#Recycling / Circular Economy

2025-04-17

EuRIC and FEAD point at ELV regulation to protect recycling and boost circularity

Creating a circular automotive sector requires more than just commitments; it demands a robust regulatory framework that promotes fair, transparent practices and ensures the uptake of recycled materials.

EuRIC and FEAD believe the upcoming End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR) is the right opportunity to set the right safeguards that prevent practices which hinder competition, circularity, and recyclers’ efforts to recover materials – thereby supporting Europe’s competitiveness and futureproofing recycling and circularity. To achieve this, EuRIC and FEAD urge policymakers to:

Establish independent oversight to monitor the operations of producers and their Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) to prevent potential market distortions and conflicts of interest.

Recognise that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are not the silver bullet. Where EPR schemes are already in place, the entire recycling value chain, from Authorised Treatment Facilities (ATFs) to mechanical recyclers (equipped with shredding and post-shredding technologies), must be included in the governance to ensure effective and transparent recycling practices.

Ensure that manufacturers cover the full costs of ELV recycling, including dismantling and treatment, with recyclers keeping ownership of the valuable parts and materials recovered.

While transparency and fair practices are critical to protect recyclers and waste operators, true circularity in automotive is still a long way off. To secure investments in high-quality recycling and the uptake of recycled materials that boost circularity, EuRIC and FEAD strongly call for:

Maintaining the 25% recycled content target for plastics in ELVs, as proposed by the Commission. This target is both realistic and verified, and should be based on post-consumer waste, excluding pre-consumer waste and biobased plastics, which could strongly undermine its effectiveness.

Introducing a mandatory recycled content target for steel in automotive, as steel remains the leading material in vehicle production. This target would drive investment and improve the quality of steel recovered from ELVs.

The recent announcement of Commission decision against car manufacturers and ACEA shows the need for change. To protect recyclers’ efforts, boost circularity, and guarantee the use of recycled materials, the EU must act decisively. The upcoming End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation (ELVR) is a key opportunity to set the rules for fairness, transparency, and long-term circularity in the automotive sector.

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.

Managed workwear services are providing a blueprint for the circular textile economy

Managed workwear service providers are demonstrating how commercial success and circularity can go hand in hand by extending garment lifespans through repair, laundering, reuse and recycling, according to “Managed workwear services—a circular textile economy ahead of the game”, a new 14‑page report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence.

Eco-design as the foundation of circular textiles

Based on the results of an extensive European analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is currently developing three practice-based training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. This was preceded by a comprehensive company survey and a joint analysis conducted by the project partners under the leadership of IVGT. The results show that the greatest challenges lie not so much in a lack of technology as in skills gaps.

Usha Yarns secures growth equity investment from Fullerton Carbon Action Fund

Usha Yarns Limited (“Usha Yarns”), a producer of high-quality recycled yarns with advanced, well established production processes, announced a growth equity investment from the Fullerton Carbon Action Fund (“Fullerton”), a private equity strategy managed by Fullerton Fund Management that backs established mid-market companies across Emerging Asia to accelerate decarbonisation.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.