The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), in collaboration with consultancy UNITY, has released a study detailing the state of circularity in the EU chemical sector. Despite progress, the study finds that high costs, infrastructure gaps, complex regulations, and low market demand still limit the scale-up of circular practices.

Based on industry interviews and case studies, the report calls for five urgent actions:

• create supportive regulatory frameworks and incentives;
• invest in circular infrastructure and technologies;
• promote circular thinking across the economy;
• foster innovation through cross-sector collaboration;
• monitor implementation and impact.

Findings from a member survey show that 90 % of companies are affected by the shift to circularity, with 82 % embedding it into corporate strategy and over half considering themselves advanced in the transition. The study was presented at Cefic’s EU Green Week event, drawing over 150 participants from industry, policy, and civil society.