Michael Brunn

However, the experts for ferrous slags, who have formulated similar goals in their core demands for sustainable resource management, are calling for rapid implementation: for example in European public procurement law and in the regulations for the use of new slags from decarbonized steel production.

Polymer chemists at ETH Zurich have discovered a surprising way to virtually fully break down PMMA plastic - commonly known as Plexiglas - into its monomer building blocks. The process remains unaffected by the presence of additives.

The RECLAIM solution uses multiple robots with different types of pickers to efficiently collect and handle various types of waste according to their composition. Additionally, AI-powered computer vision can accurately identify waste, allowing the robots to maximize sorting effectiveness. Integrated within a portable container, these innovations will significantly enhance local-scale material recovery activities. This portable equipment can be deployed anywhere, facilitating material recovery close to the source and increasing recycling opportunities to promote a circular economy for plastics.

The increase ranged from 2.8% in Czechia to 38% in Greece, while in Malta, Lithuania, and Slovakia employment decreased in the same period. 

The European Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA) have published the second Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook report, which provides an overview of the EU's work to meet the 2030 zero pollution targets. The Commission has also published its fourth Clean Air Outlook report. The reports show that EU policies have contributed to reducing air pollution, pesticide use and plastic litter at sea. However, pollution levels are still too high, in particular from harmful noise, microplastic releases into the environment, nutrient pollution and waste generation.

Watercycle and Primobius are committed to collaborating on projects that support the sustainable extraction of critical minerals. Under this agreement, the companies pledge to share insights and optimize their respective technologies for battery recycling processes. This cooperation will also serve as a framework to explore the potential for a deeper commercial relationship. 

The action plan highlights major roadblocks holding back Europe's metals recycling sector: stagnating domestic demand for recycled metals, biased methodologies for defining green products, less focus on recyclers in key policies like the Clean Industrial Deal, and the lack of recyclers' representation in EPR scheme governance. These barriers stifle investments and limit Europe's ability to generate its own resources at a time when the EU27 remain trapped in reliance on third-country supplies.

To neutralise the human impact on the climate, excess CO₂ must be removed from the atmosphere. According to Swiss scientists, excess renewable energy can be used to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and convert it to methane or methanol, which can then be processed into polymers, hydrogen and solid carbon. At the end of their life cycle, discarded building materials become the ultimate carbon sink. The article "Mining the atmosphere: A concrete solution to global warming" was published in "Resources, Conservation & Recycling".

On 26 February, the European Commission presented its Clean Industrial Deal. Several associations and organisations have commented on the deal.

Today, the Commission has presented the Clean Industrial Deal, a business plan to support the competitiveness and resilience of our industry. The Deal will accelerate decarbonisation, while securing the future of manufacturing in Europe.