them all, and they will
them all, and they will all be showcased at the K. K’2022 Preview Show Preview K 2022, “The World’s No. 1 Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber” will again be the stage for approximately 3,000 exhibitors from 61 countries that will occupy Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre in its entirety. The so-called K-Show is expected to attract more than 200,000 trade visitors from all over the world to Düsseldorf between the 19 th and 26 th of October 2022. The latest K in 2019 registered 3,330 exhibitors from 63 countries on 177,000 m² net exhibition space and 224,116 trade visitors, of these 73 % came from abroad. This year, sustainability is of unsurprising focus with two of the three declared guiding themes of the K-show being climate protection and the circular economy. They are the current answers of the industry to the threats of the climate crisis and global plastics pollution, including microplastics. In this race against time to find the best solutions for the end-of-life and feedstock issues of our industry, it is safe to say that claims of recyclability will be everywhere. Yet, real solutions have to go broader, looking at the issues on a wider scale. There is infrastructure to be built and systems to be developed in collaboration of players across the industry. If we really plan to defossilise the industry we need to look at solutions that are biobased, CO 2 -based, and yes, based on recycled material. However, just because a material is recyclable doesn’t make it sustainable – only if it is actually recycled. Mechanical recycling is still the go-to approach here, but it is already becoming clear that even if scaled up it will not be enough to make our economy truly circular, luckily advanced recycling technologies are on the rise, eager to fill part of that gap. The open exchange and dialogue on solution-oriented innovations and sustainable developments across national borders and continents will also be in focus at this year’s K in (Foto: Messe Düsseldorf / Constanze Tillmann) Düsseldorf. It fulfils the ideal prerequisites for engaging in intense On the following pages a number of companies present their exhibits at K 2022. This will be rounded off by a comprehensive K-show-review in issue 06/2022. global networking and for jointly advancing projects. Because nowhere else is the plastics and rubber industry gathered in one place with such a high degree of internationality. There are no silver bullets and different regions in the world require different solutions, be it mechanical or chemical recycling, biobased or biodegradable, or carbon capture and utilisation – we will need Sukano Sukano (Schindellegi, CH) is presenting its circularity-designed products. For 15+ years, Sukano has maximized and diversified the use of biopolymers to contribute to a circular economy. An expert on masterbatches and compounds in biodegradable and biobased polymers with in-house technical knowledge, Sukano recognizes the materials’ significant benefits, properties, and functionalities. Sukano aims to accelerate the growth of biodegradable and compostable packaging and foster innovation in semi-durables and medical applications to expand the market penetration and sustainable profile of biodegradable goods. With a complete portfolio and technical support, the company helps develop applications that optimize production yield, cycle times, and consistency. The K-show is the performance barometer for the entire industry and its global marketplace for innovations. For eight days, the “Who’s Who” of the entire plastics and rubber world will meet here to demonstrate the industry’s capabilities, discuss the latest trends, and set the course for the future. Initially focused on PLA, a biodegradable plastic made from organic sources, Sukano now has expanded into PBS(A) and PEF additive and colour masterbatches. The newest addition is the SUKANO ® PHA colours, which allow fully compostable end applications. Sukano’s Global Product Manager for Bioplastics, Daniel Ganz, will introduce the PHA colour palette and concept at the Bioplastics Business Breakfast on October 21, 2022. Climate protection and the circular economy are not only guiding themes of the trade show but are (and always have been) among the core targets of the bioplastics community, not only at the exhibitors’ stands but also in the supporting programme of K 2022, e.g. the 5 th Bioplastics Business Breakfast conferences hosted by bioplastics MAGAZINE (see pp 8 for details). www.sukano.com 8a H28 30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/22] Vol. 17
Gianeco Gianeco (Turin, Italy) is one of the first companies in Europe to successfully start recycling renewable, biodegradable, and compostable materials such as PLA, PBAT, PBS, and their compounds. One of our main products is recycled PLA (polylactide), a thermoplastic polyester polymerised from maize, i.e. from renewable sources. Polylactide is extremely versatile and is used in a wide variety of applications: for sheet and panel extrusion, injection moulding, compounding, and 3D printing. Among the latest products developed by Gianeco in collaboration with national research centres is Biogeo, a compound containing PLA, PBAT, and starch, for the extrusion of blown film; its use is aimed at the production of bags for organic waste and supermarkets. Recycled bioPBS will be also present among their products at the K show 2022. Gianeco staff are actively working on new solutions to recycle other biopolymers such as PHA and PHB, which still occupy only a small part of the bioplastics market. Why choose Gianeco’s recycled biopolymer? • it is 100 % recycled, thus contributing to the circular economy • it comes from renewable resources • is competitively priced compared to virgin biopolymers • has a low impact on the environment (biodegradable and compostable according to EN13432) • has a low carbon footprint www.gianeco.com 7.2 E10 K’2022 Preview traceless Traceless is a female-founded circular bioeconomy startup from Hamburg, Germany, offering a holistically sustainable alternative to conventional plastics and bioplastics to solve global plastic pollution! Their innovative, patented technology for the first time allows using food production residues to produce materials that are compostable under natural composting conditions. While biobased, the materials don’t cause land-use change, don’t need any hazardous additives or solvents and have up to 87 % lower CO 2 emissions. Being neither chemically modified nor synthetically polymerized, they don’t fall under the EU Plastic Directive and by considering all impact indicators, traceless materials are uniquely sustainable. Already competitive with conventional plastics and bioplastics in quality, on an industrial production scale, their materials will be price competitive with virgin plastic, allowing to produce sustainable, affordable products for end customers of all demographics and income levels to become part of the solution to solve global plastic pollution. www.traceless.eu 8b F37-03 UBQ UBQ Materials (Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel) is a climate tech developer of advanced materials made from unsorted waste, including all organics. The company diverts residual municipal solid waste from landfills and converts it into UBQ , a climate-positive thermoplastic that helps manufacturers reduce their carbon footprints, operate more sustainably, and power a circular economy. UBQ is a sustainable alternative to oil-based resins and other conventional raw materials, compatible with thousands of applications across diverse industries. The homogeneous raw material is USDA bio preferred and has UL2809 certification, as it contains 100 % postconsumer recycled content. UBQ Materials executives will be on hand at K 2022 to showcase its global expansion, starting with a large-scale facility in the Netherlands that will begin operating in 2023. UBQ Materials will also demonstrate final products from a wide variety of industry leaders, including McDonald’s, PepsiCo and Mercedes-Benz, that are using UBQ to manufacture throughout their supply chains, including consumer-facing products. www.ubqmaterials.com 7.1 A44 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/22] Vol. 17 31
