Michael Brunn

The objective is to support the market introduction of microalgae-derived ingredients as alternatives to fossil-based and food-based raw materials.

The material, presented in the journal Nature Chemistry, functions as an ion-conducting component in a solid-state battery cell and can subsequently be separated into its molecular building blocks through exposure to an organic solvent. The approach is intended to simplify battery disassembly and improve material recovery.

Cusiana operates a secondary aluminum production facility with a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year, running 24 hours a day, five days a week. In recent years, the company has expanded its activities from conventional ingot production to include scrap processing and sensor-based sorting. The scrap recovery segment now accounts for approximately half of total revenue. This strategic shift reflects increasing demand from the automotive, construction and aerospace industries for aluminum materials with defined elemental specifications, including strict limits for silicon and iron.

The European Commission has published details of its mass-balance approach under the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) implementing act voted through on 6 February.

This briefing is based on a 2026 technical report by the European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency. From more than 460 publications published between 2020 and March 2025, 131 studies with quantifiable and methodologically robust results were analysed. The review assesses both relative emission reductions, expressed as percentage changes compared to business-as-usual scenarios, and absolute reductions in gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent up to 2050.

Microplastic pollution in rivers, lakes and marine ecosystems presents operational and regulatory challenges for water management and environmental protection. Established detection techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, require laboratory infrastructure and are often associated with extended analysis times and defined detection limits. These constraints restrict their use for real-time monitoring and routine field deployment.

The ESA app comprises modules for performance monitoring, maintenance management, anomaly detection, logbook functions and document storage. At Interzero, maintenance management is a central component of the system. As one of the largest operators of plastics sorting facilities in Europe, the company manages extensive plant technology that requires structured planning, coordination and documentation of maintenance activities.

The US-based recycling company processes approximately 650,000 tons of construction and demolition waste annually at facilities in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Founded around 30 years ago, the company has developed into a major regional operator in the C&D recycling sector. For several years, however, a considerable proportion of non-ferrous metals remained in the residual waste stream and were disposed of in landfill.

Originally designed and commissioned by Stadler in 2021, the lightweight packaging sorting facility processes approximately 120,000 tonnes per year from dual collection systems in Bremen and neighbouring federal states. With the reconstruction now finalised, the plant has returned to its previous throughput capacity. The redesign places particular emphasis on fire protection, process stability and the integration of automation technologies, including preparation for automated battery extraction.

The figures indicate continued growth in aluminium can recycling across Europe and underline the material's role in the circular economy.