Biogas is often underestimated in the energy policy debate or treated as an obsolete model. However, the study "Future Prospects of the Biogas Industry", which was prepared by the Institute for Future Energy and Material Flow Systems on behalf of the German Biogas Association, shows that as an energy and carbon carrier from residues and waste materials, biogas can make a key contribution to the energy transition and the circular economy.

The transformation to a circular economy poses far-reaching challenges for industry, educational institutions and policymakers. The chemical industry and materials science in particular play a central role in this: they create the technological and scientific prerequisites for using materials more efficiently, making products more durable and closing material cycles. The report "Jobs and skills for a circular economy: a cross-sector perspective from the chemical and materials science and engineering communities" summarises key findings from a joint study by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) and the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). The focus is on changes in the need for skills, the demands on educational pathways, difficulties in recruiting skilled workers and the political options for action.

The production of information and communication technologies generates high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, while the useful life of many devices is becoming ever shorter. The study "Greenhouse Gas Savings through the Reuse of Selected ICT Devices" conducted by Fraunhofer Umsicht uses a life cycle analysis to investigate the extent to which the reuse and refurbishment of smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs can contribute to reducing these emissions.

The increasing quantities of waste electrical and electronic equipment are posing considerable challenges for policy-makers, businesses and waste management systems worldwide. An effective circular economy requires that both formal and informal material flows are transparently recorded and quantified. Using the Netherlands as an example, the study "Improving WEEE monitoring: insights from the Netherlands" conducted by Dutch scientists analyses how an almost closed monitoring system for WEEE can be established, which data gaps still exist, and which measures are suitable to improve the recording of informal flows in the future. The study was published in the journal "Resources, Conservation & Recycling".

Japan is considered a recycling pioneer with a high level of technical competence and a pronounced sense of efficiency. But how is the circular economy model developing there beyond conventional recycling? The study "Circular business models in Japan: Analysis of circular business transformation through an institutional approach" conducted by researchers from the Netherlands and Japan shows that the transformation is less disruptive and more cooperative. The study was published in the journal "Sustainable Production and Consumption".

Global supply chains are faltering, commodity prices are fluctuating wildly and regulatory requirements are becoming continuously tighter. Under these conditions, linear business models based on constant resource consumption and short product cycles are increasingly becoming an economic risk. The report "Mitigating linear risks" published by Circle Economy shows that circular strategies have long since ceased to be just a sustainability issue, but are becoming a key instrument of risk management.

Flexible plastic packaging is material-efficient, functional and market-forming, but also technically demanding and economically difficult to recycle. More than half of all plastic packaging is now accounted for by flexible applications, but closed material cycles have so far been the exception. The report "The challenges and solutions for flexible plastic packaging waste" by the "Alliance to end plastic waste" shows which technological, infrastructural and regulatory requirements need to be met in order for problem streams to become resilient value streams.

The circular economy for plastics is politically set, technologically advanced and socially accepted, and yet its success remains limited. There is a structural gap between ambitious targets and the operational reality of the waste management and recycling industry. The article "Decoding the barriers for a circular plastics industry: An equation framework" by a Swedish scientist shows why known barriers have not yet been overcome, why individual measures come to nothing and which systemic prerequisites must be met for plastics cycles to actually work. The article was published in the journal "Sustainable production and consumption".

The gasification of residual forestry waste, recycled waste wood, MSW and ligno-cellulosic crop wastes is an emerging pathway to producing liquid fuels. At the high temperatures and pressures in the gasifier, these feedstocks are converted into syngas, a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Subsequently, the syngas can be converted to methanol or synthetic Fischer Tropsch liquids such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The handling of these non-homogeneous, solid materials is critical to the successful operation of the gasifier to enable a viable recovery and chemical recycling (chemcycling) pathway.

The decarbonisation of industry is decisive for the competitiveness of entire economies. While energy-intensive primary industries are under high pressure to transform, the British Metals Recycling Association's report "Recycling Today for a Greener Tomorrow: a Roadmap to Net Zero for the UK Metals Recycling Industry" shows that the country's metals recycling sector can be a strategic lever for a climate-neutral industrial policy.

Today's economy predominantly follows a linear model that consumes and disposes of resources. The circular economy counters this with a model that keeps materials in the cycle for as long as possible. One key to this is deposit systems, which promote the return of packaging through monetary incentives. While they are established in many European countries, the focus of research is mostly on households. On the other hand, the role of companies, especially in the horeca sector, has been little investigated, although there is great potential for resource conservation here. In practice, however, deposit packaging is often not returned. Successful recycling therefore depends both on the behaviour of consumers and on the design of the collection structures. Against this background, the study "Motivating recycling behaviour: The role of deposit return systems and collection point design" by two Dutch scientists examines how guests in a university cafeteria can be motivated to recycle correctly through nudging, prompting and the design of sustainable collection points. The study was published in "Cleaner Waste Systems".

WEEE is a source of annoyance: the quantities are constantly increasing, the already complex recycling is made more difficult by design developments and every new battery threatens to fire. Therefore, in the "EU Recyclers' Roadmap: For a circular & future-proof e-waste sector", Recycling Europe proposes six measures to improve things.

The automotive industry is at the heart of Europe's efforts to close resource cy-cles and drive the transition to a circular economy. The study "Increasing plastic circularity in the automotive sector: Supply chain analysis and policy options from the European Union (EU)" by scientists from Italy and the Netherlands examined plastic circularity in the automotive sector. In doing so, it focuses on the drivers and hurdles of recycling. The study was published in "Resources, Conservation & Recycling".

Digital product passports are considered a key tool for promoting transparency, sustainability and circular economy in global value chains. Especially in the area of critical raw materials for batteries, they are intended to overcome regulatory fragmentation and provide reliable infor-mation on origin, processing and reuse. However, their cross-border implementation raises considerable legal questions. The white paper "Digital Product Passports and Critical Raw Ma-terials for Batteries: Legal Conflicts and Principles for Cross-Border Cooperation" by UNECE analyzes the central legal conflict areas in the implementation of digital product passports in global CRM battery value chains and develops principles for an internationally coordinated legal framework.

The circular economy is facing a technological turning point. Increasing material flow volumes, more demanding material composites and ambitious recycling targets require new solutions beyond classic process optimization. Artificial intelligence is evolving from a promise of innovation to an operational tool - in sorting systems, logistics systems and already in product design. The study "Leveraging artificial intelligence for economic development: Innovations in Circular Economy and waste reduction strategies" by scientists from Uzbekistan shows how data-based technologies are transforming the waste management and recycling industry, which economic and ecological effects are realistic and which strategic prerequisites must be met for successful implementation.