What we recycle

Plastics

Plastics are composed of polymers i.e., compounds made of many small molecules.

Ferrous metals

Ferrous metals, primarily composed of iron, include materials like steel and cast iron, which are commonly found in construction, manufacturing, and transportation.

Non-Ferrous metals

Non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum, copper, lead, zinc, and titanium, do not contain iron and are valued for their resistance to corrosion and high conductivity.

Paper

Recycled paper is a versatile material that can replace or supplement virgin pulp to create new products like packaging, newspapers, and insulation.

Textiles

Textiles, including both synthetic fibers like polyester and natural fibers like cotton, are integral to daily life, with global production nearly tripling since 1975.

Tyres

Tyres contain multiple valuable materials such as rubber (75%), steel (15%) and textile fibres (10%).

Construction & Demolition

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste includes materials like concrete, bricks, wood, metals, glass, plastics, and hazardous substances such as asbestos.

End-of-life Vehicles

End-of-life Vehicles (ELVs) contain valuable materials like metals (steel, aluminum), plastics, rubber, and glass, as well as batteries.

E-waste

E-waste, otherwise referred to as waste electronical and electronic equipment (WEEE), is mainly composed of non-ferrous metals (nickel, copper, lead, etc.

Ships

End-of-life ships are decommissioned vessels that contain valuable materials like steel, metals, and electronics, along with hazardous substances such as asbestos, oils, and toxic chemicals.

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BOPP films continue to advance despite a constantly changing regional landscape

BOPP films remain an integral part of global delivery of goods, and investment in capacity indicates continued confidence in its future July 2026 — AMI Market Intelligence has released the new edition of its authoritative report offering a deep dive into the global BOPP films market, providing industry stakeholders and investors with a comprehensive analysis […]

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BUILDERS: New EU project to design, test and validate Extended Producer Responsibility schemes for construction products

Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) is Europe’s largest waste streams, yet the implementation of the EPR principle in the construction sector remains limited and fragmented. Where schemes do exist, they are fragmented and inconsistent across Member States, leaving producers, recyclers and authorities without the common rules needed to keep construction products and their materials in […]

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CLEANMAT: New EU project to cut emissions and flux use in aluminium recycling through digital sorting, intelligent pre-treatment and advanced melt refining

Recycling aluminium uses a fraction of the energy of primary production and is central to a circular metals industry. Yet conventional recycling still relies on hazardous fluxing agents and chemical cleaning, and generates significant emissions such as particulates, VOCs, dioxins and salt slag waste  while struggling to turn mixed, contaminated scrap into high-quality alloys. CLEANMAT […]

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War is not a business model: Europe’s plastics recycling industry needs urgent structural solutions

Brussels, 23 June 2026 – The sharp increase in oil prices during the first quarter of 2026, driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, temporarily altered the economics of the plastics market. As virgin plastics suddenly became more expensive, Europe’s plastics recycling industry experienced short-term relief from years of struggling with weak demand for […]

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Reju joins Recycling Europe’s Textiles branch

Brussels, 19 June 2026 – Recycling Europe is pleased to welcome Reju as the newest partner of its textiles branch, Recycling Europe Textiles, reinforcing its commitment to advancing textile circularity and supporting competitive, well-functioning markets for recycled materials in Europe. Reju is a textile-to-textile regeneration company focused on creating innovative solutions for regenerating polyester textiles […]

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EP plenary greenlights ELV deal, Europe must now build the market to deliver it

Brussels, 18 June 2026 – Recycling Europe welcomes today’s vote by the European Parliament plenary approving the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Regulation, bringing years of negotiations to a close and setting a clear direction for the future of Europe’s automotive industry. The political debate on whether recycled materials should play a greater role in vehicle manufacturing […]

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Joint call for a timely and targeted revision of the Textile Labelling Regulation (TLR)

We, the undersigned organisations, call on the European Commission to proceed with the targeted and timely revision of the Textile Labelling Regulation (TLR). It is essential to update key elements of the current framework and ensure the TLR can support and complement the emerging requirements of different EU textiles policies. The current TLR has played […]

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Joint Statement: An ambitious Green Steel definition under ESPR

A science-based and ambitious methodology to set a Green Steel Label under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation (ESPR) is essential to decarbonise the steel sector. While we, as co-signatories, support the methodology of the Joint Research Center (JRC), we call for a sharp increase in the level of ambition in the classes of performance […]

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ERC 2026: Mandatory circular public procurement and favourable conditions for competitive recycled materials identified as pillars of a strong Single Market for circularity

Brussels, 11 June 2026 – A mandatory green public procurement framework, combined with favourable market conditions that enable recycled materials to compete, circulate and remain within a thriving European circular economy is essential to creating strong demand for recycled materials and unlocking a true Single Market for circularity. That was the central message of the […]

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