The report, published on 27 April 2026, analyses the role of bio-based feedstocks within the framework of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The study examines technological readiness, greenhouse gas reduction potential and policy options for integrating bio-based plastics into future EU sustainability strategies.

Waste-to-Energy in AccelerateEU highlights the sector's role in district heating, energy security, waste heat recovery and reduced fossil fuel dependence in Europe.

A report by Zero Waste Europe examines whether including waste incineration in the EU ETS increases landfill use, concluding that regulatory and economic factors limit diversion risks.

While Recycling Europe condemns any attacks on industrial infrastructure, these disruptions expose the fragility of industrial supply chains globally, and the double standards in how international trade is approached when under pressure.

Under the European public procurement framework, contracting authorities may award contracts directly to a legally separate entity without applying standard tender procedures, provided specific conditions are met. These include the requirement that the contracting authority exercises control over the entity comparable to that exercised over its own departments. In addition, the controlled entity must carry out more than 80% of its activities for the controlling authority or authorities, calculated on the basis of average total turnover.

Reducing persistent plastic pollution is a key challenge on the way to a functioning circular economy. Biodegradable materials offer considerable potential if their use is controlled and standard-compliant. The report "Addressing Persistent Plastic Pollution" by the Circular Bioeconomy Working Group uses case studies from agriculture, forestry and composting to show that certified biodegradable plastics can significantly reduce the long-term accumulation of microplastics.

The circular economy is considered a key concept for permanently decoupling economic growth and resource consumption. Municipal recycling in particular plays a central role in this context. The political goals are correspondingly ambitious. In fact, however, a clearly differentiated picture emerges. Some Member States are already well above this target, while others are making little progress despite political efforts. The question of which structural framework conditions promote or inhibit recycling performance is thus becoming increasingly important. The study "Municipal waste recycling in the EU: a multi-method analysis of determinants and country profiles (2005-2023)" by Slovak scientists has for the first time comprehensively examined these relationships for all EU member states in the period 2005 to 2023. The study has been published in "Frontiers in Environmental Science".