The circular economy is central to the green transition and Europe’s industrial sovereignty. Solvay is developing innovative waste recovery solutions, including rare-earth recycling. Yet Philippe Kehren, CEO of Solvay, highlights the regulatory barriers slowing their deployment, particularly the lack of EU-wide harmonisation regarding waste status.

Karima Delli, an expert in European policy, points to the slow implementation of the European Commission’s ambitions and calls for a strategy focused on prevention, not just recycling.

The circular economy is an environmental, economic and social opportunity that must be made tangible and accessible. We urgently need to take action together to remove the barriers holding back the scaling of this revolution.