"Made in Europe" is only truly credible if Europe also commits to "Recycled in Europe." End-of-life vehicles, batteries, electronic equipment and packaging contain valuable materials that can be reintroduced as raw materials for European industry. By collecting, recycling and reusing these materials within Europe, we reduce our dependence on imported raw materials, lower CO₂ emissions, and safeguard knowledge, investment and employment.

European legislation, such as the PPWR, the Critical Raw Materials Act and the proposed End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation, is moving in the right direction. These initiatives require more recycled content in new products and encourage the recovery of valuable materials. At the same time, the upcoming export ban on plastic waste to non-OECD countries highlights that Europe still lacks sufficient economically viable recycling capacity for certain waste streams.

According to Denuo, the Industrial Accelerator Act also falls short. The legislation focuses too heavily on primary production and does not sufficiently recognise waste management and recycling as strategic industrial activities. To become genuinely circular and strategically autonomous, Europe must therefore go beyond setting targets and create the right economic framework: competitive energy prices, stable regulation, strong European origin criteria, investments in recycling capacity, and guaranteed demand for European recycled materials. Only then can European waste streams truly become European raw materials again.