This strong support from organisations throughout Europe confirms EuCIA’s conviction that composites circularity is a key driver for the entire value chain and will only be fully achieved through the collaboration of all stakeholders. The ECCA, a sectorial alliance of EuCIA, will provide a platform for knowledge sharing and cooperation, driving collective action to establish truly circular, sustainable value chains for composite materials. Alignment with EU policy frameworks such as the Green Industrial Deal and the Circular Economy Act (which is currently undergoing public consultation) will be key to the Alliance’s success. Through EuCIA, the ECCA has already opened a dialogue with EU policy officers.
Composites are ideally suited to a circular economy, offering a long service life and many options for lifetime extension. But to achieve full circularity there are challenges to be addressed, particularly in upscaling sustainable recycling technologies. The ECCA will build on EuCIA’s ongoing work to promote the sustainability and circularity of composite materials. It will aim to identify and resolve legal, economic and technical barriers to composites recycling and boost the uptake of recycled materials in new products.
The ECCA has established five Working Groups and their first meetings took place during August. These groups are now developing their roadmaps towards circularity.
On 4 December, ECCA and EuCIA members, representatives from the European Commission and the press will meet in Brussels for the Alliance’s first General Assembly. This event will provide a unique opportunity to discuss the ECCA’s goals with EU policy makers and confirm the next steps on the European composites industry’s journey to a sustainable, circular, and competitive future.
