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The European Union wants the public to weigh in on its Circular Economy Act. The proposed legislation\u2014part of the EU\u2019s Clean Industrial Deal<\/a>\u2014aims to make at least 24 percent of the region\u2019s materials circular by 2030.<\/p>\n On Aug. 1, the European Commission announced it would launch a public consultation and call for evidence on the act, seeking input from stakeholders and the broader public to better understand potential bottlenecks and opportunities for the wider adoption of a circular economy<\/a>. The Commission plans to finalize the proposed legislation in Q4 of 2026 before it heads into the EU\u2019s legislative channels for approval.<\/p>\n More from Sourcing Journal<\/strong><\/p>\n Should it be adopted, the Circular Economy Act would establish a single European market for secondary raw materials such as production waste and byproducts, while increasing the supply of high-quality recycled materials<\/a>. The proposal aims to reduce waste while also lowering feedstock costs.<\/p>\n The Circular Economy Act also plays into the EU\u2019s Competitive Compass, a mandate presented earlier this year to \u201cset a path for Europe to become the place where future technologies, services and clean products are invented, manufactured and put on the market, while being the first continent to become climate-neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n Export monitoring also could be a part of the Circular Economy Act\u2019s impact. The Clean Industrial Deal said that the act could potentially include measures \u201cto make recycling of critical raw materials waste within the Union more attractive than their export.\u201d The European Parliament also requested that the Clean Industrial Deal include export monitoring to tackle secondary raw material supply imbalances and potentially explore export restrictions.<\/p>\n This echoes demands from recycling industry groups in Europe, which have asked for increased protections from the EU. Groups such as the European Recycling Industries\u2019 Confederation have complained that the EU market is being flooded with imported virgin and recycled plastics from countries with less rigorous environmental and labor standards.<\/p>\n