann, CEO Covestro AG

Thursday, October 17

Roundtable Discussion – Plastics for Sustainable Development, featuring representatives from the Austrian Federal Agency for Environment and the European Environmental Agency (EEA)

Friday, October 18

eries of Lectures on the Voluntary Commitment by PlasticsEurope presented by the sustainability initiatives of the European plastics value chain (Ceflex, Polyolefin Circular Economy Platform (PCEP) / petcore Europe / PlastiCircle Europe/ Styrenics Circular Solutions (SCS) / VinylPlus)

Saturday,  October 19

Keynote by the World Plastics Council on global marine waste by Mark Nikolich, CEO Braskem America

For the detailed program of the Special Show “Plastics shape the future”: www.plasticsshapethefuture.de/en/ For specific data on the Circular Economy visit www.k-online.de/hottopics