Recycling Works: Greater Profitability Through New Applications

Recycling as part of the circular economy is once again the center of the BIR World Recycling Convention & Exhibition Malaga 2026. The event will take place from 25-27 October, 2026. According to the organizers of the Bureau of International Recycling, there will be two days of high-level business and market insights with more than 1,500 delegates expected to attend from 70 countries.

At that event, the plastics market will also be an important topic. In July this year, Henk Alssema, President of the BIR Plastics Division, told in the “World Mirror” that trading activity had slowed, while competitively-priced imported materials continued to exert pressure on the European market. He expected demand to recover during September. However, the direction of virgin polymer prices and the broader economic outlook would influence purchasing behavior.

The research and consulting firm DataM Intelligence provided a more optimistic outlook: the global plastic recycling market would reach 39.97 billion US-Dollar in 2026, and is projected to reach 84.86 billion US-Dollar by 2035. Regarding Europe, Lars Enge, EVP and Head of Tomra Recycling, also took an optimistic view of business opportunities. The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is expected to drive growing demand for recycled content, particularly in high-value plastic applications, he is convinced. “At the same time, expectations around quality, traceability and recyclability are becoming more demanding. Together, these developments are changing the economics of recycling.”

Moreover, there is the Austria-based Plastic is Fantastic Association, founded by ALPLA and other companies in the plastics industry in 2025. “Its goal is to join forces, strengthen international exchange, and work together to promote fact-based communication about plastics,” one can read on its homepage. The association aims to promote the reponsible use of the material, innovative circular economy solutions, and a nuanced public debate. “At the same time, it aims to increase appreciation for plastics and their importance in many areas of modern life.”

More examples of potentially prosperous recycling in the future are to be found in this issue of GLOBAL RECYCLING. In Kenya, the government is convinced that investments in waste management and circular economy could provide commercial, socioeconomic and environmental returns (page 3). In Vietnam, the waste management market is expected to grow (page 5). By contrast, Norway’s municipal recycling rate falls below its own claims and the continental average, but the country is well set to become a pioneer in the circular economy (page 18 onwards).

We hope you get a lot of new and useful information from reading this current magazine.

Yours, Brigitte Weber