“There are a number of instruments available to us to promote circularity, including the ecodesign Regulation for products, the Critical Materials Act and the European Green Deal”, said Julia Ettinger, Secretary General of Euric (which represents the recycling industry in Europe), on Tuesday 3 June at a conference on the circular economy organised by the European Commission.
These Regulations, like the circular economy legislation - which the Commission will propose in 2026 - will have to be reflected in market behaviour, she believes. “A systemic change is needed make the circular economy tangible on the ground”, warned the European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessika Roswall, a few minutes earlier.
In particular, she wants to make secondary raw materials “more competitive and more attractive”, with the help of the ‘Competitiveness Compass’ and the ‘Clean Industrial Deal’. The approach championed by these instruments will be further developed with the circular economy legislation, which will be the subject of a consultation open to all stakeholders that the Commission is “about to announce”.
The main aims of this legislation are to: - develop the sector thanks to the financial resources provided by contracts with the public sector; - improve trade in waste and secondary raw materials within the EU; - “drastically” increase the recycling and recovery rate for critical and strategic raw materials, which currently stands at “less than 1%”; - accelerate Europe’s bioeconomy, a sector with “enormous potential, from agriculture to forestry”, according to the European Commissioner.
Dirk Vantyghem, Director General of Euratex, which represents the interests of the European textile and clothing industry, confirmed that public procurement must play its part, for example by using recycled textiles for police and hospital uniforms. Virgin fibre, i.e. non-recycled fibre, accounts for 93% of total fibre production, “because a kilo of virgin fibre costs one euro, compared with two or three euros for recycled fibre”, explains Dirk Vantyghem. Faced with this reality, he asked the EU to reward entrepreneurs who invest in recycling to “stimulate demand” and to see how the EIB (European Investment Bank) can “give strength to a sector” made up of “small businesses”. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)