Benny Mermans appointed President of Plastics Europe

The Vice President Sustainability at Chevron Phillips Chemical Benny Mermans has been appointed as President of Plastics Europe. Benny Mermans, who succeeds Marco ten Bruggencate, will continue to drive Plastics Europe’s and its members’ ambitious sustainability agenda, aligned with the European Union’s Clean Industrial Deal. He paid tribute to his predecessor for his central role in supporting the industry’s transition towards net zero carbon emissions and increased circularity, particularly during a time of significant challenges for the sector in Europe.

During his tenure, Marco ten Bruggencate led the development and launch of The Plastics Transition – Plastics Europe’s roadmap to make 65% of plastics in Europe circular and climate-neutral by 2050. This landmark initiative marked the first time the industry had united behind such a bold yet realistic strategy to redesign the European plastics system. Virginia Janssens, Managing Director of Plastics Europe, expressed both her gratitude for Marco’s leadership and service to the industry, as well as confidence in Benny’s ability to progress the excellent work done by his predecessor, with a focus on the implementation of Plastics Europe’s transition roadmap.

Benny Mermans brings a wealth of corporate experience to this role. His career has spanned Exxon Chemical Company and Imperial Chemical Industries, and for the past 35 years, he has worked at Chevron Phillips Chemical in a variety of roles. He is actively involved in several industry associations and currently serves as Chair of the World Plastics Council. Mermans holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from CTL in Ghent, Belgium.

“This roadmap is far more than just a report; it’s a cornerstone for Plastics Europe members and a pathway towards a competitive and sustainable plastics eco-system in Europe. It guides, incentivises, and accelerates industry action, providing an evidence base for value chain dialogue and policymaking. Driving change and progress takes energy, courage, imagination, collaboration, and the right mindset – every single day, especially nowadays when the going gets really tough. That is why our members are determined for Plastics Europe to remain a leading catalyst in the transformation of the European plastics system. Benny has proven his commitment and active engagement to the success of Plastics Europe in his role as Vice-President for the last five years, and I look forward to working closely with him as President.”, commented Virginia Janssens.

“I am honoured to be stepping into this role at such an important juncture for our industry. We are under no illusions about the scale and complexity of the transformation ahead, and we recognise the essential role the industry plays in lowering emissions, reducing waste and advancing circularity. Especially during a time of economic pressures on our members, achieving our ambitions will require bold decisions and a strong focus on actions over words. I look forward to collaborating more closely with all stakeholders to realise a more sustainable, competitive and circular plastics economy in Europe.”, declared Benny Mermans.