K 2025 - international plastics trade show

Every three years in October, the plastics industry gathers at the exhibition grounds in Düsseldorf. K, the world's largest plastics trade show, opens its doors. The Fakuma trade show, which usually takes place at this time of year, is suspended during this period. As a leading company in the mechanical recycling of engineering plastics and the production of recycled-based compounds, MKV was, of course, present.

The K trade fair is unique in the Western Hemisphere. Nowhere else can you see blow film towers set up and in operation, and several of them from different manufacturers, all in one hall. Only Chinaplas in Shanghai may equally showcase the plastics industry on this scale and in its entirety.

The entire value chain, from raw materials and auxiliary materials to their processing and the necessary machinery, can be experienced at K.  Machines of all kinds from the areas of crushing, extrusion, and thermoforming, as well as the use of the latest software and artificial intelligence (AI), e.g., in injection molding, are on display. Services in and around the plastics industry complement the exhibitor program.

The K trade fair left mixed impressions on the employees of MKV. On the one hand, the atmosphere was very positive, and there was an attempt to create a sense of optimism and a fresh start. On the other hand, the order figures and incoming orders from the industry, as well as announced job cuts, painted a different picture. European processors, recyclers, and compounders, in particular, are currently facing difficulties. It became clear that much of the revenue of many companies is generated outside of Europe and outside of Germany. And in Europe, recycling capacities are decreasing rather than increasing.

Now it is crucial to demonstrate that the positive atmosphere felt at the K trade fair can also be translated into new economic momentum in practice.

For MKV, the K trade show was a success, not least because MKV, together with its project partners Bosch Power Tools and HolyPoly, won the TecPart Innovation Award in the Sustainability category. The award was presented for the closed-loop edition of the Bosch UniversalImpact 800 impact drill. This special edition of the UniversalImpact 800 is the result of the #Powermining project, which represents a pioneering achievement in recycling. In the #Powermining project, engineering plastics, in particular polyamide 6 (PA6), were recovered from old power tools from the WEEE waste stream and reintroduced into a new, equivalent application without any loss of quality. High-quality post-consumer PA6 recyclates with stable availability and in various colors – this is what a circular economy for power tools can look like, and it helps reduce CO₂ emissions. The entire project was certified by TÜV SÜD. MKV, together with its project partners Bosch PT and HolyPoly, is super happy to receive this award.

The collaboration in the area of ​​PPS recycling was also evident. Those who looked closely could spot the MKV logo in the "Sustainable Material Solutions" section at the Toray Industries booth in Hall 6. Toray and MKV have been collaborating on PPS recycling for two years. The Ecouse Torelina product line enables companies to reduce their carbon footprint by incorporating 50% recycled content while maintaining the highest quality.

Many more exciting visits by our employees were also on the agenda, including visits to existing business partners, machine manufacturers, competitors, and friends in the industry. These visits also generated news that will be featured on the MKV NEWS page in the near future. Until then!