13 November 20269 November 2026 Kein Allheilmittel: Wo chemisches Recycling sinnvoll sein kann Kunststoffe chemisch statt mechanisch recyceln – das klingt nach Fortschritt. Die Industrie verspricht viel. Doch die meisten Verfahren sind energieintensiv und stecken in Pilotanlagen fest. Wir erklären, wann chemisches Recycling sinnvoll sein kann. Und warum mechanisches Recycling in den meisten Fällen Vorrang hat
10 November 20264 November 2026 Eurostat: Packaging waste statistics In 2024, 81.5 million tonnes of packaging waste were generated in the EU. This corresponded to 181.0 kg per inhabitant, an increase of 3.2 kg per capita compared with 2023
EUROSTAT: 81,5 Millionen Tonnen Verpackungsabfälle in der EU – Mengen und Recycling bei Kunststoffverpackungen gestiegen Gegenüber 2014 erhöhte sich diese Menge um 19,6 Kilogramm pro Kopf - EU-weite Recyclingquote für Kunststoffverpackungsabfälle erhöhte sich 2024 auf 42,4 Prozent, nach 41,6 Prozent im Vorjahr
Erweiterte Herstellerverantwortung: Nachhaltige Textilien beginnen bei der Materialentscheidung Ob ein Textil die geltenden Vorschriften erfüllt, lässt sich überprüfen. Viele seiner Umweltauswirkungen werden jedoch bereits früher beeinflusst, etwa durch die Auswahl der Fasern, Farbstoffe und chemischen Ausrüstungen. Diese Entscheidungen prägen die Eigenschaften eines Textils während seiner Nutzung und können auch seine spätere Recyclingfähigkeit beeinflussen
“Feedstock security will become increasingly important in 2027 as more industries begin to use agricultural resources for industrial applications” An exclusive interview with AgroSpectrum, Dr Sangeeta Srivastava, Executive Director, Godavari Biorefineries Ltd, discusses the biofiller’s potential applications across tyres, footwear and other industrial rubber products
5 November 202630 October 2026 Tomato and olive by-products become feedstock for food ingredients, cosmetics and bio-based materials: POLYMERS-5B brings its cascading biorefinery concept to Ecomondo 2026 The EU-funded project presents an enzyme-based cascading biorefinery designed to recover multiple high-value products from Mediterranean agri-food residues through a single integrated process
BORN project completes its first year: advancing sustainable materials for the future of food packaging BORN examines the wider use of biobased and biodegradable polymers in demanding applications
BIOSPARK launches to strengthen Europe’s skills for the circular bioeconomy The new Horizon Europe project will establish a network of 27 Bio-Based Education Centres to strengthen education, lifelong learning and collaboration across Europe’s bioeconomy sector
FRF warns EU: Netherlands and Belgium will miss single-use packaging targets It is essential to foster a level-playing field within the Union in which all Member States move towards better packaging systems, without disparities and specific Member States failing to comply with the targets and objectives of the regulation
3 November 202628 October 2026 Greenwashing Directive: Impact on the Plastics Industry This article summarises what is changing, the current status of transposition in Spain and which claims companies should review in relation to their products and activities
Bioeconomy: Commission launches public consultation on bio-based feedstock in plastic packaging The feedback process will remain open until 13 January 2027
Bioökonomie: Kommission leitet öffentliche Konsultation zu biobasierten Rohstoffen in Kunststoffverpackungen ein Das Feedback-Verfahren bleibt bis zum 13. Januar 2027 offen
2 November 202628 October 2026 Last Chance to Submit Your Abstract: CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2027 Call for Abstracts closes 16 Nov 2026
Letzte Chance Beiträge einzureichen: CO₂-based Fuels and Chemicals Conference 2027 Beiträge können bis zum 16. November eingereicht werden
Sustainable materials that help slow fire spread and reduce smoke in the event of a fire AIMPLAS’s various research lines include sustainable flame retardants for paints, varnishes and plastic materials, such as those developed in the PHOSFIRE project
30 October 202628 October 2026 Join CIRCONOMY workshop “Connecting the Loops across European Circular Economy Projects”: Collaborate with European Projects to Advance the Circular Economy! How can European projects connect their work to support the transition towards a circular economy?
28 October 202628 October 2026 EU and UK Risk Falling Further Behind Global Agricultural Competitors, Weakening Strategic Autonomy An economic analysis by Oxford Economics, representative polling of more than 8,000 consumers and in-depth farmer interviews across eight European markets
EU und Vereinigtes Königreich drohen im globalen Agrarwettbewerb weiter zurückzufallen Ökonomische Analyse von Oxford Economics mit einer repräsentativen Befragung von mehr als 8.000 Verbraucherinnen und Verbrauchern und vertiefenden Interviews mit Landwirtinnen und Landwirten in acht europäischen Märkten
Neste urges EU to ease rules on biofuel feedstocks amid energy crunch Neste Calls for EU to Relax Biofuel Feedstock Rules Amid Rising Energy Prices (Corrects oil, corn and sugar price rises in final paragraph)
26 October 202620 October 2026 BioBTX receives EU Innovation fund for its first-of-a-kind plant The plant is expected to converting plastic waste directly into renewable aromatics at Chemie Park Delfzijl, which are essential building blocks for the plastics and pharmaceutical industries
22 October 202616 October 2026 Can Sustainability Criteria Unlock Biomass Demand? CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, is urging the European Commission to establish an EU-wide sustainability framework for biomass used in products
20 October 202614 October 2026 Plastiksteuer: Was ändert sich? Die Koalition aus CDU/CSU und SPD plant eine neue bundesweite Abgabe auf Kunststoffverpackungen. Was bedeutet das für Verbraucher*innen?
19 October 202613 October 2026 Estonia takes lead on cicular economy policy The local government has brought out pioneering policies to spur the circular economy since Oct. 2019, when Tallinn brought in a local anti-plastic regulation banning single-use tableware completely at public events
15 October 20269 October 2026 Sustainable Innovations joins BIOSPARK, a new EU project to build the skills for a circular bioeconomy The project consortium will develop a network of 27 Bio-Based Education Centres (BBECs), one in every EU member state, and will narrow the gap between Europe’s education systems, paying particular attention to countries with less research and innovation capacity
How the EU could finally give bio-based plastics a fair chance As the EU weighs binding targets for bio-based content in plastics, MEP Jeannette Baljeu and Braskem’s Katarina Molin discuss how policymakers can create real market incentives for investment without compromising credible sustainability standards
14 October 20269 October 2026 EIC Board President visits eChemicles as Hungarian CO₂-electrolysis company begins EIC Accelerator scale-up project Szeged visit highlights Hungarian deep tech moving from university research to industrial productization, backed by an EIC Accelerator grant and a proposed EIC Fund equity investment
12 October 20268 October 2026 Last Chance to Join: WaterProof Workshop “From Waste(water) CO₂ to Formic Acid” 22 October 2026, 10:00-15:30 CET, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Croatia creates new framework for bioeconomy The bioeconomy is increasingly viewed at European level as an important part of the transition towards a more sustainable economy, particularly as countries seek alternatives to fossil-based materials and energy
9 October 20265 October 2026 SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS to carry out the communication and dissemination of BIOEASTWIDE BIOEASTWIDE will address key gaps in policy alignment, funding coordination and innovation uptake aiming at advancing bioeconomy research and innovation (R&I) across Central and Eastern Europe
Moeve launches construction of the first phase of Europe’s largest green hydrogen project Moeve is anchoring from Huelva the development of the largest green molecules hub in Europe’s energy sector
ReFuelEU Aviation Annual Technical Report 2026 The report thus offers a comprehensive, data-driven picture of the EU SAF market in 2025 and enables progress towards the objectives of RFEUA to be effectively monitored
8 October 20263 October 2026 CIRCALGAE Final Event: four years of results and innovation The CIRCALGAE Final Event brought together project partners, experts and stakeholders to share the project’s final results and reflect on the future of the European algae sector
The UK is paying to invent the bioeconomy, but letting other countries keep it With the right policy support, bio-based chemicals and materials alone could generate upwards of £200 billion in annual revenue for UK
6 October 202630 September 2026 Monthly news from the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI), September 2026 September Highlights: Open Letter to DG GROW and the CCA Steering Group; Biotech Act II, PPWR, public procurement, and cascading use, updates on RCI projects, the Renewable Materials Conference, New RCI member Supercritical Solutions, RCI General Assembly 2026
5 October 202629 September 2026 Biotech Open Platform inaugurates its biotechnology platform, opening a new chapter for industrial innovation in Europe The Biotech Open Platform was founded by Michelin together with several industrial partners and is supporting from the laboratory to industrial-scale production
Sprungbrett für biotechnologische Innovationen 2024 wurde von Michelin gemeinsam mit anderen Unternehmen und Marktpartnern die Biotech Open Platform ins Leben gerufen, die vom Labor bis hin zur Produktion im industriellen Maßstab unterstützt
2 October 202628 September 2026 Alder BioInsights News Review – Biobased Products, September 2026 It is crucial that less harmful alternatives to disposable – often single-use – items to be found, for which demand has consistently been on the rise
30 September 202624 September 2026 New EU-funded project UNCOVER to advance the market uptake of CO2 utilisation technologies The European Commission has awarded €7 million to UNCOVER, a new Horizon Europe project bringing CO₂ conversion technologies closer to industrial-scale deployment and market uptake
EU-Projekt UNCOVER will die Markteinführung von Technologien zur CO2-Nutzung vorantreiben Die Europäische Kommission fördert das Horizon Europe Projekt UNCOVER mit 7 Millionen Euro, mit dem Ziel Technologien zur CO₂-Umwandlung näher an den industriellen Einsatz und die Markteinführung zu bringen. Das Steinbeis Europa Zentrum leitet das Arbeitspaket zu Verwertung, Skalierung und Markteintritt und ist für die Verwaltung der Projektdaten zuständig
Confitex Technology wins INDEX Award and Hygienix Innovation Award for world-first washable nonwoven absorbent hygiene products Confitex Technology has become the first company to win both of the nonwovens industry’s top honors, the INDEX Award and the Hygienix Innovation Award
Rouven Zietzs Kolumne “Kreislaufwirtschaft”: Grün nur noch mit Beleg Ein neues Gesetz räumt mit grünen Floskeln auf der Packung auf. Lebensmittelhersteller trifft es härter als andere Branchen
Comment: How do we bring biobased packaging materials to commercial scale? Ward Heij, business development manager at Colesco Circular & Climate Credit Impact Fund (C4IF), discusses the opportunities and challenges for biobased materials
28 September 202622 September 2026 Stargate Hydrogen secures 21 million Euros from the EU Innovation Fund to further scale up its operations The grant will support the expansion of Stargate in Europe, enabling the production of large-scale electrolyser systems, thereby increasing the company’s ability to supply Power-to-X projects with EU-made equipment
World’s Largest Green Methanol Project Achieves ISCC EU Certification Buyers, shipping lines, and regulators increasingly require certification under ISCC EU to demonstrate compliance with sustainability and GHG emissions-saving criteria
23 September 202617 September 2026 Mehr Innovation, weniger Abhängigkeit durch Circular Economy: Landesregierung legt Kreislaufwirtschaftsstrategie vor Nordrhein-Westfalen will Drehscheibe für Circular Economy in Europa werden / Schon jetzt arbeiten mehr als 240.000 Menschen in der Kreislaufwirtschaft
22 September 202616 September 2026 Kirkbi to Significantly Step Up Investment in Plastics Circularity The company is targeting business models and technologies that reduce plastics consumption, replace fossil-based feedstocks, and improve sorting, reuse and recycling
Kirkbi: Lego-Mutter mit deutlichem Ausbau der Kunststoff-Kreislaufwirtschaft Es sollen Geschäftsmodelle und Technologien unterstützt werden, die den Kunststoffverbrauch reduzieren, fossile Rohstoffe ersetzen sowie Sortierung, Wiederverwendung und Recycling verbessern
21 September 202615 September 2026 Syklo’s factory complex unique on a world scale will produce high-quality recycled plastic pellets and biocomposite The plant alone raises Finland’s plastic recycling capacity by 50%
Syklos weltweit einzigartiges Kreislaufwirtschaftszentrum produziert hochwertige recycelte Kunststoffgranulate und Biokomposite Die Gesamtkapazitäten des Landes für Kunststoffrecycling erhöhen sich dadurch um 50 Prozent
BIOWEG to build Europe’s largest bacterial cellulose plant, backed by Series A of €30 million Construction starting before the end of this year and industrial-scale production ready from 2028