EuRIC, the European Recycling Industries’ Confederation, has revealed its strategic priorities for 2024-2029, aimed at integrating recycling into Europe’s broader industrial and environmental agenda. Aligned with circular economy goals and emphasising the symbiotic relationship between circularity and climate policies, EuRIC advocates for a paradigm shift in how Europe approaches recycling.

Key highlights include a call for enhancing the global competitiveness of the European recycling sector through balanced trade policies and robust promotion of circular materials to position Europe as a leader in sustainable resource management. EuRIC advocates for the advancement of eco-design, pushing for policies that incentivise the use of recycled materials in line with the European Green Deal. We also emphasise the need for legislative reforms, including the swift adoption of EU-wide End-of-Waste criteria to facilitate circular value chains.

EuRIC underscores the urgency of transitioning towards a circular and climate-neutral economy, especially in light of Earth Overshoot Day, reached on August 2, 2023. Our confederation acknowledges the EU’s progress in incorporating recycled content targets but calls for more ambitious measures to significantly increase the circular materials use rate (CMUR), currently at only 11.5%. Addressing the EU’s heavy dependence on imports of hydrocarbons and extracted raw materials, EuRIC emphasises that prioritising recycled content can stabilise long-term consumer prices and reduce vulnerability to geopolitical energy market dynamics.

We support a Green Industrial Deal 2.0, advocating for economic incentives that drive essential investments for the EU’s twin transition. This includes improved consistency between EU legislations in resource efficiency, climate, and chemicals, reinforcing the EU’s leadership in the race towards a low-carbon and circular economy.

Note to editor:

For press-related enquiries, please contact Zoi Didili, EuRIC Communication Advisor, by email at zdidili@euric.org or by phone at +32 (0) 489 09 46 02.  The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) is the umbrella organisation for the recycling industries in Europe. Through its 75 members from 23 European countries, EuRIC represents more than 5,500 large companies and SMEs involved in the recycling and trade of various resource streams. They represent a contribution of 95 billion EUR to the EU economy and 300,000 green and local jobs. By turning waste into resources, recycling reintroduces valuable materials into value chains over and over again. By bridging circularity and climate neutrality, recyclers are pioneers in leading Europe’s industrial transition.