Roberto Frassine and Raphaël Pleynet: On 4 March 2025, during the JEC World trade show, EuCIA launched the European Circular Composites Alliance (ECCA) initiative, inspired by the CPA (Circular Plastic Alliance created on the initiative of the European Commission). The latter had produced very good results in recycling between 2018 and 2023. As a member of the CPA, EuCIA has seen the effectiveness of this approach in terms of results, whether in terms of regulation, standards or the launch of new value chains in Europe. We therefore concluded that we needed to consider the same approach for composite materials and that we should join forces within the profession to achieve the same effects.
The aim of our alliance is to improve the circularity of composite materials. Our primary goal is therefore to bring together the entire industry to demonstrate that composites are recyclable and, above all, recycled. However, we need to find the right compromise so that the result benefits the entire value chain.
The European composites industry market is expected to generate €10 billion in revenue in 2024 and provide 200,000 direct jobs. This represents around 20% of the global market in terms of value.
We are working to ensure that the ECCA is made up of as many members as possible, particularly manufacturers, as we know that they are the ones who set the standards today and will use them in the future. We therefore need to be truly proactive. We are helped in this by the fact that, in terms of innovation, Europe is very well positioned and has many cutting-edge R&D centres that are well ahead in terms of sustainability.
Are there already any targets in terms of recycling?
We estimate that by 2025, around 230,000 tonnes of composite waste will be generated and accessible in Europe. Currently, we only recycle 5 to 10 tonnes. We have not set a figure for the moment, but if tomorrow we recycle only 50,000 tonnes, that will already be progress.
The advantages of decarbonising composites must be complemented by their recyclability. Recycling solutions already exist. Sometimes waste is easy to locate, but other times it is much more difficult. Nevertheless, we have already made some estimates to give us a rough idea. ECCA must also identify the various obstacles to better recyclability in order to evaluate possible solutions that can be implemented without creating additional constraints for manufacturers. Through our national associations, we represent 85% of composite production capacity in Europe.
What happens when a company signs the ECCA charter?
When signing the charter, the signatory becomes a member of the Alliance. The estimated time commitment to the Alliance is approximately five days per year, but this will vary depending on the wishes of each participant. We want to be able to represent the entire value chain. In practical terms, we will divide our organisation into working groups, five in total, by market.
To date, we have 143 signatories, including raw material manufacturers, processors, manufacturers of parts and finished products such as boats, recyclers and dismantlers.
On 3 July at 11 a.m., recent signatories were able to participate in a plenary meeting with all ECCA members, attended by Ms Laure Baillargeon, Policy Officer at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW). based on her experience with the Circular Plastics Alliance, her advice was very useful in designing the ECCA.
She explained why our alliance is useful for legislators in listening to the needs of our industries, but also in understanding the essential role of composite materials for society.
This week, we also completed an important stage in the launch of ECCA with meetings of the five working groups, the election of the Chair and Vice Chair, and the launch of a work plan running until the end of 2025.
What are the nationalities of the signatories and what are the top three nationalities?
We have very good representation from European countries within ECCA, with 17 nations represented to date. The top three are the United Kingdom, Italy and France. If we stick to the EU-27, Italy, France and Germany make up the top three.
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