Less Plastic Waste in the Takeout Sector
Oldenburg High School Students Win ALTANA Special Prize in Chemistry
Kaja Charlotte Hammels and Tue Minh Vu from the Altes Gymnasium Oldenburg developed the business idea “TerraTin“: single-use packaging made from wheat starch that does not contain any crude oil and is biodegradable. For this, they received the ALTANA Special Prize in Chemistry at the national finals of JUGEND GRÜNDET.
Their concept relies on wheat starch instead of plastics, aiming to reduce plastic waste in the takeout sector. The jury particularly praised the fact that “TerraTin“ combines a concrete environmental problem with chemical expertise and a well-thought-out business idea.
“TerraTin tackles the source of daily waste: single-use packaging. Kaja Charlotte Hammels and Tue Minh Vu demonstrate how chemistry can help enable sustainable solutions for everyday life,“ said Dr. Kristina Keisers, Investment Manager at ALTANA AG, during the presentation of the special prize.
With this special prize, ALTANA recognizes business ideas in the field of chemistry. For the two students, the award includes a trip to Porto, Portugal, and Vigo, Spain. In Vigo, they will visit a laboratory and production facility of ALTANA’s ACTEGA division and gain insights into research, development, and production in the areas of food, beverage, and metal packaging. ACTEGA is a leading supplier of specialty coatings, printing inks, adhesives, and sealants for the packaging and printing industries. At the Vigo site, the aspiring entrepreneurs will meet Managing Director Teresa Ramos, who, together with her team in Spain, develops solutions for some of the world’s best-known beverage manufacturers. These exclusive professional insights will be complemented by an attractive accompanying program, during which the winners will explore the beautiful Galician coastal region.
National Finals at Porsche in Stuttgart
At the national finals on June 24 and 25, hosted by the main sponsor Porsche AG, the ten best teams of the competition year presented their business ideas. Qualifying was tougher than ever: In the 2025 / 2026 competition year, a total of 6,519 students participated in JUGEND GRÜNDET, and 1,461 business plans were submitted.
The national championship - and with it, the grand prize sponsored by Porsche AG - went to Heuwind Lagertechnik from Bruchsal. Leonie Lisa Dohn impressed the judges with a modular storage system designed to keep hay bales dry, clean, and safe.
Young people develop solutions to real problems
Developing solutions to problems and testing their own ideas – that is the core concept of JUGEND GRÜNDET. The competition aims to inspire young people to start their own businesses and show them how to develop, plan, and present ideas. “Starting a business needs to catch on,“ says Franziska Metzbaur, project manager of JUGEND GRÜNDET. “We can learn from sports: There, we’re not just looking for future world champions. We support many young people, and from that, special talents emerge. That’s how it should be with entrepreneurship, too. We need to encourage young people to develop and test their ideas.“
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