From student job to a long-standing connection with RIGK

Looking back at your start: how did you come to RIGK – and how did you experience your first days and weeks?

How did you come to RIGK?

• Jan Bauer: “I first became aware of RIGK through an acquaintance who already had a student job at the company and spoke very positively about it. She found the tasks interesting and the colleagues extremely likeable – and that sparked my curiosity too.
  So I got in touch with Markus Dambeck and asked whether there might also be an opportunity for me to work at RIGK alongside my business administration studies. He said ‘yes’ – and that is how I started at RIGK in the summer of 2002 as a student assistant. After completing my studies, I joined the company permanently in 2006. Of course, at the time I had no idea that this would turn into such a long and formative shared journey.”

What do you particularly enjoy remembering?

• Jan Bauer: “I still remember my first weeks at RIGK very vividly because they had a charm all of their own. At the time, our office was located in Rheingaustraße in Wiesbaden, in the middle of an industrial estate. A sausage casing manufacturer was based on the lower ground floor of our office building – so in the mornings, the ground floor often smelled of freshly cooked Fleischwurst.
  You reached the third floor by paternoster lift. People still smoked in the offices back then, and once a week – almost as a tradition – we had meatball rolls from the works canteen. At that time, we were a team of eight people. It was a different era, but also a very special and formative one. What I particularly remember is the direct, collegial atmosphere and the feeling of being part of a team from the very beginning.”

From joining the company to becoming Managing Director

Jan Bauer realised early on that RIGK not only offered him interesting tasks, but also the opportunity to combine commercial thinking with a tangible contribution to environmental protection.

What did you find exciting at the time about take-back systems, recycling and the circular economy?

• Jan Bauer: “To be honest, at first it was not so much the circular economy itself that fascinated me. What appealed to me much more were the company, the varied tasks at RIGK and, above all, the people I had the opportunity to work with.
  While many of my friends were starting their careers at major branded goods companies or in the financial sector, the circular economy may not initially have seemed the most obvious industry for someone with a business administration background. But that was precisely part of its appeal for me.
  What convinced me from the outset was the opportunity to combine commercial activity with environmental protection. The ambition to use functioning take-back systems to turn used plastics into new products is something that continues to drive me today.
  That is why visiting a PAMIRA or ERDE collection at least once a year is a fixed item in my calendar. There, you can see very clearly what our systems achieve in practice. You experience how concepts become lived circular economy – and that remains hugely meaningful and motivating to this day.”

Taking responsibility and shaping things together

Over the years, Jan Bauer took on more and more new responsibilities at RIGK. Projects in which he was not only involved, but was also able to build structures and take responsibility, were particularly formative for him.

Over the years, you have supported various developments at RIGK and taken on responsibility. What stages did you go through on your path to the management board?

Customer support as a formative foundation

• Jan Bauer: “I began at RIGK in customer support. That was a very formative stage for me because I learnt a great deal there about structured working, reliable processes and direct dialogue with customers. Looking back, this closeness to our customers was particularly valuable because it gave me a good understanding of what our systems need to deliver in practice.”

First projects of my own and more scope to shape things

• Jan Bauer: “Relatively early on, I was given the opportunity to help develop the RIGK PICKUP SYSTEM. That was an important step because it was the first time I had a great deal of scope to shape something myself, while also learning what it means to take responsibility for my own project.
  At the same time, I was working in controlling and was involved, among other things, in setting up RIGK’s cost accounting. During this period, I was also able to support a major IT project: the introduction of our CRM and ERP system. That, too, was an exciting experience because it showed how important reliable data, clear processes and functioning systems are for our daily work.”

ERDE, association work and European perspectives

• Jan Bauer: “Another milestone was the development of the ERDE system, which I was able to help shape from the very beginning. Alongside these responsibilities and projects, I was also able to become involved in association work – particularly within the European organisation EPRO, where I remain active today as Vice-Chairperson.”

New entrepreneurial responsibility

• Jan Bauer: “In the more recent past, further exciting responsibilities have been added to my role alongside my appointment to the RIGK management board: the acquisition and management of Hannawald Plastik GmbH, as well as the founding of PACKLIANCE in 2025, where I am also privileged to serve as Managing Director. Both projects inspired me from the outset.
  At Hannawald Plastik, it is particularly rewarding to see how directly we can make a difference there: we sort plastic films and other industrial packaging, which are then used again in new packaging within a ‘closed loop’. In this way, we make a very practical contribution to the circular economy.
  At PACKLIANCE, what fascinates me is being able to accompany the development of a company from the very beginning – from building the team and the service portfolio through to developing successful partnerships.”

International projects and digitalisation

• Jan Bauer: “Things have certainly never become boring during all these years at RIGK. New projects and areas of work have repeatedly been added, including internationally: among them the development of an industrial take-back system in Chile, the expansion of our activities in Spain and the development of the ERDE system in Switzerland. Our team has also achieved a great deal in the field of digitalisation – both through internal projects and through our involvement in plastship, where data management, digital processes and AI form part of the business foundation.”

Shaping rather than simply processing tasks

• Jan Bauer: “What has always inspired me about RIGK and my responsibilities over the years is the opportunity to help shape things from an early stage and to take on responsibility. I never had the feeling that I was merely working through tasks. Instead, I was able to develop topics, move them forward and, together with our customers, partners and our outstanding team, genuinely make a difference.”

RIGK as a partner for a functioning circular economy

From Jan Bauer’s perspective, RIGK has developed significantly over the past decades: from a specialised take-back system into a group of companies with broad expertise in plastics, packaging, recycling and the circular economy.

How has RIGK developed in your view over the past 20 years?

• Jan Bauer: “RIGK and its affiliated companies have developed over recent years into organisations with extensive expertise in all aspects of the circular economy for plastics and packaging.
  Today, we can support our customers in almost all matters relating to the take-back, sorting and recycling of packaging and plastics, as well as the use of recycled plastics and regranulates. Our ambition is to create solutions that not only meet regulatory requirements, but also offer our customers genuine added value.
  Ultimately, all our services serve one common goal: to make products and packaging more circular and thereby make a concrete contribution to a functioning circular economy.”

Specialisation, trust and customer proximity as success factors

For Jan Bauer, RIGK’s success is based on a clear focus: developing practical, efficient and long-term viable solutions for industry.

In your view, what is RIGK’s formula for success?

• Jan Bauer: “RIGK was founded in 1992 by industry for industry – and that remains part of our DNA to this day. Our central objective is still to offer the industry we come from efficient, reliable and commercially viable services.
  We achieve this through tailored solutions for different sectors and requirements. Why have we been successful in the market for more than three decades? I believe it is above all due to our ability to continuously develop our service portfolio – always aligned with our customers’ needs and with a clear specialisation in our niche.
  Success in the service sector is inseparably linked to the expertise, reliability and commitment of our employees. Long-standing partnerships along the value chain and close, trusting customer relationships are just as important.
  In recent years, flexibility and adaptability have also become increasingly important. Markets in plastics recycling have become significantly more volatile, which means we have to review and further develop our strategic direction on a regular basis. At the same time, regulatory complexity is increasing. Our task is to translate these requirements into practical, concrete and functioning solutions for our customers.”

New requirements, new opportunities

Regulatory developments have shaped RIGK from the outset. Looking ahead, Jan Bauer sees not only new challenges, but also significant opportunities for practical services.

Which issues will particularly occupy RIGK and the industry in the coming years?

• Jan Bauer: “RIGK has always been strongly shaped by regulatory frameworks, which ultimately also form an essential basis of our business model. It began in the early 1990s with the Packaging Ordinance and the founding of RIGK in 1992. Later came the Packaging Act, and now the European Packaging Regulation – the PPWR – will be supplemented by national regulations in Germany.
  So if there is one core issue that will occupy us significantly over the next five to ten years, it is the implementation of the European Packaging Regulation in concrete services for our customers. The key will be to implement regulatory requirements in a way that is understandable, efficient and practical.
  Beyond that, the question of whether it will be possible to stabilise the markets for mechanical plastics recycling in Europe remains central. Without a strong European recycling economy, we will neither move closer to greater raw material autonomy nor achieve the EU’s regulatory objectives.
  For RIGK, I see not only challenges in this, but also major opportunities. After all, our strength has always been precisely at the interface between regulation, market requirements and practical implementation.”

RIGK as an employer and community

Alongside expertise and reliability, Jan Bauer sees the company culture in particular as a key reason why many employees remain connected to RIGK for a long time.

Many employees stay with RIGK for many years. In your view, what makes the company culture special?

• Jan Bauer: “Our company culture is shaped by initiative, personal responsibility and mutual trust. For me, trust is not merely a soft cultural factor. It has a direct impact on the quality of decisions, the speed of implementation and the effectiveness of our actions.
  We are able to discuss factual issues openly, intensively and, at times, quite controversially – but we always do so respectfully and with the shared aim of finding the best solution.
  At the same time, we are open to our employees’ ideas and support the professional and personal development of all our employees. That is important because the development of our company is closely linked to the development of the people who shape it.
  This also includes our traditions: shared celebrations, company outings, participation in sporting events – and yes, of course, the fruit basket. Alongside an appreciative culture, we naturally also offer attractive working conditions and various benefits. For me, however, what matters most is the way we work together: the feeling of jointly contributing to something meaningful.”

A shared journey with a future

To conclude, Jan Bauer turns his attention to the people who have accompanied, shaped and supported RIGK over the past years – within the company as well as among customers, partners and associations.

Finally: after 20 years at RIGK, what message would you like to share with colleagues, customers and partners?

• Jan Bauer: “First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks to our customers and business partners for the good and, in many cases, long-standing collaboration. Many have accompanied RIGK for decades – that is anything but a given, and it makes us very proud.
  My thanks also go to Markus Dambeck, who has supported and challenged me from the very beginning and with whom I have worked in a spirit of great trust from day one – and for almost six years now also on the RIGK management board. I would also like to thank our Administrative Board and the bodies of our associations EPRO, APE Europe and BiPv for their constructive and committed cooperation.
  Last but not least, my special thanks go to our outstanding team. Your commitment, reliability and dedication to our shared goals are the foundation of our success.
  We still have a great deal ahead of us. RIGK is very well positioned to continue developing our services close to our customers, to expand our market position and to actively help shape the circular economy for plastics and packaging.
  After 20 years, I can say: I am grateful for the shared journey so far – and I am very much looking forward to what lies ahead.”