Patrick Fink, Business Unit Manager Advanced Materials at IMCD Germany
With one of the world’s largest and most advanced plastics markets, Germany is emerging as a critical frontier in the transition to more sustainable materials. As the country intensifies its efforts to reduce carbon emissions, boost circularity, and meet ambitious environmental targets, biobased solutions such as PLA (polylactic acid) are gaining momentum — and TotalEnergies Corbion is stepping up to help accelerate that shift.
A market ready for transformation
As the world’s third largest economy, Germany’s plastics industry is vast and influential. The country produces and consumes more plastics than any other European nation, with 21.1 million tonnes manufactured annually. Biobased plastics still account for just around 1% of total demand, leaving significant room for growth (Kreislaufwirtschaft Deutschland, 2024).
Germany also incinerates more than 1.6 million tonnes of plastic packaging waste each year (Systemiq, 2024), highlighting the need for materials that reduce emissions and support circular design. Meanwhile, demand for PLA — particularly in packaging, medical, and automotive applications — is rising in response to stricter sustainability targets and growing consumer expectations (Chemanalyst, 2024).
“Germany’s size, industrial strength, and sustainability ambitions make it one of the most important growth markets for biobased plastics anywhere in the world,” said Derek Atkinson, Vice President Sales, TotalEnergies Corbion. “PLA can play a decisive role in that transition — offering a lower carbon footprint, circular end-of-life options, and high performance across a wide range of applications.”
Driving PLA adoption with local expertise
To seize this opportunity and support industry transformation, TotalEnergies Corbion — a global leader in biobased plastics — is strengthening its presence in Germany through a new collaboration with IMCD, a leading distribution partner in advanced materials. IMCD’s network, application know-how and local expertise will make Luminy® PLA more accessible to German customers across industries.
This partnership will also allow TotalEnergies Corbion to optimize the services for customers of all sizes, while continuing to work directly with existing key accounts.
“Germany is a strategic market where local expertise and access are essential,” says Patrick Fink, Business Unit Manager Advanced Materials at IMCD Germany. “Together with TotalEnergies Corbion, we aim to guide companies in leveraging PLA to advance their sustainability goals.”
Innovation on show at K 2025
The collaboration will be highlighted at K 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for Plastics & Rubber. At the show, TotalEnergies Corbion’s booth will feature elements built using PLA Morph Bricks — a modular, biobased construction system — demonstrating how spaces can be created, adapted, and reused with a lower carbon footprint. IMCD will feature insights into Luminy® PLA and its potential across applications.
“PLA is no longer a niche alternative — it’s a scalable, high-performance material that can help the German plastics industry achieve its circular economy ambitions,” said Derek Atkinson, Vice President Sales, TotalEnergies Corbion.