Source: European Union 2 Published on: 2026-06-05
Reusing and repairing everything from the plastic yarn in women’s tights to parts of old refrigerators will be needed if the EU hopes to achieve a sustainable circular economy. Fortunately, 8 LIFE projects attending the REuse Economy Expo 2026 in Paris earlier in May showed multiple solutions to achieve this goal.
The 2-day expo brought together more than 4 000 attendees from across the waste and recycling sector to discuss how materials and products destined for the bin could be given a new life by reusing, repairing or refurbishing them. It looked at solutions across six major areas – packaging, electrical items and batteries, construction waste, textiles, furniture and objects, and support for the transition to a circular economy.
Fridges and air conditioners
Among the project teams attending were those from Re-electro-4-LIFE, which is looking to extend the lifespan of parts form dismantled refrigerators and air conditioning units. The team behind the project has been building a new processing facility for dismantling and testing discarded equipment. The aim is then to establish a Europe-wide distribution network for the recovered spare components.
‘Without dedicated infrastructure and processes, these valuable resources are lost, contributing to unnecessary waste generation and increased demand for raw materials,’ says Katarzyna Eckert, process coordinator at Prozon Foundation, a Polish refrigerant management organisation that is leading the Re-electro-4-LIFE project.
Textiles, plastics and other materials
Several of the projects attending the Expo have been working on ways of reducing plastic waste through improved recycling. The LIFE RE-Tights project has been developing an innovative process to recover polyamide yarn from used tights that would otherwise be thrown away. These plastic fibres are then recycled into new yarn so they can be turned into new tights. The Italian lingerie company Calzedonia is among the partners on the project and has been helping to collect the tights in its stores.
Similarly, the LIFE-IP C-MARTLIFE project is looking for ways to improve the recycling of single-use plastics in packaging, textiles, construction waste and nappies in Flanders, Belgium. The aim is to support the implementation of the Flemish government’s Plastics Action Plan. In the past four years, the project team has worked with 102 organisations on 59 pilot projects to test innovative approaches to packaging and they are now looking to scale up or continue at least half of these, according to project coordinator Els Herremans, who attended the Expo on behalf of the project.
The PlastLIFE project, which also displayed at the Expo, has been searching for new ways to use recycled plastics as well as looking for possible replacements for plastic materials. LIFE Epics has been working to help consumers make more sustainable choices through a clear labelling system on electronic and electrical equipment, alongside training sales staff to provide this information and instore repair services for broken items.
The LIFE Be-Wooden project was at the Expo to show how they are working to encourage a more sustainable use of timber in the building industry. Inspired by the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative and its principles of sustainability, beauty and inclusion, the project promotes innovative approaches to sustainable construction.
Meanwhile, the team from the LIFE TRIPL-AIR project also discussed how they have been working to reduce and recycle waste at airports, testing solutions at four European airports. CE Beyond Waste explained to visitors to the LIFE stall how they were working to increase recycling and reduce waste in Denmark.
LIFE funding opportunities
Information about funding opportunities for recycling and reuse initiatives under the Call for Proposals 2026 was as well presented in a specific session including the French LIFE National Contact Point, and to those coming to the LIFE stand. Since 2014, LIFE has funded 191 projects focused on material reuse and recycling, with funding totalling €455 million.
The 8 projects attending the REuse Economy Expo contribute, among others, to the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan, the Waste Framework Directive, and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation.