Experiencing plastics and inspiring young people to pursue STEM careers – The SKZ School Lab
Since 2010, young people have been introduced to the world of plastics in an exciting and practical way at the SKZ school laboratory in Würzburg and at the Peine site. Since then, almost 12,000 schoolchildren have taken part in up to 70 events per year. Since 2025, the SKZ Lab in Würzburg has been continuing with a new concept.
Julia Mann and Irena Heuzeroth, the creators of SKZ Lab. (Source: SKZ)
An educational initiative with lasting success
The SKZ Lab offers pupils in years 8 to 12 the opportunity to immerse themselves in the day-to-day operations of plastics production and experience plastics technology first-hand at five stations or in five teams. Participation is free of charge for schools.
New concept for the school laboratory at SKZ in Würzburg
From 2025, the SKZ Plastics Centre at its headquarters in Würzburg will be revamping the concept of the school laboratory to focus on the topics of sustainability, recycling and the circular economy. Young people will learn why plastics are so successful, what challenges they pose and how their environmental impact can be minimised through smart recycling processes. Together, they will develop solutions for better dealing with the challenges of plastics production and disposal.
Participants will work on practical tasks at five stations, covering pre-sorting and waste separation, preparing plastic waste for recycling, separating waste by density, manufacturing products from recycled plastic and testing materials. The focus will be on critically examining microplastics and the circular economy. The aim of the new student laboratory is to teach students the importance of responsible use of resources and to highlight forward-looking approaches.
‘The new SKZ Lab is an important step towards raising awareness among young people of future-relevant topics such as recycling and the circular economy and highlighting the career potential in the plastics industry,’ emphasises Dr Benjamin Baudrit, Deputy Managing Director of Education and Research at SKZ. ‘We are delighted that the support of the Stahlgruber Gesellschafter-Stiftung is financing the further development of the lab and that partial funding from the government of Lower Franconia (RUF) is enabling the lab to continue,’ says Baudrit.
Inspiring young people to pursue STEM careers and supporting them in their career choices
Julia Mann, who herself participated in the SKZ student laboratory as a student at FOS Schweinfurt in 2015, later wrote her master's thesis at SKZ and has been working as a research assistant at the Plastics Centre since 2024. From October 2025, she will take over the management of the student laboratory and will be primarily responsible for the new concept.
‘The SKZ Lab has had a decisive influence on my career path, and our goal for the future is to continue to inspire young people to get involved in research and development and to spark their interest in STEM careers,’ says Julia Mann, scientist in the ‘Sustainable and Circular Products’ group. ‘We also want to enable a differentiated view of plastics, because plastics are not just packaging waste, but are irreplaceable and extremely useful in many areas,’ says Mann.
"We repeatedly see that students who have gained an insight into plastics technology with us later return as teachers with their own classes. That makes us very proud and shows that the SKZ Lab is making a major contribution,‘ reports Irena Heuzeroth, senior trainer in the field of injection moulding and additive manufacturing at SKZ. ’It's great to see how the student laboratory is developing – and that the idea of getting young people excited about plastics, science and sustainability lives on," says Heuzeroth.
WVV Environmental Award for the student laboratory
In July 2025, the SKZ Lab was awarded the WVV Environmental Award for its long-standing promotion of students in STEM professions and its commitment to sustainable education. The award recognises the concept, which has been implemented with great commitment in Würzburg since 2010 and is currently being continued at the Peine site.
