Michael Brunn

The European Commission has published details of its mass-balance approach under the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) implementing act voted through on 6 February.

This briefing is based on a 2026 technical report by the European Topic Centre on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency. From more than 460 publications published between 2020 and March 2025, 131 studies with quantifiable and methodologically robust results were analysed. The review assesses both relative emission reductions, expressed as percentage changes compared to business-as-usual scenarios, and absolute reductions in gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent up to 2050.

Microplastic pollution in rivers, lakes and marine ecosystems presents operational and regulatory challenges for water management and environmental protection. Established detection techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, require laboratory infrastructure and are often associated with extended analysis times and defined detection limits. These constraints restrict their use for real-time monitoring and routine field deployment.

The ESA app comprises modules for performance monitoring, maintenance management, anomaly detection, logbook functions and document storage. At Interzero, maintenance management is a central component of the system. As one of the largest operators of plastics sorting facilities in Europe, the company manages extensive plant technology that requires structured planning, coordination and documentation of maintenance activities.

The US-based recycling company processes approximately 650,000 tons of construction and demolition waste annually at facilities in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Founded around 30 years ago, the company has developed into a major regional operator in the C&D recycling sector. For several years, however, a considerable proportion of non-ferrous metals remained in the residual waste stream and were disposed of in landfill.

Originally designed and commissioned by Stadler in 2021, the lightweight packaging sorting facility processes approximately 120,000 tonnes per year from dual collection systems in Bremen and neighbouring federal states. With the reconstruction now finalised, the plant has returned to its previous throughput capacity. The redesign places particular emphasis on fire protection, process stability and the integration of automation technologies, including preparation for automated battery extraction.

The figures indicate continued growth in aluminium can recycling across Europe and underline the material's role in the circular economy.

The new soil washing facility is designed to treat excavated materials and C&D waste in line with Norway's increasingly stringent landfill regulations, including restrictions on landfill development, tighter leachate management and higher disposal fees. By investing in advanced treatment capacity, NGIR aims to reduce landfill volumes and increase the recovery of secondary raw materials for use in regional construction projects.

The organisation argues that the European Union's circular material use rate, which stood at 12.2 per cent in 2024 against a 2030 target of 22.4 per cent, requires a reallocation of existing EPR budgets to support waste prevention and reuse systems in addition to established waste management activities.

The latest results indicate a renewed deterioration in the assessment of the current business situation. While the previous survey showed an improvement across all regions, the current evaluation for Europe and Germany has shifted into negative territory. Only the global assessment remains slightly positive. Companies assess their own business situation more critically than the general market environment, with negative ratings across all regions surveyed.