Marius Schaub

Researchers at Iowa State University have compiled a new resource that brings together regulated and restricted substances relevant to food packaging. The work, supported by the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS), analyzed international and domestic chemical lists with a focus on food contact materials (FCMs). These include multilayer plastic and paper packaging, can coatings, utensils and other items widely used in the food sector.

Polypropylene (PP), one of the most widely used plastics in packaging, remains one of the most difficult materials to recycle into food-contact applications. A European initiative, Nextloopp, has announced progress in tackling this challenge by developing processes that transform kerbside post-consumer PP waste into food-grade compliant resin.

Austrian technology provider MAS has introduced its Iqonic Twin Hyper PET, a new platform designed for PET recycling. According to the company, the system combines a conical twin-screw extruder with an infrared-based solid-state polymerisation (SSP) step that operates without nitrogen. This approach is said to deliver stable viscosity levels, consistent colour quality, and reduced acetaldehyde content, while lowering overall energy demand.

BASF, Porsche and technology partner BEST have successfully completed a pilot project that demonstrates how complex waste streams from end-of-life vehicles can be kept in circulation. The project focused on automotive shredder residues, which are often considered difficult to recycle and are usually incinerated, and explored how they could be turned into valuable raw materials for plastics.

The OLIWA project (Repurposing Olive Waste in circular economy solutions) has officially started with the goal of turning olive by-products into valuable co-products. Coordinated by the University of Torino, the initiative brings together 25 partners from six Mediterranean countries, including Spain, Greece, and Italy.

Roma Grus, a construction materials supplier on the island of Gotland, has partnered with CDE to open a new 140tph waste recycling plant. The facility processes construction, demolition and excavation (CD&E) waste and converts it into high-quality recycled aggregates and sand for use in new building projects.

Ineos Styrolution has received the first commercial-scale delivery of recycled styrene monomer (SM) at its Antwerp site. The material was supplied by Indaver from its newly inaugurated depolymerisation plant, the first facility in Europe dedicated to polystyrene recycling.

Martin Engineering has published new guidance on the safe servicing of conveyor belt cleaning blades, underlining the importance of professional maintenance and monitoring systems.

World crude steel production for the 70 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (Worldsteel) was 145.3 million tonnes (Mt) in August 2025, a 0.3% increase compared to August 2024.

New research from BB-REG-NET has found that the UK government's existing tax regime is working against its stated ambitions for a circular economy. The study points out that while official strategies call for more reuse, repair, and recycling, fiscal policies continue to favor linear consumption and disposal.