Since 2011 the European Commission has published EU Critical Raw Materials Resilience with reviews every three years. In 2023, the Commission proposed the Critical Raw Materials Act, outlining how the European Union shall ensure access to critical raw materials (CRMs) for the European industry.
One of the measures is to increase recycling of CRMs. Currently, few materials identified by the EU are recycled. The Act states that at least 15% of the annual consumption of CRMs must be sourced through recycling.
Based on this, Nordic Innovation has joined forces with Nordic Council of Ministers Working Group on Circular Economy (NCE) in a joint project.
The objective of the project is to investigate and propose actions on how the Nordic region can increase recycling of waste that is high in critical raw materials (CRMs), in line with the proposed EU Critical Raw Materials Act Article 25.1a, as well as measures to ensure that these resources are sorted and recycled within the Nordic region.
The analysis will identify obstacles linked to policies, business models, technologies, and other factors, along with opportunities and recommendations for decision makers.
Based on identified obstacles and opportunities, an overview of areas for further study will be provided, such that the Nordic region can increase recycling rates and support Nordic industry as a competent sorter and recycler of CRMs.
Project partners
The project will be developed by Bergfald. The project is also supported by Nordic Energy Research and NordForsk.
Background
This project is funded under the Sustainable Minerals program which is one of eight initiatives launched by the five Nordic ministers of trade and industry.
