Held every three years in Düsseldorf, Germany, K Fair is widely regarded as the World’s leading trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry. It brings together more than 3,000 exhibitors from nearly 60 countries, and around 180,000 visitors from all over the world are expected to attend.
With K 2025 on the horizon, we spoke to Thomas Franken, Director of K, to learn more about what to expect from this year’s edition—from the industry’s biggest launches to new initiatives like the fair’s first reusable cup system—and how it all reflects the sector’s shift toward sustainability.
Thomas Franken, Director of K at Messe Düsseldorf, on how K 2025 reflects a changing industry.
© Messe Düsseldorf
K is unique in its scale, scope, and global reach. Every part of the plastics and rubber value chain is represented—raw materials, machinery, applications, services, research, and more. And because it only happens every three years, companies time major launches and innovation announcements to coincide with it. That gives it real weight. People know that when they come to K, they’ll see what’s new, what’s working in other regions, and where the industry is heading.
We wanted a theme that reflects the tension the industry is navigating. Plastics are essential—to healthcare, packaging, mobility, energy, infrastructure, and many more sectors—but we also know we need to use them more responsibly. “Green – Smart – Responsible” describes the shift we need to make: toward circular design, digital tools, and clearer accountability. The industry is under pressure, and there’s no better place than K for us to come together and shape its future.
K’s international scope is one of its biggest strengths. Innovation doesn’t stop at borders—and neither do the challenges we’re all facing. K gives companies the chance to see how others are tackling the same problems, compare what’s working, and make connections they wouldn’t make anywhere else. It also gives exhibitors a rare chance to speak to a global audience in one place, and to get a clearer sense of how needs and priorities differ from market to market.
We’ve been looking at how to reduce event waste in a meaningful way—and with this year’s focus on circularity, it made sense to take a visible step. Single-use cups create a huge amount of waste at large events. Thanks to the right partners, including Borealis, as well as advances in materials and design, we were finally in a position to pilot an effective solution.
The reusable cup system at K 2025 uses Borealis polypropylene made with chemically recycled feedstock from OMV’s ReOil® technology.
© Borealis
To make circularity work, we have to think through the whole system—from materials and design to logistics and end-of-life. No single company can deliver all of that on its own.
In this case, Borealis supplied the modified polypropylene—a foamable grade made with chemically recycled feedstock from OMV’s ReOil® technology—giving us a material that’s lightweight, durable, and fully recyclable. Bockatech, MCC Global IML, Miko Pac and Arburg each contributed to different stages of cup production and labeling. And on site, our logistics team at Messe Düsseldorf established a collection and washing system to return the cups to restaurants and bars for reuse.
In many ways, this project provides a blueprint—not just for reuse systems at events, but for how we build more circular systems across industries.
We want K to lead by example. Using chemically recycled content and ensuring the cups are recyclable aligns with our commitment to circularity. And it also reinforces the message that plastics can be part of the solution, provided they’re used—and reused—responsibly. It’s a small but visible step in the right direction.
The special show, co-organized with Plastics Europe Deutschland, will look at how the industry is changing. The program runs for seven days, each with a different focus theme, including circularity, climate, and AI. There’ll be expert panels from industry, science, and politics, as well as networking opportunities. It’s designed to complement what’s happening in the halls—somewhere to step back and take part in the wider conversations shaping the industry.
Both initiatives are new this year, and both respond to real gaps in the industry. The Young Talents Lounge is aimed at school leavers and early-career visitors—many of whom simply aren’t aware of the range of technical and skilled roles plastics has to offer. It’s about making those paths visible, and giving young people a way in.
“Women in Plastics” brings together senior women from across the global industry to share how they got to where they are, and to help others build their own networks. It’s about raising the visibility of women in leadership and encouraging more women to see themselves in those roles.
Success for us means seeing the halls full of energy. We want the new initiatives, like the reusable cup system and the theme days, to spark curiosity and action. And of course, we want people to leave feeling it was worth being here—that they saw something new, met someone new, and gained perspectives they wouldn’t have found elsewhere.
The K team at Messe Düsseldorf are getting ready to welcome around 180,000 visitors from around the world.
© Messe Düsseldorf
As I just mentioned, a successful K means halls full of energy—and that’s exactly what I’m most looking forward to. That moment on the first day, when the entrance gates open and participants from all over the world flood into the halls, is truly unforgettable. The excitement, the buzz, the sense of shared purpose and global anticipation—that’s what makes K so special for me.
Borealis and Borouge - Curious, Collaborative, Circular
© Borealis
This collaborative effort at K Fair 2025 showcases how innovation, partnership, and circular thinking can transform sustainability at global events. By combining advanced materials, cutting-edge technology, and a shared commitment to reducing waste, the initiative sets a new standard for the future of event sustainability.