The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) expresses disappointment over the lack of a formal agreement after the latest round of negotiations in Busan (Republic of Korea) on a legally binding instrument to address plastic pollution.

EuRIC’s Plastics Recycling Branch (EPRB) has published a roadmap on the future of the European plastics recycling industry, as the latter is currently grappling with extremely low demand for recycled materials and with unfair competition from third countries that threaten circularity in Europe.

EuRIC has published its position on the future of the European steel industry, calling for measures that promote the use of recycled steel to achieve both environmental and economic resilience.

Two important studies on the issue have been published recently:

Study on the increasing demand for the critical raw materials used in electric vehicle batteries:

A study presenting two new technologies for the mechanical recycling of multilayer plastic films has been published by CIMPA.

Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW), including concrete, wood, metals, bricks, glass, and plastics, makes up about 30% of all waste generated annually in the EU, representing a major material stream. The construction sector also significantly impacts the environment, contributing around 12% of the EU's greenhouse gas emissions.

The European Commission launched a new website on the recycling of plastic intended for contact with food. Among other useful infromation, the website provides access to the Union register of novel technologies, recyclers, recycling processes, recycling schemes and decontamination installations, set up according to Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1616.

Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products has been recently published in the Official Journal of the EU.