“Polymer Path” of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research honored as a Top 20 project

On May 22, 2025, the educational project “Polymer Path” of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) was honored as one of the 20 outstanding educational projects in Germany during the ceremony of the National Award - Education for Sustainable Development (BNE) at St. Elisabeth Church in Berlin.

The BNE-Prize, awarded by the German Commission for UNESCO and the Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, recognizes initiatives that structurally anchor education for sustainable development and pursue innovative educational approaches. Projects were selected in the categories of learning locations, multipliers, educational landscapes and newcomers.
The MPI-P was represented at the award ceremony by Ulrike Schneider, who accepted the award on behalf of the project team.
The Polymer path is located on the grounds of the MPI-P in Mainz and offers scientifically information about plastics at different stations, partly interactive - from their production and use to environmental aspects, recycling and sustainable alternatives. The aim is to promote awareness of the responsible use of plastics and to highlight specific options for action. The project thus makes an important contribution to science communication and encourages people to take a holistic approach to problems in order to develop innovative solutions.

The festive evening's program also included a musical performance by singer Leslie Clio and a reception at the end, which focused on the exchange between the projects. With a view to the future BNE strategy, the two speakers Dr. Thomas Greiner (Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth) and Prof. Dr. Maria Böhmer (German Commission for UNESCO) underlined the increasing relevance of sustainable education formats for social development.