“How can the plastics industry talk about sustainability without blushing?” Covestro CEO Markus Steilemann asked a roomful of journalists at the K 2019 Preview earlier this month in Düsseldorf, Germany. It was an unexpected comment at an event designed to build anticipation for one of the world’s largest trade shows for the plastics industry, and it certainly got everyone’s attention. Steilemann, of course, quickly shifted to more comfortable talking points, noting, in particular, that “plastics are still the future” and that from Covestro’s perspective, “sustainability is a source of innovation and business opportunities.”

From whatever angle you want to broach the topic, sustainability has become an unavoidable part of the industry conversation. It was omnipresent at the press preview event, and is destined to be one of the buzz words at K 2019 in Düsseldorf from Oct. 16 to 24. You can expect to see ample coverage of how industry is responding to the sustainability challenge leading up to the show on the K 2019 channel on our website. In the meantime, here are four announcements that were made at the K 2019 Preview that merit attention.