#Recycling / Circular Economy

2025-03-06

EuRIC plastics webinar brings together 250+ participants to tackle Europe’s plastics recycling crisis

Over 250 industry stakeholders gathered at EuRIC’s webinar on 4 March to address a critical question: How can Europe resolve its plastics recycling crisis? The discussion highlighted the pressing challenges faced by the industry and the policy measures needed to ensure its sustainability and competitiveness.

“The plastics recycling industry is not immune to the pressures of high energy prices and a lack of commitment across the value chain,” stated Sophie Sicard, President of EuRIC’s Plastics Recycling Branch (EPRB), as she opened the webinar. She pointed to weak domestic demand and the surge in imports from third countries as key factors exacerbating the crisis.

Maria Vera Duran, EuRIC’s Senior Technical Manager, presented the EU Plastic Recyclers’ Roadmap released in December, which outlines essential policy recommendations. These include, among others, establishing End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria, introducing financial incentives like lower VAT for circular materials, and adopting a risk-based approach to hazardous substances. Additionally, she stressed that the new Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR) and the upcoming ban on plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries will increase the waste available for recycling in the EU, and thus, intensify the need of a strong internal market for recyclates.

The panel discussion reinforced the urgent need to align sustainability with competitiveness. Featuring insights from Judit Guerra-Falcon (Plastics Europe), Joost Schollaert (Galloo Plastics), and Mathias Bach Kirkegaard (Denmark’s Permanent Representation to the EU), the panel warned of a potential oversupply of recycled plastics by the end of 2026 and the risk of deindustralisation in Europe. The speakers emphasised the necessity of design-for-recycling principles and ambitious mandatory recycled content targets, particularly in light of the proposal for a Regulation on End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) and the Clean Industrial Deal.

EuRIC extends its gratitude to all speakers and participants for their valuable contributions to this crucial discussion. The full webinar recording is available here.

The European Recycling Conference 2025 heads to Hamburg

The European Recycling Conference (ERC) is coming to Hamburg, Germany, on 1 October 2025. This year’s edition, co-organised with EuRIC’s German members BDSV, bvse, and VDM, will explore the topic of “Building a competitive market for recycled materials”, and their critical role in delivering on the EU’s Competitiveness Compass and Clean Industrial Deal objectives.

HKRITA signs MoU with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem

The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) yesterday officially signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two key global partners, Jeanologia and Looptworks, to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem – a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the large-scale recycling of blended textiles.

Object Carpet tests production of rPET BCF yarn on Neumag BCF line

In a joint project with Object Carpet GmbH, Denkendorf; the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA), Augsburg; and Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR), Feldkirchen, Austria, Barmag investigated the processing of recycled polyester for BCF yarn. The goal was to evaluate the fundamental suitability of 100% recycled carpet material for reuse in carpet yarn production to create a closed-loop system in carpet manufacturing. To date, commercial rPET BCF processes have been based solely on rPET from bottle pellets.

Albany International reports progress with Cyclezyme on industrial textile recycling project

Albany International Corp. (NYSE:AIN) reports continued progress in the ongoing project with Cyclezyme AB, a leader in advanced enzyme-based plastic recycling, based in Sweden. The project exemplifies leading edge innovation in materials science, focusing on the development of enzyme-based recycling of industrial textiles primarily consisting of polyester and polyamide, where there is currently a significant lack of effective solutions for circular material flows. The objective of the project is to establish enzymatic processes for depolymerization and recycling of technical textiles and high-performance industrial materials.

EDANA announces five new board members following 2026 Annual General Meeting

The EDANA Board of Governors is elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting by the member companies. The Governors are senior executives (business leaders) from member companies, based in different countries and representing different sectors of the nonwovens industry. The Board has central responsibility for guiding EDANA's overall strategy and approving its policies and priorities. It meets three times a year.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.