Dr Dennis Bankmann
Managing Partner, Emerging Motif
Dennis Bankmann is a scientific consultant, focused on sustainability, circularity, and product safety in chemical industry and its downstream markets since 2021. In 2025, Dennis became co-founder and managing partner of the consultancy partnership Emerging Motif.
These steps followed more than a decade of experience in industrial research & development in adhesives and coatings and a strategy development role focused on the circular economy strategy of a large manufacturer.
Dennis holds a PhD in chemistry, having worked in the fields of radiochemistry, physical chemistry, and physical organic chemistry, with a focus on analytical techniques.
Dennis has been involved in the development of numerous guidelines, whitepapers, experimental studies, and standards related to circularity, recyclability, and food and product safety. He continues to apply his expertise and experience to facilitate science-based, clear, and impactful decision-making.
Implementing Circularity under the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation
The 2025 EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2025/40) is one of the most ambitious pieces of legislation ever enacted in the EU and quite certainly the most comprehensive packaging design and waste legislation in existence. A part of the EU Green Deal, it seeks to reduce packaging waste and make packaging circular.
However, despite its wide scope and ambitious provisions, most of the exact requirements placed on packaging and on economic operators who manufacture, produce, and fill packaging are not specified in the legal text. Key requirements yet to be developed include those related to circularity of packaging, such as design for recycling, recycling at scale, compostable packaging, packaging minimisation, excessive packaging, substances of concern, and more. These details will be provided through secondary legislation and European standards. This work already involves the European Commission and its Joint Research Centre, multiple EU agencies, and the European standardisation body CEN, with different elements being developed in parallel.
This presentation will provide an overview of the activities related to the implementation of the PPWR and their status. It will point out how and where stakeholders in the adhesive industry can get involved to ensure that the crucial role of adhesives in packaging is reflected adequately and to contribute to a circular economy for packaging.
Breakout Session IX – Performance & Compliance in Packaging Systems – 17 September 2026 – 16:30 – 17:00 – Room Fleming – F3