Michael Brunn

The facility will replace the current recycling plant, which entered operation in 2006. Construction is scheduled for completion in 2027. During the building phase, recycling operations at the existing site will continue without interruption.

The report presents updated data on circular plastics production, conversion, consumption, trade flows and waste management across Europe. It shows that annual growth in circular plastics production fell from 13.6 percent in 2022 to 1.2 percent in 2024. Total circular plastics output reached 8.7 million tonnes, representing 15.8 percent of overall plastics production in Europe. By comparison, global circular plastics production accelerated from 5 percent to 7.7 percent annual growth during the same period.

EREMA has received the Plastics Recycling Award Europe 2026 for its VOLEX technology, which improves degassing performance in mechanical plastics recycling.

SWEEEP Kuusakoski operates one of the UK's largest waste electrical and electronic equipment recycling facilities in Kent near London. The site processes around 25% of the UK's mixed WEEE stream and is regarded as one of Europe's more advanced recycling plants for electronic waste.

During the same period, the European Union economy continued to expand. Gross domestic product increased by 0.2% compared with the third quarter of 2025. The quarterly greenhouse gas estimates complement economic indicators such as gross domestic product and employment.

The report outlines technical alignment in several areas. These include design guidance for natural polypropylene packaging, agreement on tie layers compatible with polyethylene film recycling, and a common definition of blue tints in polyethylene terephthalate packaging.

At recycling facilities, these batteries pass through several sorting stages before ending up in the ferrous metal fraction alongside other materials. Their small size, irregular shape, and mixed composition make reliable separation difficult. As a result, batteries contaminate metal streams, reduce material value, and increase fire risks during downstream processing.

A growing number of wind turbines are approaching the end of their operational life. While around 90 percent of a turbine can already be recycled, composite blade materials remain difficult to process. In many cases, discarded blades are still landfilled or incinerated. Industry association WindEurope is supporting efforts to introduce a Europe-wide landfill ban for decommissioned blades, building on restrictions already implemented in several countries.

The joint operation will provide services for large energy-storage and electric vehicle batteries. Its activities include transport, storage, dismantling and second-life assessment. The company states that it can process all battery chemistries.

New research by Fashion for Good and Circle Economy examines what happens to donated clothing after export and highlights challenges in the global second-hand clothing system.