ICIS - chemical podcasts Episode 1322: Sustainably Speaking Episode 2: The importance of investment in Europe's recycling industry
Mar 26, 2025
Join Mark Victory, a Senior Editor for Recycling in Europe, and Helen McGeough, the Global Analyst Team Lead for Plastic Recycling, as they dive into Europe's recycling industry. They discuss the urgent need for investment in collection and sorting capacities, emphasizing the significance of high-quality waste for scaling chemical recycling. Mark and Helen also tackle the stark disparities in infrastructure investment across EU member states, and the economic risks associated with neglecting Europe's waste management challenges. A crucial conversation for a sustainable future!
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Fragmented Recycling Market
- Recycling is fragmented with some sectors thriving and others struggling, especially non-packaging grades.
- Packaging recycling benefits from regulation, but most volume involves non-packaging with weaker support causing financial strain.
Non-Packaging Recycling Faces Challenges
- The lack of regulation in non-packaging sectors leads to lower demand and pricing compared to packaging.
- Construction and automotive face weaker sustainability pressures, limiting recycled material uptake, though upcoming regulations may shift this.
Europe's Recycling Supply Bottlenecks
- Europe is structurally short of recycled material supply, driving imports despite premium market prices.
- Major bottlenecks include insufficient plastic waste collection and sorting infrastructure, needing urgent investment.