Michael Brunn

Steel production currently accounts for approximately 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Traditional methods rely on blast furnaces, which burn large amounts of coking coal to reduce iron ore, releasing substantial greenhouse gases. As governments impose stricter carbon reduction targets, steelmakers are under mounting pressure to find cleaner alternatives.

As the future of the automotive industry is undoubtedly intertwined with the success of battery recycling, it has become a critical area for ongoing investment and development, says GlobalData.

This collaboration builds on Nextek's COtooCLEAN technology, which uses a unique waterless cleaning and decontamination process to produce food-grade recycled materials from post-consumer plastic film. 

Recycled graphite will enable North American and European battery and EV manufacturers to reduce dependency on imported materials and align with US, Canadian, and EU regulations that promote the use of domestic feedstock. The new product also supports the EU's target of achieving 25% recycling of synthetic graphite by 2030.

In this solely mechanical process, the coating is effectively separated from the current collector foil and separated. The recovered coating can be used directly in battery production, more precisely in the mixing process of electrode production, without any further chemical treatment steps.

For example, under the European Green Deal, 55% of plastic packaging waste will have to be recycled by 2030. This means a better design for the recyclability of materials, but also better sorting performance. With more technical and fragmented waste, guaranteeing the quality and capture of recoverable products is becoming a real challenge. Innovation therefore takes centre stage in the strategies of industrial recycling companies.

The OECD Environment working paper "Extended producer responsibility in the garments sector" aims to assess the potential of an extended producer responsibility approach to achieve the goal of a circular economy in the apparel sector.

Wood is used in many applications. At the end of the life of the products at the latest, however, incineration is mainly on the agenda. In order to improve the recycling of the material, the CEPS proposes, among other things, a new classification system for the EU.

European steel and metal recyclers should actually play an important role - both in climate protection and in the supply of raw materials. However, certain framework conditions are required for this. The European recycling association Euric is now calling for this in its "EU Recyclers' circular economy action plan for recycled metals".

The iron and steel industry is responsible for almost 8 percent of global emissions in the energy sector and is one of the highest emitting industries. Therefore, the decarbonization of the sector plays an essential role in achieving climate goals. Overall, emissions from the sector would have to be reduced by 90 percent by 2050 compared to 2020. The circular economy and steel scrap can play a significant role in this. The OECD's paper "Circular economy policies for steel decarbonisation" addresses the question of how circular economy practices can contribute to the decarbonisation of steel and highlights the associated challenges for implementation and policy.