For the plastics recycling sector, 2025 was anything but easy. Rising pressure on raw material prices, stricter regulations, and the need to scale up circular solutions forced us to take a critical look at processes and collaborations. At Van Werven, we chose not only to react, but to innovate and optimize.
Change starts with daring to invest. By 2025, we will have further optimized our sorting, washing, and grinding lines, resulting in another significant leap forward in the quality and production capacity of recycled plastics. These technological improvements are not only a step toward greater efficiency, but also proof that innovation is the key to a circular future.
But technology alone is not enough. The past year has shown us once again that cooperation in the chain is indispensable. Producers and brand manufacturers play a crucial role in closing the loop. Without shared responsibility, circularity remains a nice word, but not a reality. Cooperation ensures that recycled material is not only available, but also actually used in new products.
Meanwhile, demand for recycled materials is growing steadily. This is a positive development, but it also brings challenges. Price pressure on circular raw materials remains high, which calls for greater transparency and fair valuation of recycled materials. Only when the market recognizes this value can we truly accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy.
Looking ahead to 2026: From ambition to action
The coming year will be all about scaling up and accelerating. Demand for recycled plastic continues to grow, and to meet this demand, we are investing in new recycling technology and R&D. This expansion of our capacity and the development of new technology is not only necessary, but also an opportunity to further improve the quality and availability of recycled material.
The coming year will be all about scaling up and accelerating. Demand for recycled plastic continues to grow, and to meet this demand, we are investing in new recycling technology and R&D. This expansion of our capacity and the development of new technology is not only necessary, but also an opportunity to further improve the quality and availability of recycled material.
We are also strongly committed to innovation. Together with our partners, we are developing applications in which recycled plastic not only meets the requirements but also excels in performance. The goal is clear: to show that circular solutions are not inferior to virgin materials but are, in fact, a fully-fledged and sustainable alternative. Finally, there is one point on which we will not accept compromise: firm agreements in the chain. Minimum percentages of recycled material in products are not a wish, but a necessity. Only through clear commitments can we accelerate the transition to a circular economy and ensure that recycled material becomes the norm, not the exception.
Our vision
We are proud of our progress, but we must be honest: the speed at which legislation and the market are converging is still insufficient. Policymakers and industry must show more courage. Recycled material should no longer be an alternative, but the norm. Plastic recycling is not a final destination, but a continuous process of improvement. At Van Werven Plastic Recycling, we believe that 2026 will be the year in which circularity is no longer a niche, but mainstream. Let's get our products back in business.
We are proud of our progress, but we must be honest: the speed at which legislation and the market are converging is still insufficient. Policymakers and industry must show more courage. Recycled material should no longer be an alternative, but the norm. Plastic recycling is not a final destination, but a continuous process of improvement. At Van Werven Plastic Recycling, we believe that 2026 will be the year in which circularity is no longer a niche, but mainstream. Let's get our products back in business.