Multi-Stakeholder Workshop to Discuss Current Developments in the Field of Plastics

On November 6 and 7, 2025, as part of the SynCom project SPHERE, a two-day multi-stakeholder workshop was held at the Michelberger Hotel in Berlin. With the aim of bringing together different voices from regulation, industry, NGOs, and science, the first day was spent discussing challenges and opportunities related to current (political) developments in the field of plastics. On the second day, the focus was on visions for a sustainable future for plastics.

The workshop began with an unusually personal round of introductions: all 33 participants stated their name, organization, and their “favorite plastic object”. The representative of the municipal trade association named a household item made of Bakelite that was at least thirty years old and still functional; an NGO representative and podcast journalist named her headphones, and a Helmholtz researcher described an algae-plastic foam that is created when algae attach plastic particles, rise with air bubbles, and thus clean water and sediment of plastic residues. These concrete objects grounded the debate and made it clear that “plastic” is simultaneously a problem material, cultural material, and field of innovation.

To provide a technical introduction, the speakers covered a wide range of topics from regulation to science and technology: In a tandem keynote speech, Dr. Franziska Krüger and Stefanie Werner (both from the German Federal Environment Agency) highlighted regulatory approaches and measures in the circular economy and marine protection – precisely positioned between the European framework and national implementation. Stefanie Werner pointed out that the existing plastic in the oceans serves as a basis for deriving concrete measures to be taken, and emphasized that many components in the marine sector are already well integrated into the regulations. Dr. Franziska Krüger, on the other hand, identified the lack of economic viability of recycling and recycled materials as a central problem, with prevention being the highest priority. Another aspect related to the fact that the circular economy involves more than just waste management and that political measures should be applied at all stages of the life cycle.

After a joint lunch break, the SPHERE project managers gave brief insights into their respective focus topics. Prof. Dr. Nick Wierckx (FZJ) focused on the physical and technological opportunities and challenges for plastics policy, Paula Roos (UFZ) addressed narratives on plastic degradation and micro- and nanoplastics in science, and Dr. Paul Einhäupl (RIFS/GFZ) concentrated on the current regulatory framework in the plastics sector.

On this basis, the participants continued their work in four parallel breakout sessions: (i) Impact and containment of micro- and nanoplastics, (ii) End-of-life technologies for plastics, (iii) Production of plastics, and (iv) Biodegradable plastics. In the subsequent plenary session, the results were summarized, conflicting goals were identified, and initial priorities were outlined—always with a view to effectiveness, feasibility, and possible rebound effects.

On the second day, a keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Annika Jahnke (UFZ) focused on the global level: Why do we need international regulation for plastics? The classification of the ongoing negotiations on the UN plastics agreement linked international dynamics with national scope – from standards and monitoring to incentive systems for recyclable design. The key messages of her keynote speech were: i) Environmental behavior and fate are difficult to assess when the composition is varied and unknown, ii) the aspect of reduced ecosystem services due to plastic is still receiving little attention, iii) plastic is not just a waste problem, and iv) a globally applicable set of measures paired with additional measures for more ambitious states could be a suitable compromise for a global plastics agreement.

In a roundtable discussion in mixed stakeholder groups, the participants developed visions for the future of Germany: Where should governance instruments be applied, which investments are a priority, how can design for circularity, data transparency, and procurement policy be interlinked in such a way that they generate real environmental relief rather than mere displacement? In the concluding plenary session, all the building blocks came together to form a coherent picture, and the informal exchange deepened cooperation across institutional boundaries.

In a feedback round at the end, participants praised the workshop's diversity of methods, the successful exchange, and the exciting insights and insightful perspectives.

The results of the workshop will be incorporated into a policy brief that will provide decision-makers in the German Bundestag with a robust, interdisciplinary direction with clear priorities and measures.