Broadly speaking, the regulations governing plastic packaging aim to reduce waste volumes, promote recycling and encourage a more sustainable use of resources. But a complex and increasingly opaque system of European, national, and local regulations has evolved in practice, one that is characterized less by environmental effectiveness than by growing bureaucracy and significant additional costs.

The controversial “plastics tax” is becoming a massive threat to small and medium-sized enterprises in Germany. Until now, the federal budget has covered the annual costs of approximately €1.3 – 1.4 billion. But current plans by the federal government envisage shifting these costs directly to the manufacturers and importers in order to plug holes in the budget.

This represents a significant additional burden that could even threaten the very existence of companies in the plastics processing industry. Manufacturers of plastic packaging are already grappling with licensing fees payable to dual systems as well as levies under the Single-Use Plastic Fund Act (EWKFondsG). The proposed plastics tax of €0.80 per kilogram of non-recycled plastic would create yet another significant burden. It is reasonable to assume that these costs will be passed down the value chain – ultimately affecting the end consumer.

One example aptly illustrates the magnitude of the problem: in the worst-case scenario, a medium-sized manufacturer with annual revenue of €100 million would be left facing a payment of up to €25 million in plastics tax. It would not be possible to generate this amount from ongoing business operations, so it would have to be passed on. Yet it will significantly affect a company’s liquidity nonetheless. After all, the plastics tax will be due in the form of monthly advance payments. Given industry-standard payment terms of 60 to 120 days, this would mean that several million euros would have to be prefinanced month for month, thus creating a significant financing gap that many companies would no longer be able to bridge.

The consequences would be serious: plant closures, the relocation of production abroad, job losses and – last but not least – a decline in government tax revenue. Known for its innovative strength, reliability and long-standing experience, the plastics processing industry in Germany would then be left facing one of the most serious threats it has encountered in recent years. And the industry would not be alone:  if plastics are no longer processed, there will no longer be a need for machine and tool manufacturing or indeed for plastics production itself.

Here at Fernholz Verpackungen, we are therefore calling for the economic realities of small and medium-sized enterprises to be taken into account when designing the plastics tax. We are also advocating for the identification of viable solutions that will ensure our industry’s continued existence and competitiveness.

These include, among others, realistic transitional periods with due consideration of current taxes, along with incentive programmes for investments in recycling technologies and sustainable packaging solutions. This is the only way to strike a balance between environmental responsibility and economic competitiveness.

Recycled polystyrene (rPS) makes a significant contribution to helping the food industry achieve its sustainability goals while meeting legal requirements. In Europe, approximately 800,000 metric tonnes of polystyrene are produced annually as a raw material, of which a significant portion is used in the production of food packaging. This means that the potential for recycling is equally high.

A key factor for the enduring success of Fernholz Verpackungen is the outstanding expertise and commitment of our employees. In-house training is a crucial aspect here. Facing increasingly fierce competition for qualified junior staff, the targeted promotion and recruitment of trainees is becoming more and more important.

With this in mind, Fernholz Verpackungen has developed various new measures in the area of recruitment. Our aim is to get young people interested in the varied career prospects in plastics processing at an early stage and to keep them at our company in the long term. Here, we consciously target committed secondary school students, and not just those with university entrance qualifications.

We offer interested young people qualified training in a forward-looking company that provides a successful blend of tradition and innovation.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you require additional information.

Meinerzhagen, 08.05.2026

Fernholz Verpackungen has taken yet another step in its long-term sustainability strategy and joined the Europe-wide RecyClass initiative. By doing so, the company is emphasizing its consistent focus on the increased use of recycled raw materials and the development of sustainable plastic packaging and sheets, particularly for the food and dairy industries.

RecyClass aims to improve the quality of plastic waste, strengthen the circular economy and reduce the use of virgin plastic. The initiative provides guidelines and tools to design packaging that can be recycled efficiently in existing facilities. To do so, it assesses the recyclability of packaging in classes A-F according to its waste management compatibility, as well as the recyclate content. The certification scheme ensures that recycled materials used for packaging come from verified sources and are traceable.

RecyClass has adopted a scientific yet practical approach that is consistent with Fernholz Verpackungen’s ongoing investment in developing sustainable solutions for yogurt cups, trays, lids and sheets. The company had already achieved a significant success with the inclusion of its basic recycling process for polystyrene (rPS) in the Union Register of Novel Technologies maintained by the European Union.

“Membership of the RecyClass initiative is another important building block in our long-term process. In particular, we expect this collaboration to yield additional technical support and vigorous know-how transfer,” explains Uwe Fernholz, Managing Partner of Fernholz Verpackungen. “Our aim is to tap into new and better sources of secondary raw materials and to ensure their consistent introduction into the development of sustainable packaging products. It is crucial that raw material manufacturers, processors, brand owners and the food retail trade accept their shared responsibility.”

By joining RecyClass, Fernholz Verpackungen is reaffirming its commitment to innovation, quality and sustainability and yet again flying the flag for a forward-looking development of the plastic packaging industry.

Meinerzhagen, 22.04.2026

The underlying recycling process for polystyrene (rPS) developed by Fernholz Verpackungen was included in March 2026 as one of 24 technologies in the new European Union “Union Register of Novel Technologies”. This publicly accessible register lists innovative plastic recycling processes for food packaging that have not yet been fully assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), but which make an important contribution to the development of future-proof packaging solutions.

Since 2019, Fernholz Verpackungen has been working intensively on the recycling of polystyrene for use in the food industry. The objective was to establish a functioning circular economy for polystyrene with food contact. Various partners are now available as raw material suppliers. As part of the process, polystyrene is collected, sorted and processed by the respective partner from the post-consumer recycling stream. Fernholz then combines the resulting rPS with a functional barrier made of virgin polystyrene, thereby ensuring compliance with food safety regulations.

Since 2020, Fernholz has been offering this process for various packaging types and applications. In particular, the process has become an important pillar for the company in the FFS (form-fill-seal) process used by dairies and other food sectors. The underlying rPS process was registered as a “Novel Technology (NTN)” and is now officially listed in the EU register.

“The fact that our rPS process is among the few technologies included in the Union Register of Novel Technologies from the outset is both a great honour and a strong source of motivation for us,” explain Managing Directors Uwe Fernholz and Michael Roth. “This now enables us to offer our customers greater legal certainty when placing rPS on the market in compliance with the PPWR. At the same time, it reminds us that innovation and flexibility are key success factors for medium-sized companies as well. Our next milestone is the EFSA evaluation.”

Five production lines at two sites are now registered in the Union Register – all under the newly established NTN framework. With this available capacity, Fernholz makes an important contribution to ensuring stable supply chains. Moreover, the consistent use of recycled material is particularly advantageous in the current geopolitical climate, as it helps cushion price developments and strengthens security of supply.

A practical example of the application of Fernholz rPS is the joint project “Milsani Topi rPS Dairy Cup” with ALDI Einkauf SE & Co. oHG and ZOTT. In this project, Fernholz film made from recycled polystyrene is used for the production of FFS film.

With this step, Fernholz Verpackungen underscores its long-standing expertise in the development and implementation of sustainable packaging solutions for the food industry.

Fernholz Verpackungen is consistently pushing its growth strategy at its film production site in Schkopau, Saxony-Anhalt. As part of the ongoing investment programme, another high-performance extruder was recently commissioned.

With this investment, Fernholz Verpackungen has completed the extensive package of measures launched in 2022. In the first step, more than 2,250 m² of additional space was created for production and storage, as well as around 250 m² for cooling, power supply and silos. This was followed by extensive modernisation of the infrastructure, including the electricity, water and air supply. With the commissioning of a new extruder in 2023, the company increased extrusion capacity at the site, enabling in particular the development of additional new, recyclable grades of film. This allows Fernholz Verpackungen to reliably meet the steadily growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions made from recycled polystyrene (rPS), including on international markets.

A 75% increase in silo capacity provides the company with scope for a greater variety of material types and secures the supply of material, thereby strengthening Fernholz Verpackungen’s resilience to market fluctuations.

The commissioning of another high-performance extruder at the end of 2025 will mark the provisional completion of the investment programme. This modern system has been specifically designed for the production of polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) films with thicknesses ranging from 200 to 2000 µm and widths of 200 to 1200 mm.

“Particularly in the current challenging economic situation in Germany and Europe, our goal is to remain competitive over the long term by implementing high-performance systems,” emphasises Michael Roth, Managing Director of Fernholz at the Schkopau site. “With these investments, Fernholz underlines its commitment to the site and its role as a reliable partner for high-quality film solutions in Europe.”

Fernholz Verpackungen, together with ALDI Einkauf SE & Co. oHG and the ZOTT dairy, received the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe (PRSE Award) in the Product Technology Innovation category. With their decision, the international jury of experts recognized in particular the outstanding innovative drive and commitment of Fernholz Verpackungen in the area of sustainable plastic packaging. 

Meinerzhagen, 07.05.2026

The Plastics Recycling Awards Europe is considered one of the most important prizes in the European plastics recycling industry. It honors pioneering developments in the use of recycled materials, product design and innovative manufacturing technologies. The award ceremony was held on May 6, 2026 during the Plastics Recycling Show Europe (PRSE) in Amsterdam.

What sets the joint Milsani Topi rPS Dairy Cup project between ALDI Einkauf SE & Co. oHG, Fernholz Verpackungen and ZOTT apart is the use of FFS sheets (Form-Fill-Seal), which ensures that packaging is produced, filled and sealed in a single, highly efficient process. Fernholz Verpackungen uses sheets made from recycled polystyrene (rPS) in order to meet the ambitious sustainability targets of the food industry and legislators.

The Milsani Topi dessert is available in all countries in which ALDI Nord, ALDI SOUTH and Hofer sell the Milsani Topi product. This international roll-out of a product in an FFS packaging sheet made from rPS is unparalleled.

Meinerzhagen, 23.03.2026

Joint project by ALDI Einkauf SE & Co. oHG, Fernholz Verpackungen and ZOTT nominated for the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe.

The Plastics Recycling Awards Europe recognise outstanding achievements and innovations in the European plastics recycling industry. Categories include the use of recycled materials, product design and innovative manufacturing methods.

The collaborative Milsani Topi rPS Dairy Cup Project by ALDI Einkauf SE & Co. oHG, Fernholz Verpackungen and ZOTT is among the finalists vying for an award in the Product Technology Innovation category.

Milsani is a central own brand for dairy products from ALDI Nord, ALDI SÜD and Hofer. Many of the Milsani products come from prestigious manufacturers. In this particular case, ZOTT – a German dairy business from Mertingen – supplies ALDI Nord, ALDI SÜD and Hofer with the Milsani Topi dessert in its retail packaging.

Schkopau, 10.02.2026

A television crew from Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) visited the Fernholz film production site in Schkopau on 30 January 2026 to produce a report on the status of the central German chemical industry for its news magazine “exakt”.

The visit was prompted by the announcement by the US chemical company Dow of its intention to close key plants in Schkopau (Saxony-Anhalt) and Böhlen (Saxony) by the end of 2027. The MDR team interviewed Fernholz Managing Director Michael Roth about the potential impact on Fernholz Verpackungen and asked for his views on the necessary transformation in the chemical industry.

Given the tight-knit structures within the central German chemical industry, the loss of the steam cracker operated by Dow Chemical in Böhlen in particular is a real problem for many downstream companies. The steam cracker splits crude oil into basic substances such as ethylene and propylene and supplies them to Schkopau via pipelines. “The cracker supplies the chemical sites, which then produce plastic granulates. We take these granulates and transform them into films”, says Michael Roth to summarise the interdependencies within the supply chains. “Of course, we could also source the plastic granulate elsewhere. But doing so would be significantly more complex from a logistical perspective, which would cost us our competitive edge”, says Roth to describe the problem.

Despite the anger and concern about Dow Chemical’s actions in the region, it is still important to ask why the US company is making such severe cuts. And Fernholz has a clear opinion: “The entire industry is under immense competitive pressure. High energy costs and growing bureaucracy are making it increasingly difficult to compete successfully. Instead of reducing red tape, the EU alone introduced a real slew of legislation in 2025: The EU Commission initiated over 1,400 acts of law under President Ursula von der Leyen – more than at any time since 2010. If you take us as an example, we are groaning under the disproportionate financial burden placed on German SMEs by the Single-Use Plastics Fund Act (EWKFondsG). Politicians need to stop talking and start acting”, demands Michael Roth on behalf of the company.

Fernholz is determined to lead by example. Defying the general trend, the company announced in early January 2026 that it would be continuing its growth strategy in Schkopau as well. For instance, yet another high-performance extruder was put into operation just recently as part of the ongoing investment programme. This modern system was designed specifically for the production of polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) films with thicknesses ranging from 200 to 2000 µm and widths of 200 to 1200 mm.

“With these investments, Fernholz is underlining its commitment to the Schkopau site and its role as a reliable partner for high-quality film solutions in Europe.” It would be nice to see politicians at state, federal and EU level doing their bit and actually addressing these problems”, concludes Michael Roth.

Shortly before the end of the year, Uwe Fernholz, Managing Partner of Fernholz Verpackungen, offers an initial review for 2025: “Our main focus is on the significantly rising demand for our recycled polystyrene (rPS), which serves as a sustainable basis for innovative packaging solutions, as well as the consistent implementation of our extensive investment programme at the Meinerzhagen and Schkopau sites. At the same time, we continue to face burdens such as high energy costs and increasing bureaucracy, for example from the EWKFondsG (Single-Use Plastics Fund Act).”

The expansion of the Schkopau plant is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. With this additional production capacity, Fernholz Verpackungen is ideally equipped to reliably meet the growing demand for rPS.

Polystyrene (PS) is a versatile mass plastic. Around 800,000 tonnes of polystyrene are produced in Europe, with a large portion of it being used for food packaging. In light of these quantities, the topic of recycling is moving ever more into the spotlight – both to meet the ambitious sustainability targets in the food industry and to comply with statutory requirements. An additional factor boosting demand is the realisation that recycled materials perform just as well in practice as conventional raw materials and can therefore be seamlessly integrated into existing production processes.

Expanding silo capacity at both sites is another important aspect of the Fernholz investment programme. This significantly increases the company’s delivery reliability and creates scope for a wider variety of material types and grades.

“Our market is demanding and highly competitive: on the producer side, there is immense European competition, while the concentration of buyers and strong retail chains add further pressure. In addition, high energy costs and growing bureaucracy – such as the unilateral financial burden placed on German SMEs by the EWKFondsG (Single-Use Plastics Fund Act) – are making it increasingly difficult to remain competitive. At Fernholz, we face these challenges head on by committing to sustainable and innovative projects. Furthermore, with our new investment programme for 2026, we are also clearly positioning ourselves for a successful future,” concludes Uwe Fernholz in an optimistic review.

Sustainability, resource conservation and innovative product development are vital to the success of companies in the packaging industry and no longer mere buzzwords. Fernholz Verpackungen from Meinerzhagen is a prime example of this trend. As a medium-sized specialist in the manufacture of plastic packaging – including yoghurt cups, trays and lids – the company has built an excellent reputation in the food and dairy industries. Applying modern processes such as injection moulding, thermoforming and film extrusion, Fernholz consistently focuses on forward-looking solutions.

The sustainable focus of product development among the hallmarks of the corporate strategy. Fernholz invests steadily in research and development to improve the resource efficiency and green credentials of its packaging. The use of biobased and recycled plastics is a particular focus. The company’s expertise is so appreciated that even global market leaders such as LyondellBasell rely on their collaboration with Fernholz.

Among the world’s preeminent manufacturers of plastics, LyondellBasell produces innovative polyolefin compounds based on chemical recycling under the name CirculenRevive. This advanced molecular recycling process enables the breakdown of plastic waste that can no longer be mechanically recycled into its molecular components. The pyrolysis oil obtained in this way is used as a raw material for the production of new polymers. The major advantage: waste streams that had previously required incineration or were sent to the landfill can now be returned to the material cycle. Doing so actively contributes to reducing plastic waste, while also improving the ecological balance.

Despite the promising prospects of chemical recycling, one question remains nevertheless in practice: can films made from recycled materials be processed just as easily and with identical production parameters as the conventional varieties? In order to obtain an answer, LyondellBasell and Fernholz Verpackungen used CirculenRevive to conduct a thorough series of tests with a manufacturer of thermoforming and packaging machines to investigate the process capability of recycled polypropylene (rPP).

To do so, Fernholz developed a special rPP film with a recyclate content of 10 percent. The aim was to series manufacture a plastic cup and to test the entire thermoforming process under realistic conditions.

The result of the test series is clear: processing of the rPP film proceeded smoothly. All production parameters corresponded to those of conventional films – without any differences in the thermoforming process. This proves that recycled materials are, in practice, just as efficient as conventional raw materials and can be seamlessly integrated into ongoing production processes.

The detailed test results and the resulting cup were presented to a broad specialist audience at the K Show in Düsseldorf. The project impressively underlines how collaboration in the spirit of partnership and innovation can yield sustainable solutions for the packaging industry.

With this project, Fernholz Verpackungen is consolidating its role as an innovator and pioneer in the field of sustainable plastic packaging. Steady investment in research and development is paying off. Packaging weights and film thicknesses are dropping, while used packaging is being fed into the recycling loop at the same time. And all this is possible with identical production parameters and without compromising on quality.

Fernholz Verpackungen impressively demonstrates how sustainability, cost-efficiency and innovative drive go hand in hand – thus raising the bar for the entire industry.