Marika Knorr: “A little disruption has mostly led to more creative and interesting results”

In the latest instalment of our spotlight series, in which Women in Plastics shines a spotlight on one of the platform’s inspirational interviewees, we share a conversation with Marika Knorr, Head of Sustainability and Communication at CCL Label.

Q: How did your career path lead to your current role?

When I was younger, I wanted to become a journalist and had been working as a freelancer while studying, but after I graduated university, times were not great. It was 2008 and all the magazines and newspapers were downsizing and switching to online, so I decided to look into communications on another level – Corporate Communications. I subsequently worked in different roles within Corporate Communications at three multinational companies from totally different industries. First of all, this gave me the opportunity to work in different communication disciplines and learn the specifics of each. Secondly, I worked internationally a lot, traveling to different countries and cultures which provided me a good understanding of differences in communication and how to tackle those challenges in a global corporation. I was born in the United States but grew up mainly in Germany, so it is important to me to work in an international environment and make use of both of my native languages.

I got into packaging five years ago and this is where I found my passion for FMCG and sustainability-related topics. It was the start of the consumer awareness movement. I saw that communication is key here and that this is a huge opportunity for a communication professional – after all consumer packaging is a complex and highly innovative topic, which really needs to be laid out and explained well to be able to have a fact-based discussion around it. When CCL Label asked me to join them in my current role I immediately accepted because this gives me the opportunity to utilize my key strengths: communicating on a very important and contemporary topic like packaging on an international level and being able to contribute to a very pressing matter: Sustainable Packaging!

Q: Could you tell us more about the sustainable solutions and sustainable production CCL Label produces?

Simply put, not all labels were created equal. That means that there are many, many different types of labels and sleeves that you can chose from when thinking about packaging decoration. Some are made from paper and others are made from plastic. A label that goes on a one-way glass bottle for example must be engineered to be functional at the end of life – it must detach easily under the conditions in the glass collection bin, so that it does not contaminate the glass recycling stream. Same goes for PET bottles for example. It is important to know that PET bottles usually go through a sink/float step during the recycling process where density plays a key role. The PET flakes have a higher density so they sink to the bottom to the basin…this is why you would want to use a lighter polyolefin label that floats on the washing water, thus guaranteeing a very clean separation of both materials.

Other sustainable label solutions are labels that have a certain percentage of post-consumer recycled content or are bio-based for example which means that you are moving away from fossil fuel and therefore the labels have a lower CO2 footprint. For many major brands that are looking to lower their ecological footprint not only in production but for their packaging itself, this is a great option.

Q: Being one of the few females in management at the company, how can a more diverse management team be created across the industry?

I have mostly worked in companies where more men work than women. First of all, this has to do with the industries like the chemical and the packaging industry that are traditionally male dominated because those weren’t jobs that women would be involved in many years ago…but thankfully, that is changing as more women have been choosing career paths like engineering, management and chemistry.

In Germany the female quota has been discussed very passionately. I am pro quota as this will give women access to jobs that might stay invisible to them and once more females are in key positions they can empower more women and eventually this will lead to a more diverse management team. I also believe that a little disruption has mostly led to more creative and interesting results.

Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment in your career so far?

I’d say that is probably being able to adopt to new situations and industries very fast and to identify relevant topics where I could step in and make a difference with my skills. I got involved with digital communication and social media at a very early stage and was able to push the boundaries for the company I was working for. When I got into packaging it became very clear that the discussion around plastic packaging and how to make this more sustainable and even move towards a circular economy would be one of the key topics of the next 10 years…so I decided to take on a role within Sustainability to be able to actively contribute to this change that needs to happen.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your career so far?

Seems like the question about the greatest accomplishment is very closely linked to the biggest challenge…I must admit that sometimes the thought of what needs to be done in the industry(s) to tackle the global waste and climate challenge can be overwhelming. And there is so much misinformation especially on plastic packaging out there that leads to emotional discussions around this topic. Providing fact based information here is key – and this is where you need excellent communication around it – which I am committed to. Also, I am very glad, that I am able to attend a lot of conferences and events focused on “Sustainable Packaging Solutions”, so I am able to see that there are many very promising developments.

Q: What are your hopes for the next 12 months? Do you have any upcoming projects?

We are looking into different circular solutions for the labels and sleeves themselves, so that is something where I hope to see innovations happening in the next couple of months. Until now we are mainly focused on making the prime packaging recyclable and making sure the label and sleeve does not hinder the recycling process…so the next and ideal step up for us would be to make our product itself circular. We already started a great project called “EcoStretch” where we can de-ink our stretch sleeve labels after they are collected and shipped back to one of our sites…so we are on a good path. We actually just won the “German Packaging Award” for that project.

Q: How important do you feel female role models are to the younger generation and did you have one?

I feel that especially in “male dominated” businesses, female role models are very important to set an example and to lessen the fear of stepping up and taking more responsibility. On a larger scale this is why it was so important that Kamala Harris was voted into office as the first black and first Asian and first female Vice President, setting an example that it can be done and also making this a point.I had some pretty great female teachers in school who encouraged me to join the school theatre group which definitely helped build up confidence that helped me later in my career. Also, especially in Germany we have had a very good example of female leadership with our Chancellor Angela Merkel. Even if they don’t agree with her political agenda, many admit that she has was very successful with her diplomatic skills and without letting vanity get in the way of decisions.

Q: Do you feel there is enough information/opportunities for the next generation to be encouraged to have a career in your line of work?

Generally, I feel that there is room for improvement when it comes to career opportunities for women in the field of Sustainability. As this is a topic that will be on the agenda of almost every company and institution for the coming years this is an excellent field to get into. As sustainability is a very complex topic, communication skills are key to driving the sustainability agenda and explain it to the stakeholders and end consumers.

For a bolder career move I can only encourage younger women to look into companies and industries that have been traditionally “male dominated” especially if you are interested in technical aspects. These companies need more diverse teams and a fresh mind set to tackle challenges that are arising not only in the sustainability field, so I think there are great opportunities to make a difference especially in these environments and to succeed.