#Recycling / Circular Economy

2025-12-04

Advanced Recycling Conference 2025 fuels innovation across key waste streams

220 global experts unite to drive breakthroughs in advanced recycling technology, infrastructure, and industry trust

Advanced Recycling Conference 2025 audience © 2025 nova-Institut

The Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) 2025 brought together nearly 220 experts from 28 countries to spotlight pioneering advancements and foster industry collaboration in recycling across diverse waste streams including plastics, textiles, automotive and other materials.

This year’s program emphasized how continuous improvements in core technologies, such as physical recycling through extrusion and dissolution, chemical solvolysis, biochemical enzymolysis, and thermochemical treatments like pyrolysis and gasification, are being steadily optimized. A key factor are cutting-edge digital solutions including AI-driven sorting and blockchain traceability, enabling more reliable feedstock quality and scalable circular systems amid fluctuating waste volumes and mixed material challenges.

ARC 2025 also addressed the critical need for chemical recycling to regain credibility by demonstrating tangible advancements in process efficiency and transparency along the value chain. Innovative approaches in textile and automotive recycling were explored to overcome complex material blends and regulatory pressures, while integration of carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) highlighted the shift towards truly sustainable circular business models. A significant theme was the urgent need to expand recycling infrastructure to support the deployment of advanced technologies and meet regulatory targets. Extensive networking resulted in strengthened partnerships, further bolstered by a site visit to Chemiepark Knapsack, where participants witnessed industrial-scale deployment of these technologies in action

Pathway to EU targets and renewable carbon growth

By bringing together stakeholders across technology, policy, and investment spheres, ARC 2025 laid out a clear pathway for meeting ambitious EU targets, such as increasing post-consumer recycled plastics in packaging to 10-35 % by 2030 and embedding 25 % recycled content in new vehicles. These cooperative efforts aim to overcome feedstock availability, variability and infrastructure challenges, fueling growth in renewable carbon value chains and advancing the defossilisation of the chemical industry. More details and updates on future events are available at https://advanced-recycling.eu.

Partners and sponsors

The Advanced Recycling Conference is supported by visionary sponsors dedicated to advancing recycling solutions. Siemens supported the event as a gold sponsor. Buss ChemTech, Erema Group and Starlinger contributed as bronze sponsors.

The Advanced Recycling Conference is supported by industry and trade associations, non-profit organisations, research institutions and interest groups that are thematically linked to the conference: BCNP Consultants (DE), C.A.R.M.E.N. (DE), ChemCologne (DE), Chemical Recycling Europe (EU), Chemie-Cluster Bayern (DE), CLIB (DE), IBB Netzwerk (DE), ITA - International Centre for Sustainable Textiles (DE), kunststoffland.NRW (DE), Plastics Europe (DE), Renewable Carbon Initiative (International), VinylPlus(DE).

Joint forces for renewable carbon: Lars Börger appointed as new CEO of nova-Institute

In these challenging times for the sustainable transformation of the chemicals and materials sector, collaboration is more necessary than ever. That is why nova-Institute is proud to welcome Dr. Lars Börger as the new Co-CEO alongside with Michael Carus, the current CEO of nova-Institute. As a team, they will join forces to drive progress towards a greener and fossil-free future for these industries.

Selenis to double capacity in Portugal by Q3 2027 - Accelerating the Global transition to circular and low-carbon polyesters

Selenis, a global leader in high-performance specialty polyesters and part of the IMG Group, has announced a transformational expansion of its industrial headquarters in Portalegre, Portugal. This strategic investment is set to double the site’s production capacity by the third quarter of 2027, significantly accelerating the industrial scale-up of bio-based, medical-grade, and circular co-polyesters.

Pellet press enables thermomechanical textile recycling on a pilot scale at ITA

Since the end of 2025, the technical centre of the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University has been equipped with a pellet press from the manufacturer Amandus Kahl GmbH & Co. KG, Reinbek, Germany. This press can efficiently compact shredded synthetic textiles at a throughput of up to 25 kg/h and process them into pellets with a diameter of 4 mm.

Fabolose: Fabricating vegan and circular leather alternatives from bio-tech-derived cellulose

Fabulose is an EU funded project coordinated by the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF). Its consortium consists of leading research institutes, biotech innovators, and industry stakeholders who aim to create high-performance, biobased and recyclable leather-like fabrics, using efficient biotech production routes for bacterial cellulose, cyanophycin and bacterial pigments

JEC World 2026 returns with an unprecedented content program

Recognized worldwide as the leading trade exhibition for composite materials and their applications, JEC World returns on March 10-12, 2026, at Paris Nord Villepinte as the most ambitious edition to date, in line with its motto “Pushing the limits”. As the must-attend event for the composites industry, JEC World will offer an unprecedented program, blending conferences, markets insights, technical sessions, awards, and above all, a unique experience and invaluable connections.

Beyond the wardrobe – innovative cotton takes the spotlight

Cotton can do more – a lot more. Cutting-edge textiles and high-tech products made from 100% cotton prove just how powerfully performance and sustainability can come together. That very surge of innovation is front and centre at the 38th Bremen Cotton Conference, taking place March 25–27, 2026, at Bremen’s Parliament on the historic market square – culminating in a bold and dedicated closing session on Friday. In the spotlight: performance upgrades for pure cotton, smart strategies for circular textile waste solutions, and pioneering concepts for demanding technical applications. From natural fibre–reinforced composites to highly effective flame-retardant solutions, cotton steps out of the closet and shows the future potential woven into every fibre.

Keeping print inclusive: Empowering women in the print industry

Across all industries, cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace is increasingly recognised as valuable and essential to long-term success. However, despite the print industry’s significant advancements in technology and innovation, visible representation of women remains limited. As the sector grapples with low recruitment, it’s important to challenge outdated perceptions. Creating real change, however, requires collective effort - no single company can do it alone.