Member Platform Join Us
Join Us Member Platform

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.

Explore

Events

Other Events

May 4 2026

IFAT Munich 2026

Other Events

November 4 2025

ECOMONDO 2025

Other Events

October 28 2025

SteelOrbis Fall 2025 Conference & 93rd IREPAS Meeting

Other Events

October 7 2025

Pollutec 2025

Recycling Europe Events

Hamburg Deutschland

October 1 2025

7th European Recycling Conference (ERC) 2025

Recycling Europe Events

March 27 2025

Threading up Europe’s textile circularity: Bridging policy and industry through trade
See All Events

Who we are

Position papers/letters
18 July 2025

Bridging circularity and decarbonisation through an ambitious EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) framework

Executive Summary

Public procurement represents a powerful yet underutilised tool in the EU’s transition towards a climate-neutral, circular economy. Accounting for approximately 14% of the EU GDP – over €2.4 trillion annually, public procurement holds significant potential to influence market demand, shift production patterns, and accelerate the uptake of recycled materials and circular products, thereby contributing to the EU’s climate and circularity goals. 

Despite this potential, the 2014 Public Procurement Directive[1], only provides voluntary guidelines for considering environmental criteria in procurement decisions. This means that public authorities can, but are not obliged to, integrate sustainability criteria. As a result, environmental considerations remain inconsistently applied across Member States, failing to drive meaningful change at scale.

Mandatory Green Public Procurement (GPP) measures that are aligned with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the ambition to double the Circular Material Use Rate (CMUR) by 2030, are urgently needed. By embedding environmental criteria systematically into procurement decisions, public authorities can:

  • Stimulate demand for recycled materials.
  • Support European industry competitiveness in a decarbonised economy.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across key sectors.
  • Advance strategic autonomy through resource efficiency.

This position paper explores the application of GPP in six critical sectors: construction, metals, plastics, textiles, tyres, and paper, and outlines practical recommendations to ensure public procurement becomes a true driver of circularity and decarbonisation within the EU Single Market.

[1] European Parliament and Council of the European Union (2024) Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC (Text with EEA relevance)Text with EEA relevance. Available at: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/24/2024-01-01/eng

Related Publications

Stay informed with our latest insights, anytime, anywhere.

See all Publications
Read More
November 3 2025 | Position papers/letters

Joint Position Paper 'From flat to circular: Rethinking glass in construction'

Executive Summary Flat glass plays a vital role in the EU’s transition towards a circular and decarbonised economy. With approximately 10 million tonnes of flat glass placed on the market annually – 80% of which is used in the building sector[1] – its end-of-life management presents both a challenge and an opportunity. While the environmental […]
Read More
September 25 2025 | Position papers/letters

Export tariffs threaten EU circularity: EU aluminium recyclers oppose restrictions, urge value chain cooperation

EuRIC, the voice of European recyclers, strongly opposes the potential introduction of export tariffs on recycled aluminium, which is frequently mischaracterised as “scrap.” Contrary to concerns raised by aluminium producers about excessive exports, official data shows a year-on-year decline in export volumes, with shipments to the United States accounting for just 0.4% of total EU […]
Read More
September 16 2025 | Position papers/letters

EU Recyclers' position on the simplification of administrative burden in environmental legislation

The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) welcomes the initiative on the simplification of administrative burden in environmental legislation and underlines the need for making EU legislation more efficient and effective while safeguarding ambitious environmental objectives. To foster a circular and competitive EU industry, EuRIC highlights that: Although we fully support its initial purpose, we believe […]