A new 65-page position paper by BZL and nova-Institute outlines ten policy building blocks aimed at transforming Europe’s chemical industry through recycling, renewable carbon, and circular economy integration. The report argues that Europe’s current chemical industry crisis is rooted in its dependence on fossil-based feedstocks, a model that has become increasingly unstable amid geopolitical tensions and global competition for oil and gas resources.
The paper highlights the urgent need for waste management to evolve into a reliable domestic feedstock source for the chemical sector. While the concept has long been discussed in theory, the authors note that progress has been limited by fragmented legal frameworks that treat waste management and chemical production as separate systems. Without regulatory integration, efforts toward defossilisation and industrial resilience will remain stalled.
Beyond electrification and efficiency gains, the study emphasises carbon supply as a critical factor for the industry’s future. It proposes enabling all recycling pathways, including mechanical, physical, chemical recycling, and even incineration with CO₂ capture and utilisation, to address diverse waste streams and product requirements. Implemented together, the ten proposals aim to reduce bureaucracy, strengthen innovation, and support Europe’s push for greater industrial autonomy.
