The Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) 2025 will return to Cologne, Germany, on 19–20 November, bringing together global leaders, innovators, researchers, policymakers, and technology providers to tackle pressing recycling challenges.
This year, the program expands beyond core topics like plastics and polymer recycling to address pollution-intensive sectors such as textiles and automotive, where material complexity hinders circularity. Textile recycling rates in the EU remain below 20%, largely due to mixed fiber blends, while automotive plastics and rubbers face increasing regulatory and material challenges under the End-of-Life Vehicle Directive.
To respond, ARC 2025 introduces four focus areas: biochemical recycling, textile recycling, automotive recycling, and advanced digital tools including AI-based sorting, traceability, and process optimization. These complement established methods like physical recycling (extrusion, dissolution), chemical recycling (solvolysis), thermochemical techniques (pyrolysis, gasification), and carbon capture and utilization (CCU).
The event comes at a decisive moment, as the EU strengthens recycling targets. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation sets recycled post-consumer plastic quotas of 10–35% by 2030, rising further by 2040. The proposed End-of-Life Vehicle directive mandates at least 25% recycled plastic in new cars, expected to boost demand for recycled materials significantly. Meeting these goals requires rapid deployment of innovative recycling technologies and scaling of supporting infrastructure.
The two-day conference features international expertise from companies and institutions including BASF, Covestro, Evonik, LEGO, Siemens, LyondellBasell, Vaude, Green Dot, Fraunhofer IVV, Chalmers University of Technology, and TU Bergakademie Freiberg. Focus sessions will explore thermochemical and biochemical recycling, textile sorting and recycling, sustainable polymers, physical recycling, recycling of end-of-life vehicles, and advanced chain-of-custody solutions.
With its collaborative platform, ARC 2025 encourages knowledge-sharing, cross-sector partnerships, and strategies to advance circular value chains. Supported by Siemens (Gold Sponsor), BUSS ChemTech, Erema Group, and Starlinger (Bronze Sponsors), along with a wide network of associations and research institutions, the event underscores industry commitment to circularity.
The full conference programme is available at https://advanced-recycling.eu/program/.
