2026 has begun - a year that feels different from the ones before. Not because the challenges have become smaller, but because it’s becoming increasingly clear that talking about solutions is no longer enough. This must be the year in which we truly get moving. The circular economy won’t wait, and the plastic recycling sector certainly won’t.
In recent years, countless analyses have been written, visions shared, and task forces established. Necessary, absolutely. But 2026 demands something else: action. We need to push forward, despite rising regulatory pressure, export restrictions and new obligations that many companies are hesitant about. Regulations may sometimes feel slow or cumbersome, but without clear and enforceable rules, there is no level playing field. And that’s exactly what we need to give recycled raw materials a fair position compared to virgin materials.
A positive development is that the new coalition has explicitly included raw materials in the coalition agreement. It may seem minor, but it’s an important step toward a structural raw materials policy. It confirms that recycled materials are no longer seen as niche products, but as a strategic pillar for a future-proof manufacturing industry. That brings both hope and responsibility.
Within the recycling sector we certainly haven’t stood still in recent years. Innovations in sorting, washing lines, data-driven process optimization and further specialization are demonstrably improving recyclate quality. Scaling up and working more closely across the value chain are helping us to produce more efficiently and to respond more quickly to market demands. But the reality remains: we’re not there yet. Not in volume, not in application, and not in market development.
That’s why 2026 will be a decisive year. Producers will increasingly need to embrace recyclate as the logical first choice. Policymakers must continue pushing for workable, consistent regulations. Buyers must look beyond purchase price alone. And as a chain, we need to keep connecting, sharing knowledge, and making long-term commitments. Only then will a mature market for circular raw materials emerge.
My call for this year is simple: don’t wait for perfection. Ideal conditions will never come. What will come are legal obligations, shifting market demand, and rising societal pressure. That makes now exactly the moment to take responsibility.
Let’s make 2026 the year we move from ambition to execution. From plans to practice. From talking to doing. Because the circular economy won’t create itself: we build it together.