Sustainability is not an add-on -
but part of the solution
At the Kunststoff-Institut, sustainability is an integral
component of consulting, development and
transfer to the cluster.
Practical, strategic and impact-oriented.
Environment & sustainability together
for the future
Kunststoff-Institut Lüdenscheid GmbH offers a comprehensive range of environmental and sustainability services covering the entire value chain of plastic products. Sustainable solutions ranging from product design to energy-efficient manufacturing processes and recycling. On the basis of our expertise and
interdisciplinary collaboration between our technology divisions, we can develop individual, company-specific solutions and support you in identifying and implementing your sustainability goals.
and implement them.
TIP Sustainability has a real impact when it is integrated into processes, products and business models at an early stage. Our consulting services support you in combining ecological goals with economic practice - for solutions that work.
Surface technology -
Coated recyclates
Nowadays, the use of recycled plastics is becoming increasingly important. These materials also often need to be coated in order to meet the desired visual and functional requirements. It is advisable to check the paintability of the recyclates in advance, as there is little experience with the “new” materials. At KIMW, we offer the option of creating sample parts from the recycled materials you provide, pretreating them using suitable methods, coating them and finally testing the performance of the systems. In this way, we ensure that the coating adheres optimally and that your products meet the highest quality standards.
Contact: Patryk Brener
Surface coatings - a sustainable future in every layer
Coated plastics are increasingly being called into question and established processes such as painting, printing, film back-spraying, electroplating etc. are to be dispensed with wherever possible. Do they really have as bad a balance sheet as their reputation suggests? We don’t think so and have been investigating this since April 2025 in the two-year joint company project Surface Treatment 13. How sustainable are coated plastics, what is the CO2 balance and how do we make them fit for the cycle? New legal requirements and regulations, such as ecodesign requirements, lead to new challenges. Have you also wondered how to tackle this complex issue? Let’s find out together!
Contact: Dominik Malecha
New materials - sustainability
and compounding
One of the biggest factors in achieving greater sustainability is the material. The CO2 footprint can be influenced by the plastic used, but also by the additives, fillers and reinforcing materials.
and reinforcing materials. Development studies are often essential for successful application in order to achieve the required property profile. The development of new materials in the field of renewable raw materials has been part of the
KIMW’s range of services for many years. We support you in the professional development of materials through to series production by the various specialist departments, from compounding to testing and qualification of the materials.
Contact: Thies Falko Pithan
New materials - sustainability
when selecting materials
One way to achieve sustainability is to select the right plastic material. Material decisions for a product are often underestimated and a failure is only discovered during use. In many cases, these wrong decisions are associated with high costs and loss of time. With its many years of expertise in the field of material selection, KIMW provides support as an independent authority. In addition, the selection of sustainable materials in terms of the CO2 footprint can be included in the material selection process so that future-oriented product design is taken into account right from the start.
Contact: Julia Loth
Recycling - The heart
of sustainability
The plastics industry is undergoing a transformation, moving away from a linear economy towards a circular economy. The transformation process brings with it challenges that can only be overcome on a supra-regional and global scale. Part of these challenges are the material qualities of post-consumer recyclates (PCR), which generally have a degraded property level due to their first life cycle. The KIMW has been active in joint projects since 2019 in order to identify the challenges of engineering plastics such as long-term behavior, emission behavior and odor behavior and to derive recommendations for action. In addition to the test studies, important networks can be established in this subject area
Contact: Falko Pithan