The circular economy lies at the heart of both the ecological transition and European industrial sovereignty. Solvay is developing innovative waste recovery solutions, such as rare earth recycling. However, Philippe Kehren, CEO of Solvay, laments the regulatory barriers slowing their rollout—particularly the lack of European harmonization on waste classification.

Karima Delli, an expert in European policy, points to the slow implementation of the European Commission’s ambitions and calls for a strategy based on prevention, not just recycling.

The circular economy is an ecological, economic, and social opportunity that must be made tangible and accessible. There is an urgent need to act collectively to remove the obstacles holding back the large-scale deployment of this transformation.