Chairwoman of the regional Green Party visits Jokey in Gummersbach
As part of her “Green Transformation Tour of NRW”, the regional chairwoman of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (the Green Party), Mona Neubaur, visited the Jokey site in Gummersbach on 10 June. She was accompanied by Marc Zimmermann, spokesperson for the local Green Party association.
The Jokey management, represented by CEO Jens Stadter and CFO Peter Dörmbach, as well as other leading Jokey representatives such as shareholder Heike Schuy, welcomed the guests and invited them to an open exchange of views followed by a tour of the plant and a discussion with apprentices.
Jokey was the third stop on the transformation tour under the motto “Today already like tomorrow”, which the two state chairmen of the Green Party, Mona Neubaur and Felix Banaszak, have been undertaking across North Rhine-Westphalia since the beginning of June. The companies selected for the tour were those that “not only adapt to the changes and challenges in society, industry, economy and the environment, but also actively seek new solutions,” according to the state association. The decision to visit Jokey was also driven by the idea of “seeking dialogue with those with whom it has not existed before,” Mona Neubaur stated in an interview with Jokey representatives. After all, sustainability is discussed more quickly with nature conservation organisations than with a plastic processing company like Jokey.
During the meeting, which lasted several hours, the Green Party politicians were able to see for themselves that plastics and sustainability do not have to be a contradiction in terms. The management presented the successful development of Jokey, a hidden champion that, as one of many medium-sized family businesses, is one of the main pillars of the North Rhine-Westphalia economy. Jens Stadter explained the main pillars of Jokey’s sustainability strategy. The aim of this strategy is to continue to consistently implement social and economic responsibility at the economic, ecological and social level. In addition to the topic of digitalisation, the Jokey Eco Concept 2.0 was also discussed in detail. “In view of the fact that North Rhine-Westphalia is the number one state in Germany for plastics and that a number of players, including the Green Party in the state parliament, are committed to making NRW a pioneer in the plastics recycling industry, we feel that the Jokey Eco Concept 2.0 puts us in an excellent position to achieve this,” emphasises Jens Stadter. “As a pioneer in sustainable packaging, we are pursuing ambitious goals with our sustainability programme, such as becoming a climate-neutral company by 2030. We are convinced that the development of an effective circular economy can only succeed if industry, trade and politics work together. However, it must also be accompanied by differentiated communication and a holistic view of the topic. We therefore expressly welcome any exchange of expertise on this topic, with NGOs as well as with political decision-makers.”
The responsible handling of plastic, the comprehensive sustainability programme Jokey Eco Concept 2.0 and the cooperation with important NGOs were well received by the two Green Party politicians. In her party’s political demands to reduce the use of plastic and establish a research institute for plastic recycling, Mona Neubaur saw no contradiction to Jokey’s positions after the meeting. “Jokey is not part of the problem, but part of the solution,” said the Green Party leader. “They ensure that plastic does not end up at the bottom of the sea, but remains in the cycle.”
