Author: Belma Biogradlija

Greece and Albania are stepping up efforts to transition toward a circular and resource-efficient economy through two major cross-border projects funded under the Interreg IPA VI-A Cooperation Programme 2021–2027. Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance of Greece, Nikos Papathanasis, recently signed agreements allocating €1.98 million to the Circular Economy Park (CIRCLE) project and €2.49 million to the Introduction of Digital Tools for Monitoring Waste Management in Urban Areas (DIGITAL). The CIRCLE initiative targets the management of agricultural and aquatic waste, aiming to transform these streams into high-value products that support local economies. Central to the project is the establishment…

Syensqo has introduced a proprietary chemical recycling technology capable of depolymerizing sulfone polymers into purified monomers, a development the company claims could establish a pathway to “infinite circularity” in high-performance thermoplastics. The announcement builds on Syensqo’s six-decade track record in sulfone polymer innovation and aligns with mounting industry pressure to reduce carbon intensity in specialty materials. Global demand for sulfone polymers—valued for their thermal stability, chemical resistance, and durability—spans sectors such as aerospace, healthcare, and water filtration. Their resilience, however, has historically complicated recycling, leading to waste accumulation and reliance on virgin petrochemical feedstocks. By enabling chemical depolymerization of both…

Syensqo has introduced a proprietary chemical recycling technology capable of depolymerizing sulfone polymers into purified monomers, a development the company claims could establish a pathway to “infinite circularity” in high-performance thermoplastics. The announcement builds on Syensqo’s six-decade track record in sulfone polymer innovation and aligns with mounting industry pressure to reduce carbon intensity in specialty materials. Global demand for sulfone polymers—valued for their thermal stability, chemical resistance, and durability—spans sectors such as aerospace, healthcare, and water filtration. Their resilience, however, has historically complicated recycling, leading to waste accumulation and reliance on virgin petrochemical feedstocks. By enabling chemical depolymerization of both…

Syensqo has introduced a proprietary chemical recycling technology capable of depolymerizing sulfone polymers into purified monomers, a development the company claims could establish a pathway to “infinite circularity” in high-performance thermoplastics. The announcement builds on Syensqo’s six-decade track record in sulfone polymer innovation and aligns with mounting industry pressure to reduce carbon intensity in specialty materials. Global demand for sulfone polymers—valued for their thermal stability, chemical resistance, and durability—spans sectors such as aerospace, healthcare, and water filtration. Their resilience, however, has historically complicated recycling, leading to waste accumulation and reliance on virgin petrochemical feedstocks. By enabling chemical depolymerization of both…

The UK’s transition to a circular economy is under pressure from a critical shortage of skilled workers, according to a new report by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3), and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). The report highlights that without immediate action, the workforce needed to support circularity and sustainable material management may fall short, threatening both economic resilience and environmental objectives. Current UK material consumption stands at 15.3 tonnes per person annually—roughly double what is considered sustainable—with over 90% of materials lost at end-of-life. Moving away from this linear “take-make-dispose”…

European businesses spend more than twice as much on raw materials as they do on labor or energy, according to EU figures—a structural imbalance that policymakers believe can be addressed by accelerating the shift to a circular economy. The built environment illustrates both the scale of the challenge and the potential gains. The World Economic Forum estimates that adopting circular practices—such as reuse of demolition materials and large-scale recycling—could reduce the sector’s carbon footprint by up to 75% by 2050 compared to constructing new buildings from virgin resources. Yet today, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that just 20–30% of construction…

In Kuwait, where electricity consumption per capita ranks among the highest globally, the integration of renewable energy into housing projects is emerging as both a necessity and a policy priority. The Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) is positioning itself at the center of this shift, aligning new projects with New Kuwait 2035, the national vision for economic diversification and sustainability. A tangible example is the South Abdullah Al-Mubarak housing development, completed in July, which introduced 434 solar-powered streetlight poles out of a total 3,164. This represents 13.7% of the project’s lighting infrastructure, generating annual electricity savings of 104,854 kWh.…

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), the world’s largest battery manufacturer, and Shouqi Group, a state-owned mobility services enterprise, have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to integrate electrification and circular economy practices into China’s transport ecosystem. The partnership covers multiple segments—automotive passenger transport, vehicle leasing, and mobility services—where Shouqi operates one of the country’s largest fleets. CATL will provide battery technology and work with Shouqi to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) while simultaneously addressing two pressing industry needs: charging infrastructure deployment and end-of-life battery management. A notable component is the plan to establish waste battery recycling systems. This…

Shell Polymers and ISOFlex, a division of Sigma Plastics Group, have launched a commercial collaboration enabling the use of ISCC PLUS certified circular polyethylene in food-grade flexible packaging. Flexible packaging is one of the fastest-growing plastics segments, but also among the hardest to recycle due to multilayer films and contamination risks. Industry efforts to incorporate mechanically recycled content are limited by food safety concerns and material degradation. The Shell–ISOFlex collaboration seeks to bridge this gap by supplying converters with virgin-quality resins derived from circular feedstocks, enabling films to meet both regulatory and performance standards. Shell Polymers is supplying the certified…

In 2024, U.S. industries generated over 265 million tons of municipal solid waste, with hazardous industrial byproducts remaining one of the least addressed categories of material recovery. Against this backdrop, Responsible Care® Partner WTS has sought to redefine waste management models by moving beyond traditional disposal methods. Its recent collaboration with Covestro highlights how companies are beginning to treat industrial waste streams as potential feedstocks—an approach increasingly tied to Scope 3 emissions strategies. WTS’s work with Covestro centers on redirecting materials classified as hazardous waste back into the production cycle. Instead of sending such materials to landfills or incineration, WTS…