ESWET Response to the European Commission Consultation on the Advanced Materials Act
ESWET welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the European Commission’s consultation on Advanced Materials, which plays a key role in strengthening the EU’s industrial competitiveness, strategic autonomy and sustainability objectives. Ensuring secure access to materials, improving circularity and reducing reliance on primary resources are central to the success of advanced material value chains.
In this context, the recovery of metals and mineral fractions from incineration residues represents an important contribution to Europe’s material base. Metals recovered from bottom ash provide secondary sources of critical and strategic raw materials, which can be reintroduced into industrial processes and used as feedstock for the production of high-performance and advanced materials. At the same time, processed mineral fractions can substitute primary raw materials in construction and other applications, reducing environmental impacts and supporting resource efficiency.
WtE contributes to the circular economy by managing residual waste that cannot be prevented, reused or recycled. By safely treating these unavoidable fractions, WtE enables the recovery of materials and energy that would otherwise be lost, while preventing environmental and health risks associated with improper waste management.
Through the recovery and supply of secondary raw materials and mineral resources, WtE technologies can support the development and scaling-up of advanced materials, complementing recycling and contributing to resilient, circular and low-carbon industrial value chains in Europe.
This contribution outlines ESWET’s perspective on the consultation and highlights how material recovery from WtE can support the objectives of the EU’s advanced materials agenda, while remaining fully aligned with the waste hierarchy and Europe’s broader circular economy goals.