In line with the recently agreed EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), this new report, produced by Eunomia Research & Consulting, entitled “Facilitating the Adoption of Takeaway Reuse Systems,” shows the course of action for public authorities to maximise the environmental and economic benefits of reuse systems. Switching to these systems may reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 54% in Aarhus and 34% in Berlin, according to the report.

The report explores the costs associated with six formats of single-use and reusable takeaway packaging systems based on two city case studies and investigates the policy instruments likely to drive higher levels of market adoption of reuse systems for packaging. While the difference in net cost varies by format, small vendors in cities like Aarhus and Berlin could see cost savings covering takeaway drinks cups and food service formats while large businesses may face higher costs due to the economies of scale favouring single-use packaging.

The report reveals that, while single-use packaging seems cheaper, there are hidden costs, such as those related to litter clean-up, litter disamenity and carbon impacts, that make it more expensive for vendors and consumers than a reuse system. To level the playing field, these external costs must be factored in, and public authorities should implement fiscal measures—such as levies or taxes—to create fair competition with its single-use counterparts.

In addition to fiscal intervention, the report outlines a series of complementary measures: while setting minimum requirements for reuse systems or making reuse the default packaging option in shops can encourage gradual shifts, more stringent measures like setting meaningful targets for reuse or establishing an outright ban on single-use packaging are considered more effective.

Read the report

To continue in this direction, the industry needs advanced solutions to recover even more material, but also modular solutions capable of adapting to changes in the market. Changes in consumer habits have transformed the composition of the fibrous material stream entering sorting centres: the volume of brown cardboard has risen sharply in the face of falling tonnages of newspapers and magazines.

Pellenc has developed CNS Brain on this basis. The add-on is designed to use artificial intelligence to improve detection accuracy and sorting performance. The combination of deep learning and NIR/VIS should enable the optical sorting machines developed by Pellenc ST to handle even the most complex sorting processes. In addition, the small distance between the detection head and the ejector should ensure very high ejection accuracy and reduce the loss of good products by half.

According to the manufacturer, CNS Brain does not require any additional hardware. It is available as an option for new machines or as a retrofit for the Mistral+ CONNECT and COMPACT+ product ranges.

The companies Neos Additives, Miraplas, and Saxun also participated in this circular economy research project funded by IVACE+i and the ERDF Programme.

The Institute of Ceramic Technology (ITC) and Aimplas have worked in cooperation to develop the RECERCO Project, an initiative aligned with the circular economy and focused on recovering waste generated in the ceramic tile manufacturing process, specifically so-called fired sherds. These tiles of different types, mostly composed of red clay, are treated and then used to manufacture new ceramic tiles and also as a reinforcement agent for polymeric matrices to obtain composites for the construction industry.

The studies carried out in both applications confirm that the introduction of this waste as a secondary raw material is technically feasible. It is therefore possible to use it to replace much of the clay content in tile composition in the ceramic tile manufacturing process. Furthermore, in the case of composites, it is possible to completely replace the reinforcement agents traditionally used in the plastics industry (e.g. calcium carbonate and titanium oxide) with this waste to obtain thermoplastic and thermoset composites with identical or improved properties.

Within the framework of the project, AIMPLAS developed thermoset and thermoplastic formulas with the ceramic waste to manufacture PVC-based shutter profiles and a planter and a tank with thermoset composites, which can be used for outdoor applications.

The RECERCO Project was supported by the Valencian Institute for Business Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) through the Strategic Cooperation Projects Programme co-financed by the EU through the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) Programme. The companies Neos Additives, Miraplas, and Saxun also collaborated on the project with the AIMPLAS and ITC technology centres.

The Universitat de València, GDV Mobility and Recuintec participate in this research project, which is financed by IVACE+i and the ERDF Programme and also includes strategies for reconditioning and reusing batteries prior to recycling.

Today, the most common fate of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), which are used in electronic devices such as mobile phones and computers, and electric mobility (scooters, bicycles, motorbikes, and vehicles), is landfill, which involves major safety and environmental risks. Due to their composition, discarded batteries can catch fire and explode, which is a clear risk for waste treatment plants and during transport. In terms of environmental impact, LIBs have chemical components that can be released into the environment as they degrade.

However, lithium is one of the European Union’s critical raw materials due to its strategic and economic importance. It is also subject to supply risks as a result of high demand because it is considered essential for electric mobility and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Aimplas is tackling these two challenges through the METALLON Project with the participation of the Environmental Engineering Research Group (GI2AM) at the Universitat de València, the electric vehicle mobility company GDV Mobility and the IT and technological waste management company Recuintec. The aim is to improve the process of reusing and recycling complex waste such as LIBs in order to recondition them and give them a second life and, if they must be disposed of, to optimize recycling and recovery processes to extract and recover the lithium and other high-value metals and minerals they contain. This project is financed by the Valencian Institute for Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) with the support of European ERDF Programme.

According to Santiago Llopis, a Chemical Recycling researcher at Aimplas, “Current processes for recycling lithium-ion batteries, such as pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy, have certain limitations, including the impossibility of recovering lithium using standard pyrometallurgical methods, high energy costs, the intensive use of inorganic acids and the generation of highly polluting waste (gases and water). In the METALLON Project, we are investigating LIB metal recovery techniques that do not have a negative environmental impact. We’ll replace inorganic acids with less hostile agents, such as green solvents, and study biohydrometallurgical processes as an innovative, cleaner and cheaper alternative requiring minimal energy consumption and the use of biological reagents”.

The research project also includes pre-recycling strategies to try to reduce generation of this waste in the first place. Methods will therefore be established to identify the status of LIBs at the end of their life cycle and procedures will be implemented to determine if they can be reconditioned and reused in different sectors such as mobility and the electrical and electronics industry.

The METALLON Project is funded by the Valencian Institute for Competitiveness and Innovation (IVACE+i) through the call for Strategic Projects in Cooperation 2023 of the Valencian Agency for Innovation in conjunction with the ERDF Programme.

The SortX mobile sorting container enables the efficient separation of various materials, allowing waste to be sorted into recyclable and non-recyclable categories. This capability ensures that plastics collected from rivers can be processed to close the waste loop. Designed for mobility, SortX is compact, quick to set up, and ready for operation. At 6 tons, it is suitable for sea transport without restrictions, providing flexibility in deployment across various locations, including remote areas where waste can be sorted directly at the collection site.

The immediate processing and recycling of waste on-site enhances the efficiency of cleanup operations and reduces the environmental impact associated with transport. Additionally, SortX eliminates the need for extra infrastructure or costs for interim waste storage. With the mobile sorting container, it is also possible to test the feasibility of new, permanent sorting stations at desired locations.

Equipped with four manual sorting containers and a robust wooden floor, the container is designed for versatile use in various environments. The frequency-controlled sorting belt allows for adjustable speed settings, optimizing the sorting process for different materials and personnel.

The SortX prototype has been in operation in Kukës, Albania, since mid-June. everwave’s garbage collection boat gathers the waste, which is manually sorted on the riverbanks before being fed into the sorting container. Initial results are promising: around 30,000 kg of waste has been collected, with the SortX sorting container processing approximately 30m3 per hour. Due to the high proportion of PET bottles in the collected waste, about 80% is recyclable.

The North Bohemian family business, which has been operating on the Czech market for 32 years, will become a part of the Cronimet Group. At the same time, a long-term succession plan has been found with the takeover.

MetallPlast Recykling, founded in 1992 by Milan Ryšavý, has made a name for itself with its expertise in the areas of ferrous scrap, stainless steel & foundry scrap and non-ferrous metal. The geographical location of MetallPlast Recykling’s seven sites, which have their fleet of vehicles for disposal services, is a valuable addition to the Cronimet Group’s network of sites and product portfolio.

Cronimet is taking on the 48 employees, who will continue to make important contributions to the company’s success with their expertise. Lucie Milatová, who has been the successful Managing Director of Cronimet Ostrava for many years, will be responsible for managing the business at MetallPlast Recykling together with the previous owner Milan Ryšavý.

Existing and future customers will benefit not only from the synergies between the two companies in terms of technical and regional expertise in the field of Sesotec’s own systems for foreign body detection and material sorting, but in particular from the shared experience and philosophy of maximum customer satisfaction and the best service within the food, plastics and recycling industries.

“Our shared values, which have grown from our long history together, were the basis on both sides for this official step and our commitment to each other,” explains Joachim Schulz, CEO of Sesotec GmbH. “Being a reliable partner has always been an important principle for Sesotec. The long-standing cooperation with Mobergs is an outstanding example of such a partnership in action. We are therefore very pleased to start an even closer cooperation with Fredrik Moberg and his team and to welcome them as a permanent member of the Sesotec Group. This commitment to Sesotec makes us and our employees very proud.”

Fredrik Moberg, founder and original owner of Mobergs Produktkontroll AB, will continue to play a leading role in the regional development of the company as Managing Director and will lead the experienced team into a strategically secure future in the Scandinavian and in the future also in the Baltic countries.

Mobergs Produktkontroll AB will operate under its established name with the addition of “Member of Sesotec Group”. Sesotec’s own product range extends from contaminant detectors for the food and plastics industries to sorting systems for the recycling industry and comprehensive service offerings and software solutions. Mobergs’ existing partnerships with other brands will remain unchanged. Customers can continue to rely on receiving products and services of the usual high quality.

He replaces the current Managing Director Bernard Merkx, who had been appointed for a transition period of 2 years since the departure of Alexandre Dangis on January 1st, 2023.

This decision follows the transformation of EuPC and is based on the fact that EuPC needs a full-time dedicated person with the right advocacy skills and network in Brussels to secure that the long-term interest of plastics converters are well positioned towards EU Regulators.

Paolo has more than 20 years’ experience in senior management, public affairs and communication roles across various organizations.

“Paolo worked previously for EuPC as Packaging Division manager and knows our industry very well and was until recently the secretary general of PCEP, so we believe he is the right fit for the future of our association”, said Benoit Hennaut, EuPC President.

Furthermore, we would like to thank Bernard for his activities at the head of EuPC for almost 2 years having assisted us in this management change and transition phase. Bernard will of course remain linked to our plastics network as manager of ESWA and PET Sheet Europe as well as co-founder of WFO.

“Returning to lead a team where I once began my professional career in Brussels is both an honour and a responsibility. As Managing Director, I am excited to build on our shared history, driving innovation and sustainability in the plastic conversion industry. Together, we will shape a future that reflects our values and expertise, turning challenges into opportunities for growth and success”, said Paolo Bochicchio.

Equipped to process up to 10,000 tonnes of material annually, with plans to double this capacity by expanding onto an adjacent plot, the facility utilizes an industry-leading inert crushing and vacuum drying process to safely recycle lithium and EV batteries, as well as battery production scrap.

SK tes extracts black mass, an intermediate-processed product containing rare metals including lithium, cobalt, and nickel that is fed back into the battery supply chain.

SK tes also plans to expand battery recycling capabilities at key bases in Europe. In addition to Rotterdam, SK tes is working to develop battery recycling capacity in Southern and Eastern Europe. In Asia, SK tes recently completed an EV battery recycling plant in Yancheng, China, and plans to complete EV waste battery recycling operation in Newcastle, Australia later this year.

With 50% of global plastic waste ending up in landfills and only 9% recycled, GR3N developed MADE, the Microwave Assisted DEpolymerisation solution. This process breaks down PET into its chemical building blocks that can be recombined to create new PET pellets with virgin-like quality for packaging and textiles, effectively closing the loop for difficult to recycle plastic. The technology is based on alkaline hydrolysis, and it can manage a higher amount of impurities compared to the existing ones.

In March 2024, GR3N successfully demonstrated MADE and the power of Schneider Electric’s open automation technology, EcoStruxure Automation Expert at its demonstration site in Italy. MADE plant is conceived to anticipate the usage of all the technologies that will be finally adopted for the first industrial-scale facility, foreseen to be installed in Spain and with an expected capacity of over 40,000 ton/year of PET waste treated. The intrinsic modularity of GR3N’s proprietary recycling process has allowed MADE to be the first plastic recycling plant to use the shared automation runtime managed by Universal Automation, based on the IEC 61499 standard.

The software-defined automation system decouples hardware from software, allowing devices and equipment to be freely connected across architecture layers, regardless of manufacturer. It acts as the digital backbone of industrial operations at the plant, providing the foundation to make more informed decisions. This approach allows MADE to be also technological demonstration of a new generation of automation systems, where the intertwining between OT and IT enables the exploitation of advanced functionalities for operations management and data analytics.

Due to EcoStruxure Automation Expert’s modular, agnostic nature, GR3N was able to choose the optimal technology for the demonstration plant and easily scale to new sites. Benefits include:

• Industrial scalability – significantly minimizes the risk of investment during the scale-up of GR3N’s technology towards the First of a Kind (FOAK) industrial plant, while offering a new way to protect its intellectual property as process licensor.
• Design flexibility – vendor and hardware-agnostic system enabled GR3N to design the best possible solution without being held back by vendor lock in or being impacted by supply chain issues.
• Engineering time and time-to-market reduction – the modular design of control software, supported by digital continuity across the whole plant lifecycle with automation-focused decision-making happening at conception, reduces human error at the development stage by 40%.
• Control simplification – Vendor-independence allows controls to be distributed or centralized depending on need.
• New opportunities – OT/IT integration provides new opportunities for efficiency and optimization across the entire value chain, thanks to a seamless incorporation of advanced data analytics techniques.
• Reduced costs – the software-defined approach to automation is expected to reduce engineering costs by 30%.
• Next-gen workforce – attracts the next generation of workers with a system that shared similarities with those in IT.

The partnership between GR3N and Schneider Electric, that has started with the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding, will enable the chemical
recycler to scale operations to new sites quickly and cost-effectively. The solution is expected to reach industrial scale by 2027 with the construction of a 35-40kta plant which will include the pre-treatment, depolymerization and repolymerization.

Headquartered on Norway’s west coast, Geminor operates across nine countries as a key player in material and energy recovery throughout Europe. The acquisition of Rømskog Industrial Park, situated just an hour from Oslo, marks Geminor’s fifth strategic integration, following successful acquisitions of Bergen Avfall, Rekom, Bøn Biobrensel, and KEMÅ Fast.

Spanning 100,000 square meters, Rømskog Industrial Park becomes the largest facility in Geminor’s growing portfolio. The site will primarily serve as a logistics hub for the company’s biofuel operations within Bøn Biobrensel, focusing on storage and processing.

This acquisition is set to invigorate the local economy by creating new employment opportunities in the Rømskog area.

Kjetil Vikingstad, CEO of Geminor, states: “The industrial park has long aimed to foster local activity and job creation. This acquisition aligns perfectly with that vision. Rømskog’s proximity to local timber and forest residues makes it ideal for our biofuel operations. Moreover, the region’s skilled forestry workforce presents an excellent talent pool for our future growth.”

The addition of Rømskog expands Geminor’s network of strategically positioned facilities across Europe, enabling the company to manage a diverse range of waste fractions and biofuels tailored to varying market demands.

While biofuel operations will be the primary focus, the site’s expansive area offers the potential to support other aspects of Geminor’s operations as needed.

Pursuing the objectives of the European Green Deal in a Clean Industrial Deal, create a new law on the circular economy to intensify the use of secondary raw materials and optimize public procurement.

The FEhS Building Materials Institute considers the planned measures in the EU Commission’s Political Guidelines 2024-2029 to be trendsetting. In many respects, they are in line with the FEhS Institute’s core demands for sustainable resource management and the key points of a legal opinion on the EU Public Procurement Directive commissioned by the FEhS Institute and the European association EUROSLAG in 2020.

The legal opinion on the EU Public Procurement Directive calls for specifications for a circular public procurement system, such as the comprehensive approval of secondary building materials and their conditional preference in public procurement. Among other things, the fundamental importance of environmental criteria in the award of public contracts should be enshrined, “aspects of environmental protection, the circular economy and resource conservation” should be mandatory in the specification of services and the non-approval of secondary materials should be justified in the contract award notices.

Thomas Reiche, Managing Director of the FEhS Institute and Chairman of EUROSLAG: “We are optimistic about the guidelines presented by the EU Commission. This is considerable progress compared to 2020, when the objectives formulated in our report were not heard by the EU Commission. We are working with our partners at all levels to ensure that these plans are put into practice.”

The FEhS Institute has been campaigning for many years at the political interfaces for improved framework conditions and the sustainable use of products containing slag. Building materials and fertilizers from the steel industry have been making an important contribution to the conservation of natural resources for many decades. In the period from 2000 to 2023 alone, the use ferrous slag avoided the extraction of around 1.2 billion tons of natural rock across Europe.

It aims to recycle 25% of India’s PET bottle waste by 2026.

The two new Starlinger recoSTAR PET 165 HC iV+ recycling lines are set up at the recycling facility of Ganesha Ecopet Private Ltd. in Warangal, Telangana State. The company, a subsidiary of Indian PET recycling pioneer Ganesha Ecosphere Ltd., already produces recycled PET flakes and pellets for food-grade packaging as well as for filament yarns and fibres on two Starlinger lines installed in 2022. The new recycling lines are in operation since mid-2024 and triple Ganesha Ecopet’s annual production of bottle-grade rPET, raising it from 14,000 tons to a total of 42,000 tons.

EPR and consumers drive demand for sustainable products

The increasing demand for food-safe recycled PET in India has two main reasons. On the one hand, the Indian government has introduced Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for importers, brand owners and plastic waste processors as part of its Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules in 2022 to ensure systematic collection of plastic waste. In addition, the rules stipulate that brand owners and producers must include a 30% share of post-consumer recycled content in PET bottles by 2025, with the share being gradually increased each year to reach 60% by 2029.

On the other hand, consumer preferences in India are changing, with sustainability being one of the top five factors for purchasing a product. Especially the large number of young consumers —i.e. millennials and generation Z— are increasingly demanding products and packaging that do not harm our planet. Brands respond to that by creating supply chains and packaging that are circular and sustainable. Recycled PET is one of the most convincing options for plastic packaging, given its continuous recyclability and lower carbon footprint compared to other alternatives, while not compromising on production scale, durability, or quality.

Focusing on sustainable production, Ganesha Ecopet also minimized the process-related carbon emissions by recycling and reusing 95% of the consumed water as well as increasing the use of renewables in plant operations. With a total production capacity of 42,000 tons of food-grade recycled post-consumer PET per year, the PET recycling company caters to Indian, US, and European markets.

Incentives for improving the Indian waste management sector

Ganesha Ecopet sources post-consumer PET bottles from every possible channel: online, offline, and through more than 300 suppliers and aggregators across India. The Indian government has set a focus on improving the waste management sector. Due to the size and efficiency of the already existing informal waste collection network, through which around 95% of PET waste —one of the highest rates worldwide— in India is collected and recycled, the main goal is to optimize the current systems. There are various start-ups that are tackling multiple aspects, from piloting deposit return/refund schemes to online scrap marketplaces. The government also plays an important role by setting incentives for better Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices and taxing unsustainable practices.

Whilst the WEEE Forum acknowledges that much more waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) must be separately collected for responsible management and to recover (critical) materials, we also believe that it highlights the need to thoroughly revise waste legislation.

Under Directive 2012/19/EU on WEEE, the minimum collection rate to be achieved annually by the Member States is set at 65% of the average weight of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market in the three preceding years in the Member State concerned, or alternatively 85% of WEEE generated on the territory of that Member State. The majority of Member States failed to collect sufficient WEEE separately and therefore missed the EU collection target. The Commission says that “Member States should boost their implementation efforts in order to meet the abovementioned obligations”.

“Whilst it is undeniably true that more WEEE must be separately collected, in view of proper re-use, repair or recycling, and that waste legislation must be adequately implemented and enforced, Member States’ failure in meeting the minimum collection rates underscores the urgency of a thorough rethink of waste legislation and its implementation and the importance of a reform of the Extended Producer Responsibility principle along #allactors principles” says Pascal Leroy, Director General of the WEEE Forum.

Over the past twenty years, PROs have invested millions in measures, chief among them were awareness campaigns and collection infrastructure, driving up not only collection volumes but also collected kilogram per inhabitant. Yet despite all these investments, after more than twenty years of WEEE legislation, Bulgaria and Slovakia are reportedly the only Member States that meet the minimum collection rate of 65% as defined by Directive 2012/19/EU on WEEE – see the Annex of total collection rate in the EU in 2021. The average collection rate in the EU barely exceeds 45%.

During the last few years, the WEEE Forum has consistently argued that the minimum collection rate methodology is not meaningful, and therefore not fit for purpose, for three distinct reasons: it has a perverse effect, it is ill-suited for circularity strategies, and it is distortive.

Perverse

The minimum collection rate has a perverse effect: the more WEEE is disposed of, the easier it is for that Member State to meet the minimum collection rate. Countries where people do not return their end-of-life appliances to a collection point to have them repaired or recycled, but repair them themselves, or give them a second life by sharing them with relatives, will generate a smaller volume of WEEE and therefore show lower collection rates. The EU seeks to promote circularity initiatives, not a pro forma higher collection rate.

Ill-suited for circularity

In an age where we strive to make our economy more circular, the current minimum collection rate fails to measure progress towards circularity in terms of products being reused or products’ lives being extended. The current methodology does not measure reduction of consumption, consumers’ hoarding, and circular consumer behaviour, which would be constituents of a much more powerful set of circularity metrics.

Distortive

The placed-on-market method looks at the preceding three years and does not take account of the full lifecycle of electrical and electronic equipment. Some products, notably photovoltaics and air conditioning equipment, washing machines and refrigerators, have a lifetime of, respectively, minimum 20-25 and 10–15 years. Therefore, the 65% minimum rate based on the preceding three years is meaningless. In the Member States where photovoltaics and other household appliances are clustered in the same product category, that category fails to reach the minimum collection rate due to the long lifespan of photovoltaics, which in turn induces the competent authorities to issue penalties and requiring PROs to collect higher volumes of non-photovoltaic products in order to reach the targeted volumes for photovoltaic panels. Such penalties distort the market and the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility and are therefore unacceptable.

A draft final study supporting the evaluation of Directive 2012/19/EU, authored by a consortium of Ramboll, Umweltbundesamt and Öko-Institut in 2023, came to a similar conclusion: “Current calculation methodology usually applied are incoherent in so far as the long lifespan of some products are not taken into account”.

Call for action

For all the above reasons, the WEEE Forum suggests the following:

A. Revise the Waste Framework and WEEE legislation
Pursuant to the most recent amendment to Directive 2012/19/EU, the impact assessment in view of a revision of the Directive must evaluate, inter alia,

• elements related to the waste hierarchy,
• the obligation not to burden consumers with disproportionate costs,
• provisions ensuring full implementation and enforcement of this Directive, in particular with regard to adequate collection targets,
• measures aimed at preventing illegal trade of WEEE,
• a new ‘photovoltaic panels’ category.

B. Design and develop circularity metrics
The minimum WEEE collection rate methodology must measure all aspects of the circular economy, such as reduction of consumption, the global economy, market trends, consumers’ hoarding, and circular consumer behaviour, which would be constituents of a much more powerful set of circularity metrics. Legislation must identify alternative performance indicators more akin to a circular economy.

C. Evaluate, improve and harmonise Eurostat system of waste statistics
The validity and robustness of the Eurostat system of waste statistics must be made subject to a thorough, critical evaluation and revision, involving consultation of stakeholders.

D. Put the #allactors principle into practice
It takes a village to solve the e-waste problem; e-waste is a societal challenge. The 2023 amendment to the Directive says that “provisions ensuring full implementation and enforcement of this Directive, specifically concerning adequate collection targets, as well as preventing illegal trade of WEEE” must be assessed. The Member States must enforce the legal obligations of all actors and an EU enforcement agency must be empowered to audit the Member States obligations. The #allactors principle, underlining the importance of collective, collaborative action and good governance, must lie at the heart of the revised Extended Producer Responsibility policy approach: all entities that have access to e-waste are subject to minimum legal obligations and actively collaborate towards responsible operations.

E. Integrate EPR waste objectives in the wider framework of materials management
Beyond the Waste Framework legislation, the EU is in need of a policy framework for managing materials through the lens of circularity. We cannot achieve climate goals without becoming more circular. Reducing dependence on materials will contribute to our resilience.

Hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste are generated worldwide every year. Scientists are working tirelessly on new methods to recycle a large proportion of this waste into high-quality products, and thus enable a genuine circular economy. However, current recycling practices fall short of this goal. Most plastic waste is recycled mechanically: shredded and then melted down. Although this process does result in new plastic products, their quality deteriorates with each recycling step.

An alternative to this is chemical recycling, which avoids loss of quality. This method involves breaking down long-chain plastic molecules (polymers) into their fundamental building blocks (monomers), which can be reassembled into new, high-quality plastics, creating a truly sustainable cycle.

Fuels from plastic waste

As the approach of chemical recycling develops, the initial focus is on breaking down these long polymer chains into shorter-chain molecules that can be used as liquid fuels, say, or lubricants. This gives plastic waste a second life as petrol, jet fuel or engine oil. Scientists at ETH Zurich have now laid down important foundations for developing this process. These enable the global scientific community to engage in more targeted and effective recycling development work.

Researchers in the group led by Javier Pérez-Ramírez, Professor of Catalysis Engineering, investigated how to break down polyethylene and polypropylene with hydrogen. Here, too, the first step is to melt the plastic in a steel tank. Gaseous hydrogen is then introduced into the molten plastic. A crucial step involves adding a powdered catalyst containing metals such as ruthenium. By carefully selecting a suitable catalyst, researchers can increase the efficiency of the chemical reaction, promoting the formation of molecules with specific chain lengths while minimizing by-products such as methane or propane.

Rotational speed and geometry are key

“The molten plastic is a thousand times thicker than honey. The key is how you stir it in the tank to ensure the catalyst powder and hydrogen get mixed right through,” explains Antonio José Martín, a scientist in Pérez-Ramírez’s group. Through experiments and computer simulations, the research team demonstrated that the plastic is best stirred using an impeller with blades parallel to the axis. Compared to a propeller with angled blades or a turbine-shaped stirrer, this results in more even mixing and fewer flow vortices. The stirring speed is equally crucial. It must be neither too slow nor too fast; the ideal speed is close to 1,000 revolutions per minute.

The researchers successfully developed a mathematical formula to describe the entire chemical recycling process with all its parameters. “It’s every chemical engineer’s dream to have a formula like this at hand for their process,” Pérez-Ramírez says. All scientists in the research field can now precisely calculate the effect of the stirrer’s geometry and speed.
With this formula, future experiments can focus on directly comparing different catalysts with the influence of mixing under control. In addition, the principles developed here are central for scaling up the technology from the laboratory to large recycling plants. “But for now, our focus remains on researching better catalysts for the chemical recycling of plastics,” Martín says.

Read the paper

The EU also bases its policies on the SDGs. Eurostat has analysed the extent to which the EU is on track to meet the 2030 targets. The results are rather sobering.

Sustainability goals have long played an important role in EU policy. The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, has given new impetus to global efforts to achieve sustainable development. The sustainability goals were also at the heart of the von der Leyen Commission. With this report, Eurostat aims to show where the EU currently stands in relation to these goals.

No poverty

The first Sustainable Development Goal is not only to eradicate extreme poverty, but also to halve poverty in all its dimensions by 2030. The number of people at risk of poverty in the EU is to be reduced by at least 15 million by 2030, compared to 2019. At least 5 million of these people are children. However, considerable efforts are still needed to reach the 2030 target. Although the number had fallen by 2.9% in 2022 compared to 2017, there has been little change since 2019.

Zero hunger

The aim is to eradicate hunger and all forms of malnutrition. However, the EU faces the opposite problem, as more than half of the EU population is overweight and one in seven is obese. This is mainly due to unhealthy diets that are high in energy, fat, trans fats and saturated fats. Physical inactivity and sociological and genetic factors also play a role. Obesity is a major public health issue in the EU.

Sustainable agricultural production is a key element for ensuring a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food supply. The European agricultural sector needs to become economically sustainable. An important indicator of this is labour productivity, which was 34.2% higher in 2023 than in 2015, and organic farming is on the rise across the EU. However, the pace of expansion needs to be stepped up to reach the 2030 target. The current share is around 9.9%, whereby the target for 2030 is 25%. The EU is on track to meet its targets for reducing the use of pesticides and the sale of antimicrobials for use on animals.

In 2022, the agriculture sector accounted for just under 11% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Since 2017, emissions caused by agriculture have been falling much more slowly than overall emissions.

Good health and well-being

In the EU, life expectancy has continued to rise in recent decades, although the rate of increase has slowed recently, partly due to the pandemic. However, life expectancy alone does not indicate whether people are living healthy lives.

The pandemic has also had a significant impact on mortality rates in Member States, with people over 60 and those from disadvantaged groups particularly affected. Between January 2020 and February 2023, 1.74 million more deaths were registered in the EU and EFTA regions than the average for the years 2016 to 2019.

Quality education

The SDGs state that by 2030, all children should have access to quality early childhood development, care, and education. They should also be able to complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education. According to Eurostat, participation in early childhood education and care has deteriorated since 2021. While a rate of 93.4% was reached in 2020, it dropped to 92.5% in 2021. The EU target is 96% by 2030.

Another target is to reduce the share of early school leavers to below 9% by 2030. This rate has been falling steadily since 2002 and stood at 9.5% in 2023. The target is therefore likely to be met. In addition, the share of people with tertiary education has increased significantly since 2002. The target for 2030 is 45% and already stood at 43.1% in 2023.

Basic digital skills are also becoming more important. Here, the proportion of 16-74 year olds with at least basic digital skills is targeted to rise to 80% by 2030. In 2023, however, the proportion was only 55.6%.

Gender equality

Ensuring high employment rates for both men and women is one of the EU’s main objectives. However, there are still large differences in the rates for men and women, and by 2030 the gender employment gap needs to be at least halved compared to 2019. Although women are better educated than men in most EU countries, they are still paid less on average. Traditional gender roles, a lack of support for both women and men to combine care duties with work, as well as political and corporate cultures are some of the reasons why women are under-represented when it comes to decision-making. Promoting gender equality in this area is one of the EU’s priorities for achieving gender equality overall.

Clean water and sanitation

As a vital resource, water is considered a public good in the EU. The indicators chosen to monitor sanitation are the proportion of the population without a bath, shower, or indoor flushing toilet in the household and the proportion connected to at least one wastewater treatment plant. The proportion of the population without a bath, shower, or indoor flushing toilet at home fell from 2.2% in 2015 to 1.5% in 2020. The data also show that the proportion of the EU population connected to a secondary wastewater treatment system has increased steadily since 2000 and reached 80.9% in 2021.

Almost every household in the EU had basic sanitation in 2020 and most countries reported that less than 1% of their population still lived in households without a flushing toilet, a bath or a shower. However, in some countries the proportion remains relatively high.

Although the nutrient pollution of European waters has decreased since the 1990s, it is still the main reason why 28% of surface water bodies are not of good quality.

Affordable and clean energy

The EU aims to reduce its total energy consumption by at least 11.7% by 2030 compared to the Reference Scenario for 2020. This means that in absolute terms, the EU should not consume more than 992.5 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) of primary energy and 763 million tonnes of oil equivalent of final energy by 2030. Primary energy consumption has been generally declining since 2007 and amounted to 1,257.1 Mtoe in 2022, a reduction of 15.6% over the last 15 years, while final energy consumption decreased by 8.6% to 940.5 Mtoe over the same period.

The difference between the decline in primary and final energy consumption is mainly due to more efficient energy production and the switch to renewable energy sources. However, further improvements in energy efficiency and consumption patterns are needed if the EU is to meet its two energy consumption targets for 2030. Recent developments also point to a decoupling of economic growth from energy consumption. The share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption is projected to increase to 42.5% by 2030. In 2022, the share totalled 23%.

However, to reach the 2030 target, efforts will have to be stepped up in the coming years.

Decent work and economic growth

Gross domestic product in the EU grew steadily by 2% per year between 2014 and 2019. After the pandemic-related dip, growth resumed in 2022 and annual growth averaged 0.9% between 2018 and 2023. Growth of 1.0% and 1.6% is expected for 2024 and 2025 respectively. At the same time, however, the EU’s material footprint has also risen. After a dip due to the financial crisis in 2008, there was an increase of 7.6% between 2015 and 2019. And even after the pandemic, there was another significant rise. At 6.67 billion tonnes, in 2022 it reached its highest level since 2012. The EU’s material footprint is well above the global average and exceeds sustainable levels of resource extraction.

By 2030, the EU aims to reach an employment rate of 78% for the 20-64 age group. A historic high of 75.3% was recorded in 2023. However, the target is expected to be achieved by 2030. In 2023, the unemployment rate reached its lowest level since 2009 at 6.1%, while long-term unemployment dropped to an all-time low of 2.1% in 2023.

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

The industrial sector accounts for more than 20% of the European economy and employs around 35 million people, but industry is also a major source of pollution, although significant progress has been made in recent years in terms of emissions.

Environmental products and services make a significant contribution to the EU’s gross value added, rising from 1.8% in 2006 to 2.5% in 2021, growing faster than other sectors and employing more than 5.2 million people in 2021.

However, the share of buses and trains in total transport dropped significantly in 2020 and did not really recover in 2021. Before the pandemic the share was relatively stable at 17.6%, but fell to 12.9% in 2020, with only a slight increase to 13.7% in 2021.

The share of railways and inland waterways has fallen continuously since 2012 and reached its absolute low in 2022 with a share of 22.2%.

Reduced inequalities

The income gap between high-income and low-income households has narrowed in recent years, as measured by the difference between the 20% with the highest and the 20% with the lowest disposable income. The ratio fell from 5.22 in 2013 to 4.89 in 2019. The poverty gap between urban and rural areas has also shrunk.

Sustainable cities and communities

The quality of life has improved steadily since 2010, and noise pollution and crime have both fallen. However, the slow but steady increase in land sealing is problematic. In 2018, 2.7% of the total land area was sealed.

The EU is also at risk of failing to meet its municipal waste recycling target. In 2022, 229,482 tonnes were generated, equivalent to 513 kilograms per capita. The amount increased by around 3% between 2017 and 2022. Although the recycling rate rose from 27.3 to 48.6% between 2000 and 2022, the annual growth rate since 2017 is only 2.3 percentage points.

Responsible consumption and production

The EU’s material footprint has continued to grow over the last decade and reached 6.67 billion tonnes in 2022, requiring further action to meet the Green Deal targets. The consumption footprint exceeds planetary boundaries by a factor of 3.4 and the 2022 figure marked a historic high. Imports accounted for 22.4% of direct material use in 2022. The share was particularly high for fossil fuels (69.7%) and metal ores (51.5%), whereby the imported share of non-metallic minerals was only 3%.

Resource productivity, on the other hand, has increased. In 2022, the value of resources produced was 4% higher than in 2017. Energy productivity also rose significantly.

A total of 2.2 billion tonnes of waste was generated in the EU in 2020. Mineral waste from the construction and mining sectors accounted for almost two thirds of this amount. Moreover, the EU is not making progress in terms of recycling rates, which increased from 8.9 to 11.5% between 2007 and 2022. Since 2016, however, the figure has stagnated between 11.3 and 11.6%. Considerable efforts are still needed to reach the target of 23.2%.

Climate action

The EU aims to be climate-neutral by 2050 and has set itself an interim target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The EU Commission has now proposed a further interim target of 90% by 2040. Emissions fell by 31% between 1990 and 2022. The reduction will therefore have to be much faster if the target is to be met by 2030. However, net greenhouse gas emissions from land use and forestry also fell, by 22.2% between 2007 and 2022. This is partly due to a slowdown in net afforestation and an increase in tree mortality and harvesting. In 2022, net removals totalled 236.4 million tonnes of CO2eq, well below the target of 310 million tonnes to be met by 2030.

Life below water

SDG 15 is one of the key international targets dealing with biodiversity and ecosystems. In the EU, this target ensures that the health and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems and the provision of ecosystem services remain a priority. This is especially important in the face of global trends such as population growth, accelerated urbanisation, and increasing demand for natural resources. It also addresses the impacts of climate change. The monitoring of SDG 15 in the EU context focuses on trends in the condition of ecosystems, land degradation and biodiversity. Over the five-year period under review, there have been several negative trends in the indicators analysed in the EU, resulting in an overall moderately negative score for SDG 15 as a whole. While the forest area in the EU has slightly increased, recent trends in pollutant concentrations in EU rivers have been mixed. Soil degradation continues, with land use and the impact of droughts increasing. Biodiversity indicators show a long-term and sustained decline in common bird species and meadow butterflies in the EU. In addition, the designation of protected areas on land has stalled, and the EU is not on track to meet its 2030 target.

Life on land

SDG 15 is one of the key international targets dealing with biodiversity and ecosystems. In the EU, this target ensures that the health and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems and the provision of ecosystem services remain a priority. This is especially in the face of global trends such as population growth, accelerated urbanisation, and increasing demand for natural resources. It also addresses the impacts of climate change. Monitoring of SDG 15 in the EU context focuses on trends in ecosystem condition, land degradation and biodiversity. Over the five-year period under review, there have been several negative trends in the indicators analysed in the EU, resulting in an overall moderately negative score for SDG 15 as a whole. While forest area in the EU has slightly increased, recent trends in pollutant concentrations in EU rivers have been mixed. Soil degradation continues, with land use and the impact of droughts increasing. Biodiversity indicators show a long-term and sustained decline in common bird species and meadow butterflies in the EU. In addition, the designation of protected areas on land has stalled, and the EU is not on track to meet its 2030 target.

Peace, justice and strong institutions

Peace and security are prerequisites for sustainable development. Peace, security, democracy, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights are also core values of the EU. The monitoring of SDG 16 in the EU context focuses on personal safety, access to justice and trust in institutions in the EU. Progress towards SDG 16 is uneven in all these areas. While the number of deaths from homicide and robbery and the perceived level of crime, violence and vandalism has decreased significantly recently, the number of victims of human trafficking in the EU has increased. Public spending on justice has risen significantly and more than half of Europeans consider their justice system to be independent, although this proportion has dropped over the last five years. The perception of corruption in the EU has remained stable.

Partnerships for the goals

Partnership is at the heart of the EU and an overarching principle for achieving the SDGs within and beyond the EU’s borders. The monitoring of SDG 17 in the EU context focuses on global partnership, financial management and access to technology. Over the five-year period analysed, the EU’s progress in the area of global partnership has been mixed. On the one hand, imports from developing countries have increased, and the EU is on track to meet its Official Development Assistance (ODA) target, partly due to support from Ukraine. On the other hand, despite the increase in ODA, overall EU funding to developing countries has decreased. Furthermore, fiscal management in the EU remains a challenge, as evidenced by the declining share of environmental taxes in total tax revenues and the high level of gross public debt. Meanwhile, access to technology in the EU has improved, with a significant rise in the share of households with broadband internet access.

Overall, the report sees significant progress for the SDGs ‘Decent work and economic growth’ and ‘Reduced inequalities’. For the goals ‘Good health and well-being’, ‘Clean water and sanitation’, ‘Affordable and clean energy’ and ‘Life on land’, Eurostat sees a moderate movement away from the targets. For all other goals, there is moderate progress.

As a result, work is yet to start on over a quarter (26%) of the polices originally detailed over six years ago

The reasons cited for this slow rate of progress include frequent ministerial changes post 2018, preparing for the UK’s exit from the European Union and responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.

CIWM makes the point that while delivery of some aspects of the 2018 Resources and Waste Strategy, such as EPR (Extended producer Responsibility) and Consistent Collections, must be prioritised, the world has moved on. As a result, this strategy is now outdated will be unable to deliver a zero-waste economy which has the ability to deliver significant growth in UKGDP, increase jobs and maximise resource efficiency. CIWM believes there is an urgent need to produce a new Resource Resilience Strategy aimed at delivering a circular economy and helping the UK to achieve net zero.

The outstanding 2018 policy with the potential to have the biggest impact is Consistent Collections, which would see weekly food waste collections services provided by the 50% of councils in England not already providing this service. This will help all households to recycle more and will reduce carbon emissions as a result of less biodegradable waste entering the residual waste stream. It is estimated that carbon savings could be as high as 58MtCO2 up to 2035. The overall recycling rate in England could increase from the current 44% to around 60% and cost-effective societal benefits are estimated to be around £3bn up to 2035.

The line will recycle end-of-life fiberboards back into valuable fibers as new raw material for fiberboard production. It will be the first industrial-scale fiberboard recycling line in the world.

The dry fiberboard recycling line is based on continuous steam treatment with a special discharging system using the Andritz Steam-Ex discharger, which minimizes steam consumption and maintenance requirements. This allows continuous processing of fiberboard material with very low steam consumption and high runnability.

Start-up of the fiberboard recycling line is scheduled for the second quarter of 2025.

This is an outstanding amount of waste produced, particularly with Plastics Europe finding that the annual waste production equates to almost 8.9 million tonnes.

With this significant amount having a huge impact on the environment, a high priority for the sector is managing the waste and reducing the annual levels created. Scott Hawthorne from Skips & Bins, a leading provider of skip hire in the UK, has offered some industry-level insight into how the industry is working to mitigate waste production.

Reduction of single-use plastic

Plastic has become the most common man-made material produced, accounting for more than 380 million tonnes globally per year. Despite these huge amounts, a study from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the World Economic Forum found that only 14% of all plastic packaging is collected for recycling.

This can be difficult for manufacturers as it filters throughout the supply chain, but there is plenty that can be done to better your own company’s standing. One way to do this is to reevaluate your packaging use. You may discover that you can reuse clean packaging materials, use recycled and recyclable materials, or even reduce the amount of packaging required to reduce waste.

As increased focus is placed on finding alternatives to single-use plastics, many manufacturers are now designing products with their entire lifecycle in mind. This involves considering the ease of disassembly, the recyclability of materials, and the potential for components to be reused. For instance, companies in the electronics industry are developing modular products that can be easily upgraded or repaired, thereby extending their lifespan and reducing the volume of electronic waste.

The food waste crisis

While manufacturing as a sector is most closely associated with materials such as plastic, scrap metal, plaster, and chemicals, it’s estimated that more than two-thirds of manufacturing waste comes from biological sources. One of these is food waste, with the UK being one of the largest offenders, with more than 6.4 million tonnes of edible food being thrown away annually.

Finding solutions for manufacturers to reduce food waste is crucial to reducing the amount of waste. One method that’s been researched and confirmed for its viability is anaerobic digestion, which involves collecting and transferring the waste into a tank deprived of oxygen, breaking it down with microorganisms. Biogas is produced and can be converted into electricity generation. With 1.3 million tonnes of food waste broken down annually, it’s capable of powering 200,000 homes throughout the UK.

By prioritising sending food waste to digestion plants and working to create a more circular economy within the supply chain, it can not only reduce physical waste but also help to reduce the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment’s biodiversity, and require much less energy for production.

The dangers of handling and disposing of hazardous waste

The manufacturing industry works with many other sectors, meaning that some of the waste produced can be classified as hazardous. Whether waste is hazardous or non-hazardous is covered by the European Sustainability Reporting Standard, but often refers to materials that are a threat to the health of humans and the environment.

Scott Hawthorne stressed the importance of hazardous waste as an area that manufacturing must focus efforts to improve: “Within the manufacturing industry, you’re working with a multitude of sectors that can range from expired medication and needles from the medical sector to industrial solvents and asbestos. Not only can these contribute significantly to landfills, but the damage they can do to the human body and the environment should be a reason enough for the sector to keep on top of the waste produced.

“Prioritising the safe handling and disposal of this waste will be a huge factor in the future of the sector and something that will constantly develop. This could be through emerging tech that helps to identify materials that are dangerous to human and environmental health, or auditing the sectors your business works with to mitigate the amount of harmful materials produced.”

The manufacturing sector is undergoing a significant transformation as it tackles the challenge of waste. Regulatory and consumer pressures further reinforce the importance of these efforts, making waste reduction not just an environmental imperative but a business necessity. As these trends continue to evolve, the manufacturing industry has the potential to become a leader in sustainability, setting an example for other sectors to follow.

More information

The document outlines five key policy recommendations for the EU’s upcoming five-year mandate (2024–2029) that aim at enhancing recycling and fostering a thriving recycling sector that can ensure raw material autonomy, foster innovation, create jobs, and drive economic growth.

The manifesto highlights the significant potential for circularity and recycling within the C&D sector, stressing the need to stimulate the market for recycled materials and advance legislation to mandate their use. It calls for mandatory Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), improved separation of C&D waste, and the introduction of EU-wide End-of-Waste (EOW) criteria to boost the uptake of recycled materials. Additionally, it calls for balanced chemicals legislation that protects the environment and human health while facilitating recycling and avoiding excessive industry burdens.

Julia Ettinger, EuRIC’s Secretary General, stated: “Our manifesto provides a clear roadmap for policymakers to increase circularity in construction and demolition, reduce environmental degradation and resource depletion while driving economic growth and innovation within the EU. We urge policymakers to prioritise these recommendations in the upcoming legislative term.”

Read the report