Marius Schaub

Technical issues with DIWASS are causing operational disruptions because market participants are unable to submit notification requests for exports to Turkey and other third countries. The European Waste Management Association (FEAD) has now issued a statement referencing feedback from the European Commission.

The foundational technical standards for the digital product passport (DPP) are in place. At the international conference DPP4EU 2026 (June 1-3, Brussels), experts are presenting the newly published European standards to a broad industry audience and discussing concrete steps toward implementation.

The Hubs4Circularity (H4C) Community of Practice has concluded its two Horizon Europe projects - H4C Europe and H4C ECoP - with a final conference held on May 27, 2026, in Brussels. Around 150 representatives from industry, policy, research, and regional administration attended the event to review results and discuss the future of the initiative.

In a joint open letter addressed to Executive Vice President Stéphane Séjourné and Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, a coalition of European recycling associations and companies has called on the European Commission to reconsider any potential export restrictions on recycled aluminium scrap. The letter, dated May 28, 2026, was coordinated by Recycling Europe and signed by dozens of companies and national associations from across the EU.

Herbold Meckesheim is strengthening its offering of used machinery for the plastics recycling industry. The portfolio includes granulators, shredders, pulverizers, plastcompactors, and washing line components such as friction washers and dryers. Depending on configuration and availability, many machines can be delivered at short notice.

India's recycled PET (r-PET) industry is operating well below capacity, even as a government mandate requires food-grade PET packaging to contain 40% recycled content in the 2026-27 fiscal year. According to Goutham Jain, Director General of APR Bharat (Association of PET Recyclers), 20-25% of the country's r-PET production capacity is currently idle due to insufficient demand from packaging brands and users.

World crude steel production for the 69 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (Worldsteel) was 153.4 million tonnes (Mt) in April 2026, a 1.9% decrease compared to April 2025.

Concrete is considered harmful to the climate. A start-up from Berlin wants to change that: Biogenic residues are used as carbon-storing aggregates in concrete - to turn the building material into a carbon sink, but also to specifically improve the properties of the concrete.

Tomra Recycling has published its latest eBook titled "AI in Recycling: Unlocking New Possibilities". The digital guide focuses on the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning, in transforming recycling processes and advancing material circularity.

Vanden Recycling has launched a campaign to provide free polymer analysis reports during October. The initiative, available to businesses in the UK, Europe, Turkey, India and Australia, is intended to help stakeholders better understand the composition, contamination levels and processing potential of their plastic materials.