#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.

RE&UP’s Next-Gen Cotton fibers power Zalando private label t-shirt collection crafted from innovative recycled textiles

RE&UP Recycling Technologies’ Next-Gen Cotton powers a new collection from Zalando’s private labels, marking a step forward in bringing textile-to-textile recycled fibers into commercial fashion production. Launching on Zalando in August, the collection comprises five t-shirts across YOURTURN by Zalando and Even&Odd by Zalando, made from a circular-knit fabric blending 80% organic cotton with 20% RE&UP Next-Gen Cotton — textile-to-textile recycled fiber produced from textile waste. This is the first time RE&UP's recycled fibers feature in Zalando's private label assortment.

Driving circularity with Uster Recycled Fiber Matrix

The textile industry’s commitment to circularity continues to accelerate, and mechanical recycling is viewed as a targeted approach to cutting textile waste and its environmental impact. At the forefront of this drive, Uster has developed the Recycled Fiber Matrix, a two-dimensional assessment of mechanically recycled fibers to guide optimum processing and end-uses.

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

Indorama Ventures advances circular fashion through RECO Collective 2026

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global sustainable chemical company, is taking RECO Collective into its 12th year under the theme “The Next Original,” reinforcing its mission to promote recycling and upcycling knowledge while encouraging SMEs in the fashion industry to embrace recycled materials. The program focuses particularly on recycled polyester (rPET) yarns and fabrics made from post-consumer PET bottles, using these materials to create value-added products that combine distinctive design with consumer needs and market opportunities.

Heberlein reinforces its commitment to the Chinese market

Heberlein, globally recognised as a leading provider of air interlacing and air texturing jets for synthetic filament yarns, is consolidating its success in the Chinese market with its APh- and APe-series for DTY applications. Particularly in the field of Air Covering, Heberlein technologies combine excellent quality with significant savings in compressed-air consumption. A new service hub in Shengze City underlines the company’s long-term commitment in the Chinese market.

Heimtextil Trends 27/28: ‘Home-Maxxing’ between performance and respite

Sleep better, recover faster, live more efficiently: the desire for optimisation has long since reached our homes. Under the title ‘Home-Maxxing – The Performance of Everyday Living’, Heimtextil Trends 27/28 show how our relationship with efficiency-driven thinking and technology is influencing the design of spaces and textiles. The more sleep, wellness, routines, materials and spaces are optimised, the stronger the desire for a home that does not demand even more of us.

Mimaki advances DTF productivity and stability with new TxF330-800

Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printers and cutting plotters, announces the TxF330-800, its new direct-to-film (DTF) printer. Designed to support stable, high-quality garment decoration in demanding print environments, the system combines automated maintenance, expanded white ink capacity and advanced production capabilities to streamline workflow.