Permanent Materials: a missing link in the EU’s Circular Economy?

The transition to circular economy is a central objective of EU policy, yet little attention is paid to the specific materials that can sustain circularity. Our Opinion addresses this gap as part of a broader examination on scaling up the EU circular economy, while highlighting the role of “permanent materials” – such as steel, aluminium and glass – and calling for their contribution to be recognised in EU legislation.

What are “permanent materials”  and why focus on packaging?

Permanent materials are those whose inherent properties do not change during the recycling process, no matter how many times they are reprocessed. Steel, aluminium and glass can be melted and remade into other products, repeatedly without losing quality. This makes them different from materials that gradually degrade or downcycle. Their high recyclability means they can circulate through the economy, creating a closed material loop, and allowing Europe to keep materials in use far longer and recover them at high quality.

The opinion focuses on packaging – a sector where these materials are highly visible to consumers and where the EU is in the middle of a major regulatory overhaul via the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Packaging is also where circularity most visibly breaks down: even when high-quality recycling is technically possible, it often fails for practical, behavioural or infrastructural reasons. Getting this right can therefore deliver fast, tangible results for EU circular economy.

Recognising permanent materials in EU waste and resource legislation would also support more strategic resource management, maintain valuable material stocks in Europe and help substitute primary raw materials with high-quality secondary raw materials, making production processes more sustainable and reducing external resource dependencies.

Making high-quality recycling the norm

High-quality recycling is central to the Opinion’s vision: a recycling that produces material of equivalent quality to the original and can substitute primary raw materials multiple times. The EESC calls for this concept – already reflected in the PPWR – to be embedded in the EU’s wider circular economy framework and the Waste Framework Directive.

To make that possible, the Opinion supports an ambitious EU-wide target for separate collection of packaging waste, combined with targeted EU funding for modern collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure. Without efficient collection and sorting, even the best recycling technologies cannot deliver closed loops.

Smarter incentives and more engaged citizens

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are a powerful lever – but only if they are designed to actively drive circularity. Wecall for harmonised, transparent and eco-modulated EPR fees that reward packaging which is collected and recycled repeatedly without loss of quality. Revenues should be ring-fenced and reinvested into the same material stream, rather than cross-subsidising less circular options.

Consumers have a crucial role too. Correct separation of packaging waste at household level is the starting point of every recycling chain. The Opinion therefore urges the Commission to assess recycling behaviour across the EU, promote clear and harmonised labelling, and make collection systems intuitive and accessible.

A circular economy that works for people

Finally, we insist that the shift towards a circular economy built on permanent materials must be socially fair. That means anticipating labour-market impacts early, investing in re- and up-skilling, ensuring smooth job-to-job transitions and strengthening social dialogue and collective bargaining. Workers must be informed, consulted and involved in how companies redesign products, processes and value chains around circularity.

In short, our message is clear: if Europe wants a truly circular, competitive and resilient economy, it must start recognising the unique role of permanent materials in keeping value, resources and good jobs within the EU in the future.

Michal Pintér, Co-rapporteur of Opinion CCMI/246 Facilitating the potential of permanent materials in EU circular economy.