Michael Brunn

There was tangible excitement at the BIR Tyres & Rubber Committee webinar on October 15 following a guest presentation on the recycling of end-of-life tyres (ELTs) into secondary raw materials for tyres and other product applications.

On Wednesday, 14 October, the European Commission adopted the new EU Methane Strategy, as part of the European Green Deal and the EU zero-pollution ambition.

Nine trade associations across various sectors published a joint-statement to positively consider Waste-to-Energy in the EU Taxonomy.

The rubber bitumen plant at MOL's Zala Site, representing an investment of around USD 10 million has been completed.

At the BIR Non-Ferrous Metals Division's eForum in June this year, much of the debate had surrounded China's proposed "recycled material" reclassification system covering brass, copper and cast aluminium alloy imports.

As demand for compliant ship breaking facilities increases, updates to legislation will open several opportunities for compliant facilities outside of the European Union.

"The risks right now are much higher than the opportunities," stated BIR Textiles Division President Martin Böschen of Switzerland-based TEXAID * Textilverwertungs AG in delivering his latest market summary to a divisional webinar on October 15.

New research released by technology lifecycle management provider 3stepIT has revealed that the global pandemic has rapidly accelerated the digital transformation of businesses across Europe.

Not for the first time, regulations took centre-stage in discussions hosted by the BIR Plastics Committee. Its webinar on October 14 featured an in-depth review of the implications of Basel Convention amendments entering force at the start of 2021.

Global issues require global solutions. This is why PlasticsEurope, the Pan-European trade association representing plastics manufacturers, supports a global framework for plastics aiming at reducing plastic waste in any environment.