Michael Brunn

Despite the existing EU waste acquis, significant quantities of municipal waste continue to be disposed of through landfill or incineration. According to the report, several policy approaches currently under discussion risk diverting residual waste between treatment options without reducing the overall volume remaining after prevention, reuse and recycling measures.

Film and flexible packaging are widely used in consumer goods applications due to their material efficiency and barrier properties. However, lightweight structures and multi-material formats present challenges for collection, sorting and mechanical recycling within existing waste management infrastructure. The framework analyses these constraints and sets out measures aligned with current infrastructure, market conditions and economic considerations.

Elastane is used in approximately 80 percent of clothing to provide stretch and comfort. It is typically added in concentrations ranging from one to five percent by weight in cotton or wool garments and up to 20 percent in polyester or polyamide garments. As a fossil-based material, elastane contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and the use of non-renewable resources. In addition, even low concentrations of elastane can interfere with established textile recycling processes. In fibre-to-fibre recycling streams for high-volume materials such as polyester and cotton, elastane can act as a contaminant, limiting recyclability and reducing the quality of secondary raw materials. As a result, many blended textiles are currently downcycled or disposed of.

The video examines the structure and core functions of the London Metal Exchange (LME), including price discovery, trading operations, risk management and hedging strategies. It also outlines the historical development of metals trading and explains how exchange-based pricing mechanisms influence physical markets. The objective is to clarify the operational framework of the LME and its relevance for companies active in secondary raw materials and metal recycling.

Container glass is a key material in the European circular economy and supports the EU's industrial and climate objectives. With more than 140 production plants across 21 Member States, the sector supplies recyclable packaging for the food, beverage, perfumery, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Glass packaging contributes significantly to European export performance, with products packed in glass accounting for an estimated €140 billion in annual EU exports.

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) has criticised elements of the EU's competitiveness agenda and the planned regulatory packages referred to in Brussels as "Omnibus" proposals. According to the organisation, these initiatives are based on assumptions that reducing regulatory requirements will strengthen industrial performance, despite limited supporting evidence.

The organisers of the Plastics Recycling Awards Europe 2026 have announced the shortlist of finalists. The winners of the seven awards will be revealed on 6 May at the Plastics Recycling Show Europe, where all the finalists will also be showcased.

Transport plays a central role in the European economy, supporting more than 10 million jobs and contributing around five percent of the EU's gross domestic product. It is, however, the only major sector in which greenhouse gas emissions have increased since 1990. In 2023, transport accounted for around one third of total EU greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport responsible for the majority, according to the report Sustainability of Europe's mobility systems 2025.

The new system expands the Specim FX series, which is designed for industrial machine vision as well as research-oriented applications requiring scalable and reproducible measurement performance.

For its latest plastic regeneration systems, FAE selected Commander C300 and Unidrive M700 variable speed drives from Nidec Drives. The decision builds on an established technical cooperation and was driven by functional and operational requirements.