Over the course of the semester, students had an opportunity to take an in-depth look at various aspects of the plastics industry, covering a wide range of topics including the legal parameters, ESG criteria, SDG targets, greenwashing, and recycling. In addition to theoretical deliberations, the event also focused on real-world challenges. Experts Engel Austria Ltd-, Greiner AG, EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen & Anlagen, Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen Ltd., and RICO Elastomere Projecting were on hand to challenge the students with questions stemming their respective companies.
Bianca Gubi (Product Manager Circular Economy) at Engel, opens an external URL in a new window remarked: "Getting fresh ideas from outside is crucial in order to support new perspectives and acquire innovative solutions. Students who are involved in applied sustainability often have a high level of creativity and enthusiasm to tackle challenges and drive sustainable change in different areas forward."

Represented by Ammar Makic and Johannes Fellner, the Plastic Garage, opens an external URL in a new window provided the teams with insight into the most recent advances in plastics recycling and the circular economy. Their input was used as a foundation to help the students come up with innovative solutions relating to corporate social responsibility. Florian Aschermayer (Global Senior Expert Sustainable Material Excellence) at Greiner, opens an external URL in a new window remarked: "Creating a circular economy takes top priority at Greiner. In order to close the loop, we need to work together - not just along the entire value chain, but also across disciplines. This is why we welcome the Student Plastics Challenge and an opportunity to interact with students. We - as a company - benefit from their creative solutions and new perspectives."

The final event kicked off with an inspiring keynote speech by Chris Thaler in which he spoke about his international marketing campaigns, including "Run for the Ocean", demonstrating just how powerful an idea can be. He also explained the concept of greenwashing and gave several real-world examples.

While preparing for their respecitve pitch sessions, students were assisted by experts at the JKU, Michael Thaler at Teach for Austria, opens an external URL in a new window, and Birgit Wimmer at tech2b, opens an external URL in a new window. Robert and Joanna Six (Sinnbilder, opens an external URL in a new window) contributed to the process by providing graphic recordings to visually illustrate the students' ideas. The teams then held their pitch sessions, presenting their ideas and findings to a high-profile panel. Günther Klammer (CTO of Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen Ltd., opens an external URL in a new window) was impressed:  "I was deeply impressed with the teams' innovative and impactful solutions presented during the Student Plastics Challenge. The students' creative approaches demonstrate just how important innovation and collaboration are in an effort to overcome global challenges relating to plastics. The applied findings were not only inspiring, but also an appeal to all of us to combine forces and create a sustainable future together".

A jury consisting of lecturers, representatives from the aforementioned companies, and the JKU (including Vice-Rector for Finance and Entrepreneurship, Ms. Tusek, and department head, Assoc. Prof. DI Dr.mont. Jörg Fischer), Birgit Wimmer (tech2b Inkubator Ltd.), Michael Thaler (Teach for Austria), and Maria Buchmayr (JKU Office for Sustainability) were among those who rated the pitche sessions based on criteria including innovation, feasibility, and impact on sustainable development.

The Greiner team presented the most compelling pitch and took the win at this year's Student Plastics Challenge.

The "Student Plastics Challenge" held at the LIT Open Innovation Center was not only an opportunity for students to showcase their resourceful and creative solutions, but also served as a platform to support interdisciplinary discussions between academia and key industry representatives. When it comes to the plastics industry, the challenge demonstrates just how important sustainable approaches are and supports sharing expertise and new ideas to ensure a more sustainable future.

Wolfgang Jarisch, head of ESG and Compliance at RICO, opens an external URL in a new window emphasizes his point: "Global challenges - such as climate change, environmental pollution, resource scarcity, and the circular economy - are more important than ever before, especially for a company such as the Rico Group that operates actively in an international environment. Our goal is for our day-to-day activities to include taking responsibility for people and the environment, and thereby build transparency and mutual trust with our customers. This is why the opportunity to share information with students and NGOs on a regular basis is a valuable way of contributing to the company's ongoing growth."

Manfred Hackl, CEO of EREMA , opens an external URL in a new window, agrees and adds: "I appreciate the opportunity to interact with young people because it leads to new perspectives. They are the key to future advancements and their expertise and actions will contribute to creating a circular economy in the field of plastics. The 2024 Student Plastics Challenge once again demonstrated just how much we need the students' creative and future-oriented approaches to face today's challenges."