Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 to Focus on Scaling Recycling Technologies for Plastics, Textiles and PVC
Cologne event to examine recycling technologies, market opportunities, financing, regulatory developments and industrial implementation
The Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) 2026 will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany, to discuss the development and commercial implementation of advanced recycling technologies.
The conference comes as Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces increasing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material security and resilience, and meet more ambitious European Union recycling targets.
Focus on Recycling Technologies and Industrial Scale-Up
Alongside plastics and polymer recycling, this year’s programme will give greater attention to textiles and material-specific challenges such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Dedicated sessions will examine technologies including dissolution, depolymerisation, pyrolysis and thermochemical recycling.
Discussions will also cover the role of digitalisation, financing and investment in expanding the capacity and commercial application of advanced recycling solutions. International experts will assess market potential, environmental performance and the implications of changing policy and regulatory frameworks.
With nearly 300 participants, the Advanced Recycling Conference has developed into an international meeting point for the recycling and materials sector. It provides a platform for technology providers, industry representatives, researchers, investors and policy-makers to exchange practical knowledge and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Further information and the full conference programme are available at advanced-recycling.eu.
EU Regulations and Recycled-Content Requirements
The conference takes place as new EU regulations tighten requirements for recycling quotas and the use of recycled materials.
The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), for example, introduces minimum recycled-content requirements of between 10% and 35% for different types of plastic packaging by 2030, with higher targets expected by 2040.
The proposed End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation would also require a minimum of 25% recycled plastic in new vehicles. If adopted, this measure could significantly increase demand for recycled post-consumer plastics.
Meeting these targets will require broader deployment of innovative recycling technologies and additional investment in the infrastructure needed to process waste materials.
Dedicated Sessions Across Key Recycling Areas
The 2026 programme will address technological, regulatory, market and environmental challenges through the following sessions:
- Advanced Recycling – Markets, Financing & Scaling
- Sustainability & Life Cycle Assessments
- Pyrolysis Oil Post-processing & Upgrading
- Textile Recycling
- PVC Recycling
- Depolymerisation Technologies for PET & Si-O-Based Polymers
- Dissolution Technologies
- Regulations and Tools for End-to-end Certifications Within the Recycling Loop
Exhibition, Poster Session and Industry Collaboration
The conference will include a trade exhibition and poster session to encourage knowledge exchange and collaboration among industry professionals.
Nova-Institute thanked the event sponsors supporting the conference: Siemens as Gold Sponsor; BUSS ChemTech and Yncoris as Silver Sponsors; and Erema Group as Bronze Sponsor.
Exhibition stands can be booked through the official exhibition booking page. Posters can be submitted until 9 October 2026 through the call for posters page.
The Advanced Recycling Conference is supported by industry and trade associations, non-profit organisations, research institutions and interest groups connected to its themes. These include BCNP Consultants (DE), C.A.R.M.E.N. (DE), ChemCologne (DE), Chemie-Cluster Bayern (DE), CLIB (DE), Fecc – European Association of Chemical Distributors (EU), IBB Netzwerk (DE), kunststoffland.NRW (DE), Plastics Europe (DE), Renewable Carbon Initiative (International) and VinylPlus (DE).