Megacities account for around 13 per cent of the world's waste and are therefore at the centre of environmental, social and economic problems. In view of growing urbanisation and consumer demands, conventional disposal routes such as landfills or incineration will no longer be sufficient in the future. However, the circular economy concept offers a way out. Chemical recycling in particular makes it possible to recycle carbon-containing waste into recyclable materials for the chemical industry. However, in addition to technological and ecological issues, there are also social challenges. The study "Waste-to-Products" for the sustainability transformation of megacities: Case analysis of impacts of public knowledge and perception on chemical recycling deployment in Singapore" conducted by scientists from Germany and Singapore shows that technical, political and social factors must interact to enable the transition from a "waste-to-energy" to a "waste-to-products" strategy.

Urbanisation and population growth are exacerbating the problem of littering worldwide. In addition to affecting the cityscape, littering causes considerable ecological and health risks. In addition, recyclable materials that could be recycled as part of a circular economy are lost, while municipalities are burdened with high cleaning costs. The study "Study of the impact of citizens' perceived behavioural control on waste littering behaviour and the resulting environmental status" by Iranian scientists examined the problem using the example of the city of Behbahan (Iran). The aim is to analyse the tension between attitude, perceived control and behaviour and to derive starting points for measures in the sense of a functioning circular economy. The study was published in "Nature".

Implementing circular principles requires collaboration across company boundaries - especially for SMEs, which often have limited financial and organisational resources to mobilise. A purely company-centric view of circular business models falls short because it ignores the dependencies on partners, infrastructures and regulations. An ecosystem perspective, on the other hand, takes into account roles, relationships, material and data flows as well as governance mechanisms, thus opening up realistic paths to impact and scaling. The study "SMEs in the Circular Economy: Four Ecosystem Strategies for Circular Business Models" conducted by Swedish and Finnish scientists links this perspective to a decision-making grid: if you know your role in the ecosystem and its degree of maturity, you can choose a suitable strategy and implement it consistently. The aim is to make this logic understandable and translate it into action-oriented recommendations for the practice of the circular economy. The study was published in the journal "Organization & Environment".

Population growth, urbanisation and industrialisation have led to a sharp increase in waste volumes worldwide. Conventional systems with collection routes, manual sorting and landfilling are inefficient, cost-intensive and ecologically problematic. What is needed is a shift to more sustainable, technology-based approaches. Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) enable the use of real-time data, intelligent route planning, automated sorting and better traceability. These factors can improve efficiency and resource use and reduce ecological pollution. The study "Revolutionising urban solid waste management with AI and IoT: a review of smart solutions for waste collection, sorting and recycling" by a Saudi Arabian researcher sheds light on the status of such solutions, their potential and limits, as well as framework conditions for sustainable waste management. The study was published in the journal "Results in Engineering".

As the drive to improve recycling efficiency intensifies, more and more attention is being paid to keeping dust within the process flow. And controlling particulates is not only good for workplace health and compliance, it's better for productivity and the bottom line, too.

Since the 1950s, global plastic production has grown rapidly and now reached several billion tonnes overall. The majority of these plastics are still being landfilled, incinerated or released into the environment in an uncontrolled manner after a short period of use, while only a small proportion is recycled. To counteract these developments, the idea of a circular economy for plastics is gaining in importance. In addition to mechanical and chemical processes, biocatalytic approaches are increasingly coming into focus. Enzymes offer the potential to break down certain types of plastic into their monomers under mild conditions, thus creating high-quality recyclates. The public perception of "plasticeating bacteria" illustrates the fascination for this technology, but also carries the risk of inflated expectations. Prof. Wolfgang Zimmermann, professor emeritus at the Institute of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Leipzig, has carried out an analysis in his report "Biocatalytic recycling of plastics: facts and fiction" in order to realistically classify the opportunities and limits of biocatalytic recycling. The report was published in "Chemical Science".

Plastic packaging accounts for almost 40 per cent of global plastic production and, due to its short life cycles, its recycling is considered a key factor for a functioning circular economy. Despite increasing collection volumes, only a small proportion has so far entered the market as high-quality recyclate. In the study "Enhancement in Post-Consumer Mechanical Recycling of Plastics: Role of Design for Recycling, Specifications, and Efficient Sorting of Packaging Material", Austrian scientists examined three key levers for high-quality plastics recycling: Design for Recycling (DfR), binding specifications and efficient sorting technologies. Their interaction determines whether material flows are routed in closed loops or downcycled into inferior applications. The study was published in "Polymers".

Europe's path to sustainability faces a hidden obstacle. The most resource-intensive waste stream doesn't come from plastic or packaging, but from the rubble beneath our feet: construction and demolition waste (CDW) makes up almost half of everything we discard in the EU. Yet, this vast amount of debris is not just waste, it's also Europe's greatest untapped resource and an immense opportunity for innovation and value creation.

Metal recycling is central to the decarbonisation of industry, particularly steel production. As the shift toward electric steel mills continues, scrap is expected to satisfy the majority of raw material demand. In the UK, where all steel production is planned to be based on scrap as of 2025, recycled steel is increasingly regarded as a strategic resource. In this context, political calls for export restrictions are gaining traction. While intended to secure domestic supply, such measures would jeopardise an industry that currently sells 70-80 per cent of its products overseas. The study "Assessing the impact of potential restrictions on UK recycled metals exports - an evidence-based assessment for the British Metals Recycling Association", conducted by Sheffield Hallam University for the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA), examined the possible consequences of such restrictions. It combines economic modelling with surveys of businesses to illuminate the overall effects on value added and employment, as well as to present the perspectives of the various companies involved. The aim is to provide an evidence-based foundation for discussions about the role of recycling in the transformation of the British steel industry.