Driving Innovation for a Circular Future – Patrick Neumann @ Go Circular 2025
As the Go Circular Conference 2025 approaches, the spotlight turns to industry experts who are paving the way toward a sustainable, circular economy. Among them is Patrick Neumann, Director of Product Management at Interzero, whose expertise has made a significant impact on sustainable product innovation and resource efficiency.
This year, Interzero is Circular Economy Partner at Go Circular and Patrick will be moderating an expert panel in Rotterdam. Discussing chemical and mechanical forces for circularity, he will also share insights into how Interzero is evaluating different ways of saving resources and is reshaping the way businesses approach the use of recycled resources.
In the run-up to the event, Patrick provides in this interview a sneak peek into Interzero’s upcoming presence at the Go Circular conference and fair, discusses the role of collaboration in building a circular future, and highlights how Interzero is empowering businesses to optimize recyclate use in their production processes.
Patrick, the market for recyclates is currently tense. Will PPWR now provide the long-awaited boost for the industry?
Patrick Neumann: The PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) is essentially the long-awaited launch sign for a potentially brighter future for the recycling industry. But it is not a guarantee since companies (whether they are brand owners or converters) need to be open to discuss collaboration along the value chain to achieve the recycled content targets. Moreover, it’s still unclear what happens with contact sensitive applications, so far, technologies in mechanical recycling are not yet fully developed, and chemical recycling has fallen short of expectations. Now is the time to establish clear guardrails of these technologies for a more sustainable future of packaging in general.
Manufacturers cannot reorganise their production processes overnight. What advice would you give to companies that want to adapt to the new requirements today? What are the first steps they need to take?
Patrick Neumann: Of course, it’s clear that historically established processes cannot be turned upside down overnight. As is often the case in life, one needs to take the first step and learn along the way. Certainly, there are details that should be discussed prior of a potential implementation of recyclates and I therefore would always recommend reaching out to the recycling industry but also consulting companies that are able to provide insights on how to design recyclable packaging that also contains recycled material. Our colleagues from “Made for Recycling” for example contribute their expertise in a wide range of projects.
The first step is always to get in touch and communicate your expectations towards a recyclate to be used. We as well as our peers in the industry are open to understanding customer needs and are willing to adapt as much as possible to achieve target quality standards. But one thing needs to be kept in mind, we’re not talking about a linear feedstock such as for virgin material. The composition of the recycling feedstock may vary here and there so that it is crucial to agree on the most important criteria for the quality of the product.
The path away from a linear-dominated economy towards a genuine circular economy requires cooperative models and a shared will to change things. Where would you like to see more collaboration?
Patrick Neumann: Cooperation is the key. Simon Sinek said: "No one knows everything. But together, we know a whole lot". This quote summarizes why cooperation along the value chain is crucial to drive progress. It’s a significant effort required across the entire plastics and packaging value chain. We need to find solutions for obstacles that we cannot simply overcome with today’s possibilities. Being open-minded helps as well. We should not pit one technology against the other or prioritize one material generally over another. It’s a bold task to go circular and I wish for a more diverse discussion along the value chain.
Finally: You are moderating a panel that will also address the relationship between mechanical and chemical recycling. Where does Interzero stand on this topic?
Patrick Neumann: At Interzero, we are committed to the vision of a world without waste and to the protection of natural resources. To achieve this goal and recover more raw materials from plastic waste streams, we need not only waste reduction and reuse concepts but also further innovations and alternative approaches in the field of recycling.
The answer to the question is therefore not an either/or scenario – both processes can complement each other in meaningful ways. Plastics that cannot be mechanically recycled can be saved from incineration through chemical recycling. Wherever possible, mechanical recycling should be prioritised due to its lower energy requirements, for example. I am looking forward to the discussions in Rotterdam.
Meet Patrick and the rest of the Interzero team at Go Circular 2025:
Table 14 | Session: 4th March, 11:10 – UNITING CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL FORCES FOR A CIRCULARITY
- Interzero
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