#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.

Circulose restarts commercial-scale production at Ortviken plant in Sundsvall

Circulose today announced the restart of its commercial-scale production plant at Ortviken in Sundsvall, Sweden, marking a significant step in scaling next-generation materials for the global fashion industry. The company plans to resume production of CIRCULOSE®, a recycled pulp made entirely from discarded cotton textiles, in the fourth quarter of 2026.

VIATT 2026 to debut German Pavilion, strengthening European participation alongside key Asian textile hubs

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Sustainable, lightweight, and sound absorbing: Polyester-based front trunk solution for BEVs

As car manufacturers look to further reduce their carbon footprint, Autoneum has developed an innovative front trunk solution for battery electric vehicles (BEVs), made entirely from polyester-based textile. The Ultra-Silent Frunk offers significant weight reduction, improved acoustic and thermal insulation, and uses up to 70 percent recycled material, supporting sustainable and efficient vehicle design. Autoneum, global technology leader in acoustic and thermal management for vehicles, has already received orders for the new frunk from three major OEMs in Asia and Europe to be built in three BEV models. Series production for two BEVs has been underway in China and Germany since last year.

Modern testing methods for raw cotton

The 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen will take place from 25 to 27 March 2026 at the Bremen Parliament. This conference has traditionally stood for in-depth expertise and international exchange. The program will focus on technical innovations, market trends, and regulatory frameworks across the entire value chain – from agriculture to the circular economy. With high-profile speakers, the conference is regarded as the key meeting point for the global cotton industry. Today’s focus: Cotton quality and testing methods.