Decarbonisation Technology November 2025 Issue

Circular solutions to shape industrial sustainability Circular economy solutions reduce reliance on fossil resources, lower CO 2 emissions, and enhance both material reuse and recovery

Cécile Plain Axens

Introduction The global industrial landscape is facing an unprecedented convergence of challenges: rising resource scarcity, the climate crisis, and increasing regulatory pressures to decarbonise and close material loops. In this environment, circular economy models have evolved from being a voluntary corporate gesture to an operational imperative. For process industries – energy, petrochemicals, and specialty chemicals – the shift is particularly complex. They must redesign feedstock supply chains, retrofit facilities, and develop new product pathways, all while remaining competitive in global markets. Axens has placed circularity at the heart of its innovation strategy. The company’s portfolio covers a spectrum of solutions – from advanced recycling and re-refining to waste valorisation – designed not only to reduce environmental impact but also to secure new value streams. Central to this approach is Axens Horizon, its strategic consulting arm, which integrates technical, regulatory, and economic expertise to guide clients through their sustainability transition investments. This article examines how Axens is leveraging this knowledge to deliver scalable circular economy solutions, illustrated with some real-world examples across Europe and the Middle East. Regulatory framework The European Union (EU) remains at the forefront of embedding circularity into industrial policy. Several key legislative updates have been introduced in recent years to accelerate this transition:

• Waste Framework Directive (revised) : Strengthens requirements for waste prevention, extended producer responsibility, and improved traceability of secondary raw materials. • Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) : Sets ambitious recycling and reuse targets, mandates eco-design for recyclability, and enforces minimum recycled content in packaging. • Sector-specific rules : New guidelines for plastics, spent lubricants, and end-of-life tyres focus on lifecycle-based product design, collection, and processing standards. These frameworks are not merely compliance hurdles – they are innovation drivers. For example, the EU’s recognition of chemical recycling within its plastics policy opens pathways for advanced technologies, such as TAC plastic pyrolysis and Rewind Mix plastic pyrolysis oil purification, to be integrated into petrochemical value chains. A tangible example is the PPWR’s recycled- content mandate for PET beverage bottles. This requirement has already accelerated investment in chemical recycling plants in France or Spain, where major packaging producers are adding to pure mechanical recycling, a chemical recycling step to secure sufficient feedstock while reaching rPET quality. “ The EU’s recognition of chemical recycling within its plastics policy opens pathways for advanced technologies to be integrated into petrochemical value chains ”