12. Dec 2025
25 biodegradable polymers: Andreas Künkel receives the Meyer-Galow Award
Andreas Künkel, Vice President, Head of Biodegradation & Microplastics Research at BASF SE, has been awarded the 2025 Meyer-Galow Award for Business Chemistry.
He receives the prize for the further development of structural and functional biodegradable polymers. The prize, awarded by the Meyer-Galow Foundation, is administered by the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and is endowed with €10,000.
Biodegradable polymers play a crucial role in the production of sustainable products and thus in a functioning circular economy. A distinction is made between structural and functional biodegradable polymers. Structural biodegradable polymers are biodegradable plastics used, for example, to manufacture mulch films. An important application for functional polymers is in the ingredients of detergents, dishwashing liquids, and cosmetics, which ultimately end up in wastewater treatment plants at the end of their life cycle.
To develop and successfully launch biodegradable structural and functional polymers on the market, three conditions must be met. First, the products must fulfil the required technical properties and be biodegradable at the same time. Second, the biodegradability must be certified according to agreed standards. Third, and equally important, is the acceptance of biodegradable polymers as a sustainable solution among customers, policymakers, and the general public.
This requires a fundamental understanding of the chemistry and biological processes involved in biodegradability. Together with his team, other BASF colleagues, and external academic partners, Andreas Künkel has gained important new insights over the past 19 years through research and development. These included investigating how the chemical structure of polymers influences their degradation. Künkel also explored how polymers degrade in different environments. He pursues a holistic approach that combines biology and chemistry using digital tools to gain a deep understanding of biodegradability in technical systems (composting and wastewater treatment plants) and natural systems (soil, ocean). This holistic approach is continuously being developed internally at BASF and through collaborations with academic partners.
The soil-degradable mulch film (made from BASF's ecovio® M2351 material) exemplifies how this approach has been implemented in the market, leading from a fundamental scientific understanding to a certified product. BASF developed ecovio for mulch films so that they can be used in agriculture for various crops. The material meets all technical requirements and increases agricultural yields. At the same time, Andreas Künkel and his team have contributed to the development of realistic standards for biodegradable polymers in soil and have increased public acceptance of the topic. They have not only published their scientific findings in journals but have also communicated them clearly to a broad audience. Künkel and his partners are successfully applying this holistic approach of chemistry, biology, and digitalization to functional biodegradable polymers as well.
The award ceremony will take place at BASF in Ludwigshafen on January 13, 2026. GDCh President Dr. Ruth Bieringer, herself a recipient of the Meyer-Galow Prize, will present the award to Andreas Künkel, who will then present the winning project. AT
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