Two briefings published by the European Environment Agency examine the implications of the new system and identify the policy conditions required for its implementation.

The documents address vehicles, refrigerators and temperature exchange equipment, as well as small appliances and ICT products. They are intended to support manufacturers in improving the recyclability of plastic components and preparing for forthcoming European regulatory requirements.

The proposal follows recommendations set out in the report led by former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi on the future competitiveness of the European economy. The IAA introduces targeted requirements for public procurement and public funding programmes that prioritise products manufactured in the EU or with low-carbon production standards. These criteria are initially intended for selected strategic sectors, including steel, cement, aluminium, the automotive industry and net-zero technologies. The framework may later be extended to additional energy-intensive sectors such as the chemical industry.

According to the organisation, suppliers of Waste-to-Energy (WtE) technology contribute to the objectives of the Act through the development and manufacturing of equipment used in waste treatment and energy recovery.

The proposal introduces designated industrial acceleration areas and provisions for public procurement aimed at stimulating demand for lower-carbon industrial materials. Public authorities would be required to include minimum shares of low-carbon products in certain procurement processes, including 25% for steel and aluminium and 5% for concrete and mortar.

The IAA, presented on 3 March 2026, aims to support the decarbonisation of European industry. However, the current proposal does not position public procurement as a central policy instrument for accelerating the market uptake of low-carbon materials. ECOS argues that the proposed quotas for low-carbon steel and concrete are significantly below current market potential and therefore provide limited stimulus for the expansion of existing clean production technologies.

The system addresses a long-standing challenge in plastics recycling: black plastics are often excluded from mechanical recycling because established optical sorting technologies cannot reliably detect them. The demonstrator will be presented from 18 to 19 March 2026 at SOLIDS & RECYCLING-TECHNIK in Dortmund (Exhibition Centre Dortmund, Hall 4, Stand D47).

With war in the Middle East, crude oil and natural gas prices are surging as ships are held back at the Strait of Hormuz with obvious negative implications for global economies. But another big constraint is exports of chemicals and plastics from the region which will put upward pressure on prices.

The decision assigns the Landbell Group subsidiary responsibility for implementing producer responsibility requirements for textile products placed on the California market.

The report, titled "Pollution and mental health: current scientific evidence", reviews scientific findings on air pollution, environmental noise and chemical exposure in relation to depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and other mental health disorders. It also outlines policy implications in the context of the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan.

The Implementing Decision also sets out the Commission's mass-balance approach under the SUPD implementing act voted through on 6 February.

Inclusion on the list authorises facilities to recycle large vessels flying the flag of an EU Member State in accordance with the requirements of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.

In 2025, overall economic conditions in Europe remained subdued. Gross domestic product expanded by around 0.9 per cent, while investment activity continued to be restrained and private consumption showed only limited growth. Although interest rates stopped rising and began to stabilise, they remained above pre-2022 levels, continuing to weigh on residential construction and property investment.

A coordinated plant train from Kleemann forms the core of this process chain, supporting the targeted production of defined aggregate fractions for reuse in asphalt mixing plants. The concept is complemented by application support and service structures within the Wirtgen Group portfolio.

The installation integrates Girbau's Sortech system with Picvisa's Ecosort technology. Sortech is designed to automate the feeding, separation and controlled distribution of garments in high-volume industrial environments. The system replaces repetitive manual handling and ensures a consistent material flow to downstream processes. Originally developed for industrial laundry applications, the technology has been adapted to meet the operational requirements of post-consumer textile sorting, where increasing material volumes require scalable and robust processing solutions.

The safety package combines artificial intelligence, camera and radar systems with automated machine intervention. Key components include the Smart All-Around Viewing Monitor (SAVM), collision risk alerts and an Emergency Stop (E-Stop) system developed for excavators.

The report concludes that further reductions in greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions will require structural industrial transformation and consistent implementation of existing EU environmental and climate legislation.

The enhanced microplastic analysis builds on RECOUP's existing laboratory services, which include recyclability assessments, material identification and sorting performance evaluation. The updated methods enable more precise examination of microplastics, generating detailed data on polymer type, particle size, morphology and material behaviour.

Its pellet-based extrusion technology enables the production of full-scale components made from fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, including molds, prototypes and boat structures.

The results are based on full-scale installations in North America and Europe and address key parameters relevant to scrap recyclers, including throughput, copper content and melt yield.