At the 8th European Recycling Conference (ERC), organized by Recycling Europe and FER (Spanish Federation of Recovery and Recycling), held on 10 June in Madrid, the associations sent a clear message, stating that in order to allow recycled materials to compete effectively within the circular economy, demand for them must be strengthened through mandatory green public procurement (GPP). framework.
The conference took place against a challenging backdrop for European industry, marked by geopolitical uncertainty, international trade tensions, high energy and labor costs, and growing regulatory pressures, all of which put pressure on companies' competitiveness. In this context, the recycling sector is increasingly seen as strategically important for both industry and the wider economy.
Opening the conference, Ion olaeta, President of FER, stressed that a competitive recycling sector requires high demand for recycled materials, mandatory recycled content targets and a regulatory framework that balances environmental ambitions with industrial competitiveness.
As the EU continues подчеркивать промышленную автономию, критически важное сырье и экономическую устойчивость, он заявил, что переработка играет ключевую роль, поскольку, как он отметил, «каждая тонна переработанного материала снижает зависимость от первичного сырья, укрепляет европейскую промышленность и способствует более устойчивой и конкурентоспособной экономике».
В то же время игроки отрасли продолжают сталкиваться со структурными проблемами, включая недостаточный спрос на переработанные материалы и недобросовестную конкуренцию со стороны импорта, происходящего из countries operating under lower environmental standards. The FER President called for concrete measures to support circularity, including stronger markets for recycled materials, effective GPP policies, mandatory recycling targets for materials, reduced administrative burdens and a regulatory framework that combines environmental ambition with industrial competitiveness. chemical, trade and product legislation. He also referred to a recent study by the Financial Times, which revealed a "scary" increase in the number of regulations introduced into the recycling industry in recent decades. David Moneo (IFEMA) highlighted that the recycling sector has experienced exponential growth in recent years and has become a central pillar
