On 20 September 2018, the members of Germany’s plastic packaging association Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen (IK, Bad Homburg; www.kunststoffverpackungen.de) elected Roland Straßburger as the new president in Aachen / Germany. He is CEO at Schütz (Selters / Germany; www.schuetz.net), one of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial packaging, such as IBCs and drums.

Straßburger has been with the IK for many years, having acted as treasurer since 2010 and vice president since 2014. He worked at Klöckner for 12 years, most recently as marketing and sales director, has been a member of Schütz’s board since 2003 and its chief executive since 2007.

According to Straßburger, enhancing the positive perception of plastic packaging in both media and politics is a major challenge for the industry, which is why he intends to focus on the significant contribution of plastics to climate protection and resource conservation. “While the often emotional discussions about plastic packaging are narrowed down to the undoubtedly important topic of marine litter, we want to give more space to the actual function of plastic packaging again,” says the new IK president.

Straßburger’s predecessor, Roland Roth, who held the position for eight years, was elected president of the German plastics processors’ association Gesamtverband Kunststoffverarbeitende Industrie (GKV, Bad Homburg; www.gkv.de) in June 2018 – see Plasteurope.com of 05.07.2018. At the IK’s general assembly, the new president paid tribute to Roth’s outstanding service to the association.