Speakers at the "Go Circular" conference in Mannheim, Germany last week presented a mixed picture of the European plastics recycling sector. New projects were announced in the area of chemical recycling, a market which has recently seen a spate of project cancellations and postponements. Technology suppliers Axens and Blue Alp revealed plans to build new facilities, including one large-scale plant, while Greene Enterprise is installing significant additional pyrolysis capacities in Spain.
At the same time, several participants stressed that the development of recycling capacities in Europe has stagnated in recent years: An oft-expressed sentiment was that, if current trends continue, China will overtake Europe to become the centre for the plastics circular economy. While the framework conditions are still being discussed in Europe, China is rapidly and systematically strengthening its position throughout the entire value chain....
