This initiative, developed since 2024, serves as a technical resource to complement the organization's existing advocacy and business development functions within the global recycling sector.

Electricity demand is on the rise, driven by electrification of industrial processes, data centre build outs and increasing demand from domestic users in developing countries.

According to the organisation, e-waste recycling already contributes to climate protection and resource conservation. However, only around 40% of WEEE is currently reported as recycled. Recycling rates for plastics from WEEE are estimated at around 20%. Collection levels also remain below the EU collection target of 65%, resulting in the loss of secondary raw materials and limiting progress towards a circular economy.

Reducing persistent plastic pollution is a key challenge on the way to a functioning circular economy. Biodegradable materials offer considerable potential if their use is controlled and standard-compliant. The report "Addressing Persistent Plastic Pollution" by the Circular Bioeconomy Working Group uses case studies from agriculture, forestry and composting to show that certified biodegradable plastics can significantly reduce the long-term accumulation of microplastics.

Despite ambitious European targets, the transition from linear to circular plastic systems is proceeding only hesitantly. A recent study by the EU project Nontox sheds light on the perspectives of actors along the plastics value chain and shows which barriers hinder change and which political and economic measures are needed to accelerate it.

Food loss and waste is a major sustainability problem as it consumes resources and causes environmental pollution. At the same time, the plastics industry is looking for alternatives to petroleum-based plastics.

The European Union's 8th Environment Action Programme is the first legally binding, long-term framework that systematically brings together environmental, climate and resource protection and is backed up with concrete targets for 2030. The annual monitoring of the EEA makes it visible whether Europe is actually moving from a predominantly linear economy to a resource-efficient, regenerative economy.

Since 2005, the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) has been the central instrument of European climate policy. It should ensure that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced where this is most cost-effective. After two decades of experience, it can be said that the system has achieved measurable emission reductions in most of the sectors involved. At the same time, however, it becomes clear that emissions trading alone is not enough to drive the comprehensive transformation of industry towards a climate-neutral and circular economy. The article "Effectiveness of EU Emissions Trading: What drives emission developments?" by Oeko-Institut and INFRAS on behalf of the German Environment Agency discusses what lessons can be learned from the development of the EU ETS in order to shape the transition from linear emission avoidance to a true circular economy.

The plastics industry has been complaining for some time, and now the European Commission has reacted. Immediately before Christmas, an action plan was presented to help the badly battered industry. The only question is how short-term the announced short-term measures actually are.

The green economy has become one of the world's most dynamic growth markets. Despite geopolitical uncertainties and technological challenges, its annual market volume exceeded $5 trillion in 2024 and is expected to reach over $7 trillion by 2030. The report "Already a Multi-Trillion-Dollar Market: CEO Guide to growth in the green Economy" by the World Economic Forum in cooperation with the Boston Consulting Group shows that transformation is no longer a vision of the future, but a strategic competitive factor for business and politics.

The European Commission's "RESourceEU" action plan aims to significantly reduce Europe's critical dependence on raw materials and strengthen security of supply along central value chains. Building on the Critical Raw Materials Act, the Commission is relying on a combined approach of accelerated project development, coordinated funding, strategic partnerships and a European infrastructure for market data, stockpiling and joint procurement.

In a policy brief, the Joint Research Centre shows that Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) is becoming a key approach in European industry to accelerate the transition to a true circular economy.

The report "Europe's Battery Reckoning" by Circunomics is intended to show how a practical implementation of the EU Battery Regulation can succeed.

Redback grinders have been in operation for several decades, primarily in Australia, where they have been used under demanding operating conditions. The product line is based on long-standing experience in the design and manufacture of heavy-duty machinery for recycling and material processing applications. The machines are designed for continuous operation and stable throughput under varying feedstock and environmental conditions.

Each year, the regional agricultural sector produces around 800,000 tonnes of plant-based residues, including rice straw and citrus pruning waste. Current biomass recovery methods rely heavily on commercial enzymes, which can account for up to 40% of total processing costs, limiting large-scale industrial application.

Wilms represents the German waste management federation BDE and is Managing Director of Remondis Service International. He has longstanding experience in waste management, recycling and secondary raw materials, as well as in EU-level policy discussions related to the circular economy.

The Commission presents the Package as an urgent response to the crisis in the plastics recycling sector, citing fragmented markets, high energy costs, volatile virgin plastic prices and unfair competition from third countries. Europe's plastics recycling industry is experiencing its deepest downturn on record, with a net decrease of around one million tonnes of recycling capacity in Europe by the end of 2025. This happens at the very same time as the ban on EU plastic waste exports to non-OECD countries enters into force.

At the meeting, Austria -supported by Germany and Lithuania- highlighted the sharp rise in fire incidents in waste management and recycling facilities caused by improperly disposed lithium waste batteries: 'During the summer of 2025, several major fires occurred in Austria and other Member States, each resulting in damages amounting to millions of euros - despite state-of-the-art fire prevention measures and infrastructure in waste management industries. These incidents highlight a significant and escalating safety risk for workers, severe environmental damage, and substantial economic losses for waste management operators.'

With more than three decades of experience in the design, construction and operation of e-waste recycling plants, weeeSwiss Technology focuses on process engineering, system integration and plant optimisation across the entire WEEE value chain. The company observes that regulatory developments, changing material compositions and increasing safety requirements are redefining plant design and operation.

Europe is in the midst of a profound transformation, which is characterized by the le-gally enshrined path to climate neutrality. The current report "Trends and Projections in Europe 2025" by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows significant pro-gress, but also critical gaps that require a rapid change of course.