From the Sector

Against a backdrop of rapidly evolving environmental legislation, the EDANA Sustainability & Policy Forum 2025 concluded the past week in Brussels, marking a step forward in the dialogue between the nonwovens industry and European policymakers. Held from 9-10 December at the historic Residence Palace, the two-day event successfully brought together business leaders, sustainability experts, and EU officials to address the dual challenges of circularity and industrial competitiveness. 

Designed to foster strategic alignment, the Forum moved beyond standard information-sharing to encourage deep, cross-sector debate. With the European regulatory landscape shifting—spanning chemicals, product design, waste, and climate due diligence—the event provided a timely platform for the industry to move from reactive responses to collective reflection. 

The Forum’s primary objective was to facilitate high-level exchange free from day-to-day regulatory pressures. 

“From EDANA’s side, the primary goal of the Sustainability & Policy Forum is to create a dedicated space where industry, policymakers, experts and stakeholders can step back from day-to-day regulatory pressure and engage in more strategic, forward-looking discussions,” said Murat Dogru, General Manager of EDANA. “The level of participation, the diversity of viewpoints and the quality of exchanges — particularly around regulation, circularity and the evolving policy landscape during our dedicated advocacy workshops — confirmed the relevance of the Forum as a platform for constructive debate and co-development”. 

The Forum opened with a powerful keynote address by Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-Founder & Chair of the Systems Transformation Hub. Addressing the theme "Social & Environmental Tipping Points," she challenged attendees to unpack the reality of today's geopolitical situation and identified the "elephants in the room" regarding current sustainability strategies. Her presentation underscored the urgent need to "hack humanity and values back into our policy and economic activities" to navigate the systemic challenges of the 21st century. 

Following the keynote, the conversation turned to the practicalities of business leadership under regulatory pressure. Ulrika Kolsrud, President & CEO of Essity, led a pivotal session on "Sustainability priorities in the age of simplification and competitiveness". Joined by Murat Dogru, Kolsrud explored how the European industry can maintain its ambitious sustainability goals while simplifying regulations to foster investment and innovation. The session highlighted that while sustainability expectations are rising globally, legislation must remain proportionate to ensure the continued competitiveness of essential European industries. 

The programme featured intensive sessions tackling the industry's operational challenges, featuring a diverse roster of experts: 

Moving beyond compliance was a key theme. Krishna Manda (Lenzing) and Anna-Stina Reuter (Sphera) discussed how sustainability reporting can drive business value and resilience. They were joined by Pia Hildén (Suominen), who encouraged companies to use the CSRD as a strategic tool rather than a mere obligation, and Ralf Weis (Freudenberg Performance Materials), who highlighted the importance of providing clear, relevant data to customers in the durable nonwovens market. 

A panel featuring Lutz Walter (Textile ETP), Mireille Kong - Van Rekum (Indorama Ventures), and Christian-Yves Crépet (PETCORE Europe) debated the intersection of textiles and nonwovens. Their consensus was clear: circularity in Europe cannot be achieved in silos and requires shared infrastructure and aligned policy frameworks. 

The afternoon sessions explored specific technical frontiers. Dominic Byrne (Plastics Europe) and Thorsten Bies (Schlegel und Partner) examined the future of chemical recycling policy and technology. Meanwhile, Tatiana Dias, PhD (DuPont), addressed the healthcare sector, advocating for the legal recognition of mass balance methodologies to unlock circularity in medical packaging 

Day 1 concluded with an exclusive networking dinner at the prestigious Musée BELvue. Surrounded by Belgium’s rich history and elegant architecture, participants utilized the evening to unwind and connect, reinforcing the relationships that are vital for cross-industry collaboration.

The second day shifted focus directly to advocacy and policy implementation. Hugo Maria Schally, a former EU official, provided an insider’s perspective on the "EU Toolbox," explaining how product policies are drafted within DG ENV and how the industry can engage effectively without compromising safety or performance. 

A highlight of the event was the interactive EU Advocacy Workshop. Attendees split into smaller groups to dissect EDANA’s current policy files, fostering an open exchange on issues ranging from the Waste Framework Directive to the Single-Use Plastics Directive. 

One participant noted the value of this hands-on approach: 
"The advocacy workshop was an eye-opener. Instead of just listening to updates, we were able to actively debate the implications of the legislation with peers. It clarified exactly where the industry needs to present a united front to be heard in Brussels." 

In a move to bridge the gap between legislation and industry, the Forum concluded with a visit to the European Commission at the Conference Centre Albert Borschette. Participants engaged directly with Commission representatives, including Vincenzo Gente (DG Environment) on the Waste Framework Directive and Ewa Malz (DG Environment) on environmental policy simplification. 

Reflecting on the visit, another attendee shared: 
"Walking into the Commission and hearing directly from the people drafting the Green Deal policies was invaluable. It demystified the process and showed us that there is a genuine willingness to listen to technical realities if we present them with credible data." 

The EDANA Sustainability & Policy Forum 2025 has set a clear trajectory for the coming year. As the industry faces the release of new legislative packages from the Commission, EDANA remains committed to helping members anticipate developments and align on credible, science-based approaches to climate and circularity.

• Borealis has entered a strategic partnership with BlueAlp, a chemical recycling technology leader based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands
• Under the agreement, Borealis will transfer its majority stake in Renasci to BlueAlp, and acquire a direct 10% stake in BlueAlp to support its future growth and scale-up
• The strategic move reflects Borealis’ evolving engagement in the chemical recycling value chain
• Operating chemical recycling assets is for BlueAlp a logical next step that accelerates technology innovation and strengthens the licensing proposition 

December 16, 2025, Borealis announced a strategic partnership with BlueAlp, a leading chemical recycling technology company headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The partnership will see Borealis transfer its majority share in Renasci, a chemical recycling company based in Ostend, Belgium, to BlueAlp, while acquiring a 10% share in BlueAlp to support its future growth and scale-up.
 
Renasci licensed BlueAlp’s technology to create a 20 kt p.a. scale-up plant, which BlueAlp engineered, constructed, and has supported throughout its operation in recent years. Moving from supporting operations to directly operating the asset is a logical next step in BlueAlp’s growth. This will accelerate technology innovation, establish a robust platform for producing high-quality circular feedstock, and further strengthen BlueAlp’s licensing proposition.
 
Since entering into Renasci, Borealis has led the development to become one of the few operating chemical recycling plants in Europe. Following the agreement, BlueAlp will lead the next phase of development and further advancement of Renasci, while Borealis continues to develop customer solutions based on chemically-recycled feedstock.“Borealis’ direct support comes at a pivotal moment in the chemical recycling industry, where rapid expansion of capacity is needed to achieve recycled content targets. Their market experience and materials expertise will support our growth and position us well to turn more plastic waste into high-quality circular feedstock,” says Valentijn de Neve, BlueAlp CEO.
 
This collaboration helps Borealis and BlueAlp’s customers and partners across the value chain to prepare for the EU’s upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in 2030, which is expected to increase demand for recycled materials suitable for contact-sensitive applications like food and cosmetics packaging, such as those based on chemically recycled feedstock.
 
”The deepening of the partnership with BlueAlp, combining assets and technology, will accelerate progress in chemical recycling for the industry,” says Stefan Doboczky, Borealis CEO. “It will allow Borealis to accelerate serving our customer base with an ever-broadening range of polymers based on chemically recycled feedstock. This transaction is fully in line with Borealis We4Customers Strategy, helping customers to deliver on their sustainability ambitions, whilst strengthening the innovation and operational focus of the group.”
 
The financial details of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Based on the annual data reported by Member States to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) under the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation, the decline is mainly due to reduced volumes of exports and imports of substances containing benzene.

ECHA’s annual report on exports and imports of chemicals that are banned or severely restricted in the EU shows that substances containing benzene accounted for approximately 51% (1.1 million tonnes) of total exports and 99% (30 million tonnes) of total imports of PIC chemicals in 2024. In 2023, 64 million tonnes of substances containing benzene were exported, with imports reaching 65 million tonnes. The decrease in their trade has led to a 97% reduction in overall export volumes and a 53% reduction in overall import volumes.

If substances containing benzene are excluded from the data, the report shows a slight increase in hazardous substance trade. Exports of other PIC chemicals increased by 7% from approximately 1.03 million tonnes in 2023 to 1.1 million tonnes in 2024. Imports of other PIC chemicals rose by 2% from approximately 378 000 tonnes in 2023 to 387 000 tonnes in 2024.

The top traded chemicals were largely similar to previous years, with substances containing benzene, benzene itself and ethylene dichloride (1,2-dichloroethane) dominating both exports and imports.

In 2024, pesticide exports increased by 34% (from approximately 173 000 to 232 000 tonnes), after two consecutive years of decline. The main contributor to this increase was chlorate, which accounted for 24% of the overall rise.

Background
Exports - 553 companies from 24 EU countries provided data to ECHA on the exports of PIC chemicals from the EU in 2024. Three EU countries (Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta) and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) declared that they had not exported PIC chemicals.
Imports - 226 companies from 23 EU countries submitted data on imports of PIC chemicals into the EU in 2024. Four EU countries (Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Malta) and the United Kingdom (Northern Ireland) declared that they had not imported PIC chemicals.

Article 10 of the PIC Regulation requires importers and exporters to give information about the annual trade of chemicals listed in Annex I to the regulation to their designated national authorities by 31 March of the following year. Each EU country must then provide the aggregated information to ECHA so that it can be summarised at EU level and non-confidential information can be made publicly available.

The process, which is both economically and environmentally sustainable, has enabled the production of an underwear set made from 100% recycled nylon and LYCRA® fibre in a closed-loop system.
      
Recycling of garments made from different types of fibres has always represented a major challenge for the textile industry. In the absence of a chemical or mechanical process capable of separating and recovering the individual materials, these garments have so far become waste destined for incineration or landfill. Today, however, Radici InNova, the RadiciGroup division dedicated to research and innovation, has developed an innovative recycling process based on selective dissolution technology, capable of treating mixed textile waste — such as swimwear, tights and leggings — and recovering both nylon and LYCRA® fibre, making them available again for the production of new garments. The collaboration with The LYCRA Company and Triumph, internationally-renowned lingerie brand, has made it possible to validate the process by using the recovered fibres to create a 100% recycled lingerie set. The process, internationally patented, uses non-toxic, non-flammable and environmentally compatible solvents. It can be applied to the main types of nylon (PA6 and PA66) and is economically sustainable because it allows for the recovery of both nylon and LYCRA® fibre, regardless of their respective proportions in the fabric, as well as the solvent itself.

“Thanks to this project, textile recycling enters a new dimension, demonstrating for the first time that it is possible to recover fibers from mixed fabrics and reuse them to produce new garments. This is an unprecedented innovation that opens up revolutionary development opportunities for the textile industry. As RadiciGroup, we are proud to have conceived and achieved this important milestone together with our partners, and we are ready to take the next steps,” said Stefano Alini, CEO of Radici InNova.

“This innovative project highlights the role that elastane can have in helping to advance circularity in the apparel industry. Working closely with Radici InNova and Triumph, The LYCRA Company has demonstrated that LYCRA® fibres can retain their renowned stretch and recovery performance — providing comfort, fit and ease of movement — even when reintegrated into the spinning cycle,” commented Nicholas Kurland, Product Development Director, Advanced Concepts The LYCRA Company.

The project began four years ago, when Radici InNova launched the study of an innovative process for the dissolution and separation of mixed textile fibres. After the initial development phase, subsequent tests made it possible to recover samples of LYCRA® fibre from multi-material fabrics, which were then sent to The LYCRA Company to verify their recyclability. The next step was to demonstrate the feasibility in practice: Triumph provided its own production surplus, a fabric containing 16% LYCRA® fibre. From this material, Radici InNova succeeded in recovering both LYCRA® fibre and nylon. The LYCRA® fibre was then re-spun by The LYCRA Company, while RadiciGroup processed the recycled nylon to produce new Renycle® yarn. Using these recycled yarns (LYCRA® fibre and Renycle®), a 60-meter black fabric was created, which Triumph used to produce a coordinated lingerie set — bra and briefs — concretely demonstrating the possibility of closing the loop: from textile waste to new garments. The result achieved so far by Radici InNova, The LYCRA Company and Triumph should be considered a prototype (concept garment) designed to prove the technical feasibility of recycling mixed textiles and lay the groundwork for its future industrialization.

“Although still in its early stages, Triumph is proud to contribute to this pioneering initiative and to explore the potential of this innovative recycling technology for future applications. Our next step will focus on developing a capsule collection, while also working on solutions to ensure product identification, traceability and circularity systems, so that garments can remain in use for as long as possible and, once they reach the end of their life, can be recycled in the most appropriate way. At Triumph, we are committed to promoting innovation and collaboration in the field of sustainability. Being part of this project strengthens our belief that circularity for garments made from mixed textile fibers is possible, and we are proud to help turn this vision into reality,” said Vera Galarza, Global Head of Sustainability – Triumph.