Michael Brunn

Launched in 2023, the HyInHeat project brings together 30 partners from twelve European countries to explore hydrogen's potential for decarbonising heat-intensive processes in the aluminium and steel industries. With €24 million in funding from the European Union, the initiative aims to develop efficient hydrogen combustion systems that address nearly the entire process chain of these energy-intensive industries.

With a background in political science, Bianca's dedication to sustainability has been central to her career. She began in communications for bio-industries and climate/energy projects, gaining expertise in SDGs and the UNDP. She then founded a non-profit organisation in Italy to raise awareness against single-use plastics and encourage local/regional sustainable practices, collaborating with businesses and NGOs.

The new report, "Scrutinising Scientific Standards" authored by Dr Andrew Rollinson and endorsed by leading environmental groups, challenges the JRC's central claim that it is not possible to establish a clear hierarchy among recycling technologies. In doing so, it pushes back against what campaigners see as a worrying erosion of scientific standards in EU policy development.

"The MHL340 is among our top international models for recycling and scrap handling, while the MHL350 is one of the fastest and most precise loading machines in its performance class," explains Dominik Vierkotten, Vice President, Lifting and Handling, Terex. "With the G-Series generation of these models, Fuchs is redefining standards in operator comfort and efficiency."

According to a study by the German association BDE, more than 10,000 fires occur annually in German waste sorting plants. Around 80 percent of these fires are caused by lithium-ion batteries. Common in smartphones, electric toothbrushes or singing greeting cards, these batteries are often disposed of together with packaging waste. They can be damaged and catch fire, particularly during the recycling process in sorting plants. The damage caused by this is estimated at around one billion euros a year.

The GRECO project kick-off will take place in Valencia at Aimplas on 16-17 June 2025. European Bioplastics and its members, including TotalEnergies Corbion, Aimplas, and Innotech Coexpan-Emsur, are among the 22 partners that have joined forces to develop and implement "Innovative biobased, biodegradable, recyclable, safe, and circular food packaging" under the lead of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH).

Nordic countries are globally recognised as leaders in sustainability, with some of the most advanced waste management and recycling systems in the world. However, meeting ever-evolving environmental targets, improving efficiency, and tackling the challenges of cost, automation, and innovation require continuous technological advancements.

According to the analysis, carried out using import data from the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, businesses in EU countries bought various types of phosphorus fertiliser and phosphate worth 3.97 billion euros from countries outside the union in 2024. Imports from Russia accounted for 989 million euros, corresponding to 25 percent of the total amount.

"Key challenges, including insufficient collection, unregulated imports of plastic materials, and a lack of enforcement measures, continue to hinder the expansion of the recycling industry," commented Herbert Snell, Chair of the PRE HDPE Working Group. "The plastic recycling industry calls for urgent actions to alleviate the pressure that the current market situation puts on recyclers and safeguard the achievement of the European legislative targets."

Located in northwestern Türkiye, Doğa PET's plant currently processes more than 4,200 tons of PET bottles monthly, producing 1,000 tons per month of PET flakes and 2,000 tons per month of rPET granules. The facility incorporates Tomra's full range of machines for plastics sorting: four of the company's sorting all-rounder Autosort, as well as two Innosort Flake and two Autosort Flake units for advanced flake sorting and purification. This combination of units optimizes both product quality and processing capacity.