#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).

The updated poster on biodegradable Polymers in various environments has been released

As part of the PerPlacsBio project, nova-Institute has updated its popular poster on the biodegradability of polymers in different environments. The updated version reflects current standards, certifications and the latest scientific findings. The poster can be used to assess biodegradable alternatives for use in agriculture and forestry, and it is now available in German for the first time.

Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 to showcase innovations – Call for abstracts

The call for abstracts is now open for the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) 2026, taking place on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany, and online. Europe’s leading platform for advanced recycling brings together hands-on solutions and cutting-edge research on recycling technologies for various waste streams like plastics, polymers, textiles or automotive, highlighting progress towards a circular renewable carbon economy.

AI Circular Economy Conference 2026 fuels innovation at the intersection of AI and Circular Economy

The AI Circular Economy Conference 2026, organised by nova-Institute, brought together 116 participants from 15 countries in Cologne and online to explore the transformation of the chemical and materials industry supported and accelerated by artificial intelligence. During the two-day event, leading experts from industry, research, start-ups and the investment community discussed how AI can maximise the potential of renewable carbon creating efficient circular value chains. The conference featured 24 presentations and multiple panel discussions, highlighting the growing convergence of digital technologies and circular material systems. It demonstrated how artificial intelligence is progressing from the experimental stage to real industrial implementation within the circular economy.

Pioneer of the first hour: Michael Carus steps down after more than 30 years from nova-Institute’s Management

After more than three decades at the helm, founder and CEO Michael Carus is set to step down as head of the Renewable Carbon division on 1 March 2026. Lars Börger as the new CEO, will take over this key position of the nova-Institute together with COO Linda Engel, while Carus will remain with the research and consulting company as a senior advisor and shareholder. This change takes place after a one-year transition phase, as planned.

Reju opens its first R&D Center in the U.S. in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Reju, the company specializing in textile regeneration, today announced the opening of a Research and Development (R&D) Center in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the company's first proprietary research center in North America. Located within Technip Energies' existing Advanced Materials and Catalysts research center, the lab will allow Reju to accelerate the rollout of its recycling technologies and develop its next-generation circular solutions.

New skills for a circular textile economy

Based on the results of a comprehensive analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is developing three practical training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. The content of the first module, Recycling Technologies, has now been developed and validated together with industry representatives. The module provides participants with knowledge of regulatory requirements, material sorting and the preparation of textile waste for recycling.

Itema reaffirms its commitment to the Syrian textile industry at NasTex 2026

From July 18th to 21st, Itema will exhibit at NasTex at the Damascus Fairground (Hall 11 – Stand C02), marking its return to one of the Middle East’s historically significant textile markets. Itema will showcase advanced weaving technology designed to support the competitiveness and technological evolution of Syrian manufacturers and announces a new partnership with Growfast Agency as the sole agent of Itema in Syria.

KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.