The 47th edition of “Pollutec 2025”, to be held in Lyon, France, from October 7 to 10, is drawing significant attention as one of Europe’s largest events in the environmental and recycling industries.
More than 50,000 visitors and over 2,000 exhibiting companies are expected to participate.
This year’s theme is “Accelerating the Circular Economy”, focusing on waste management, metal and electronic scrap recycling, and decarbonization technologies.
Current Status of Recycling in France
The French government aims to raise the recycling rate of non-hazardous and non-mineral waste to 65%, but the current figure remains around 48%.
The plastic recycling rate is only 28%, significantly below the EU average of 41%.
On the other hand, metal recycling is performing well — particularly aluminum used in the construction and transportation sectors, with a reuse rate of 95%.
However, the copper recycling rate remains low, at about 30%. Of the over 250,000 tons of copper consumed annually, only about 66,000 tons are recycled domestically.
Meanwhile, the collection rate of electronic waste (E-waste) reached 42.7% in 2022, placing France among the world’s top 10 producers of electronic waste.
Exhibitors Leading Technological Innovation
TANA Oy from Finland unveiled its next-generation shredder, the “Hammerhead”, capable of processing large volumes of waste quickly and efficiently.
French start-up Mecaware introduced an innovative battery recycling technology that uses CO₂ instead of acids or sulfuric acid to extract lithium, cobalt, and nickel — a groundbreaking approach to environmentally friendly material recovery.
Another French start-up, Lixo, showcased an AI-based sorting system that can be mounted on collection trucks to classify waste in real time.
Lixo has also signed a €188 million, seven-year contract with Veolia to install more than 10 analysis units on collection trucks in the Lille region.
With its modular design, Lixo’s system can be adapted to various vehicle types and is capable of real-time detection of materials such as textiles, glass, and medical waste.
MTB Recycling presented an upgraded version of its “Zero Waste Battery Line,” capable of recovering over 95% of active materials from lithium-ion batteries and production residues.
This technology already meets the EU’s 2031 battery regulation targets, achieving a recovery rate exceeding 95%.
Environmentally Friendly Policies and Collaboration
The 2024 edition of the Pollutec Expo clearly reflected France’s Waste Management Act and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework.
The new technologies and products unveiled during the event were closely aligned with government policy objectives, showcasing the latest advances in waste reduction and recycling technologies.
Pollutec is not just a commercial exhibition, but also serves as a policy and collaboration hub.
The “Green Days” B2B meetings, organized jointly with the Enterprise Europe Network, provided an important platform for international cooperation and partnership building.
Furthermore, EU programs such as “LIFE” offered funding opportunities for participating companies.
Efforts toward environmental sustainability were also strengthened in event operations.
During the 2024 event, approximately 35,000 square meters of carpet were removed, and exhibition materials were reused, resulting in an impressive 69% recycling rate.
This achievement demonstrates Pollutec’s strong commitment to sustainability and environmentally responsible event management.
