The opening day of ECOMONDO 2026 in Rimini highlighted some of the most pressing challenges facing Europe's circular economy: material recovery, the development of advanced recycling technologies and reducing dependence on primary raw materials.

Beyond the scale of the exhibition, the November 3 programmefeatured conferences and discussions dedicated to resource recovery, the recycling of electrical and electronic equipment, batteries and the future of the green economy.

Textile recycling was among the sectors represented in the exhibition halls. The technologies and solutions showcased reflected growing interest in fibre recovery, material reuse and the development of new industrial recycling pathways in a sector facing increasing waste management challenges.

Photovoltaic equipment recovery was another visible area of innovation. The rapid expansion of renewable energy raises an increasingly important question: what happens to solar panels at the end of their operational life, and how can their valuable materials be recovered?

Battery and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling featured on the conference agenda, at a time when access to critical raw materials and the development of European processing capacities have become strategic priorities.

The programme also included discussions on resource recovery from end-of-life products and materials, alongside the States General of the Green Economy, focusing on the future direction of Europe's green transition.

In the exhibition area, companies specialising in material recovery and recycling, such as Montello, highlighted the growing diversity of industrial processing and resource recovery technologies.

What did the first day in Rimini reveal?

The future of recycling depends not only on the quantities collected, but also on industry's ability to recover high-quality materials, reintegrate them into production and establish viable markets for secondary raw materials.

For Romania, this represents one of the major challenges of the coming years: expanding industrial recycling capacities, attracting investment and unlocking the economic value of recovered resources.

InfoMediu Europa and ECOPEDIA, media partners of ECOMONDO 2026, continue to cover the developments and solutions presented in Rimini, focusing on their relevance to Romania's environmental industry and services sector.

Rimini, Italy | November 3, 2026 – Day 1

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