Politics

The European Union is facing growing risks in the supply of raw materials necessary for the expansion of renewable energies and the implementation of climate and energy targets. This is the conclusion of a recent report by the European Court of Auditors.

PET is the second most recycled polymer in the European Union. Despite this position, the European PET recycling sector is under increasing pressure. Low market prices and growing stockpiles, driven in part by imports of lower-cost recycled material, are placing significant strain on established recycling facilities in Europe. This development comes at a time when domestic recycling capacity is required to meet existing and upcoming EU circular economy targets.

A recent study identifies methane emissions from landfilled municipal waste in Europe as a significant long-term climate factor that is insufficiently reflected in current policy discussions.

European recycling and waste management associations have called on the European Commission to ensure a smooth and workable implementation of the new EU Waste Shipment Regulation, which entered into force in May 2024 and will largely apply from 21 May 2026.

Representatives from the German government, the European Commission and the Free State of Bavaria will open IFAT Munich 2026, underlining the political and economic relevance of environmental technologies.

Sixty-two climate-vulnerable regions across Europe have been selected to strengthen their climate adaptation planning within the Pathways2Resilience programme, an EU-funded initiative under the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.

A new position paper by BZL and the nova-Institute sets out ten policy building blocks for a defossilised and more resilient European chemical industry. Published under the title “Recycling Becomes Feedstock for Europe – Let’s Dare More Autonomy”, the paper focuses on how waste management and the chemical sector could be better aligned to support a circular economy, renewable carbon supply and reduced dependence on fossil feedstock.

The European Commission adopted new certificate formats on 19 January to document hazardous materials on board ships and to confirm a vessel’s readiness for recycling.

Recycling Europe has published a roadmap calling for measures to increase circularity in Europe’s waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) sector, as volumes of electrical and electronic waste continue to rise across the European Union.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has clarified how the public procurement exemption for so-called “in-house procurement” is to be applied in cases involving contracts awarded within the public sector. The ruling relates to public contracts for the management of household waste.

A new policy briefing by Zero Waste Europe calls for stricter chemical policy measures to be incorporated into the European Commission’s forthcoming Circular Economy Act in order to prevent long-term risks to public health.