Michael Brunn

WEEE is a source of annoyance: the quantities are constantly increasing, the already complex recycling is made more difficult by design developments and every new battery threatens to fire. Therefore, in the "EU Recyclers' Roadmap: For a circular & future-proof e-waste sector", Recycling Europe proposes six measures to improve things.

E-waste is one of the most recyclable, but at the same time technically most demanding waste streams worldwide. In view of rising raw material prices, growing quantities and stricter environmental require-ments, classic, chemical-intensive recycling processes are coming under increasing pressure. Reagent-free technologies based on physical separation principles promise higher energy efficiency, lower emissions and new ways in urban raw material extraction. The study "Review of Reagent-Free Electronic Waste Recycling: Technology, Energy, Materials and Spatial Effects" by scientists from Kazakhstan and Croatia analyzes the state of the art and evaluates industrial perspectives. The study was published in "Recycling".

Increasing waste volumes, ambitious recycling quotas and growing cost pressure pose funda-mental challenges for municipalities and waste management companies. Artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things are opening up new ways to make collection, sorting and material flow control more efficient, transparent and sustainable. The study "Revolutionizing urban solid waste management with AI and IoT: A review of smart solutions for waste collection, sorting, and recycling" by a Saudi Arabian scientist shows how digital systems can evolve from an addi-tional technological benefit to a strategic key for the circular economy.

The automotive industry is at the heart of Europe's efforts to close resource cy-cles and drive the transition to a circular economy. The study "Increasing plastic circularity in the automotive sector: Supply chain analysis and policy options from the European Union (EU)" by scientists from Italy and the Netherlands examined plastic circularity in the automotive sector. In doing so, it focuses on the drivers and hurdles of recycling. The study was published in "Resources, Conservation & Recycling".

And once again, the EU wants to speed things up. This time, the "Industrial Accelerator Act" is to be about selected industrial sectors. The main focus is on public procurement and approval procedures.

Where does Germany stand in terms of the circular economy and what about the European goals? The Bertelsmann Foundation's study "Circular Economy Strategies of the EU and Germany in Comparison" examined the status quo in Germany. In addition, it was examined whether the German targets correspond to those of the EU.

Extended producer responsibility is considered the backbone of European recycling policy. But while collection and recycling rates are increasing, waste volumes continue to grow, while reuse and repair remain structurally underfunded. As part of the planned Circular Economy Act, Zero Waste Europe pro-poses a fundamental realignment of extended producer responsibility in the policy brief "Extended Pro-ducer Responsibility (EPR) for waste reduction".

Digital product passports are considered a key tool for promoting transparency, sustainability and circular economy in global value chains. Especially in the area of critical raw materials for batteries, they are intended to overcome regulatory fragmentation and provide reliable infor-mation on origin, processing and reuse. However, their cross-border implementation raises considerable legal questions. The white paper "Digital Product Passports and Critical Raw Ma-terials for Batteries: Legal Conflicts and Principles for Cross-Border Cooperation" by UNECE analyzes the central legal conflict areas in the implementation of digital product passports in global CRM battery value chains and develops principles for an internationally coordinated legal framework.

The circular economy is facing a technological turning point. Increasing material flow volumes, more demanding material composites and ambitious recycling targets require new solutions beyond classic process optimization. Artificial intelligence is evolving from a promise of innovation to an operational tool - in sorting systems, logistics systems and already in product design. The study "Leveraging artificial intelligence for economic development: Innovations in Circular Economy and waste reduction strategies" by scientists from Uzbekistan shows how data-based technologies are transforming the waste management and recycling industry, which economic and ecological effects are realistic and which strategic prerequisites must be met for successful implementation.

The transformation towards a resource-efficient and climate-neutral economy will be decided in the SME sector. Companies from the recycling, waste disposal, logistics and processing sectors in particular are at the interface of climate protection and industrial value creation.