Four Dutch Recycling Projects Win Strategic EU Backing

2026-10-09 hardware

The Hague, Friday 9 October 2026
On 9 October 2026, the European Commission designated four Dutch recycling initiatives as strategic, granting them fast-tracked permits and funding to secure Europe’s critical raw material supply chains.

A Shield Against Geopolitical Vulnerabilities

The selection of these four Dutch initiatives is part of a broader, highly ambitious European push to secure the raw materials necessary for the continent’s digital, green, and defence industries [1][2]. On 9 October 2026, the European Commission approved its second list of strategic projects under the landmark Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), adding 46 new projects across 16 member states to its portfolio [2][5]. Backed by a massive €21.1 billion in total investment, these projects build on an initial batch of 47 domestic and 13 external projects approved in 2025, bringing the total number of designated strategic projects to 106 overall [2][5]. By elevating these projects, the EU aims to meet its strict 2030 consumption targets: extracting 10%, processing 40%, and recycling 25% of its strategic raw materials domestically [2].

Pioneering Dutch Recycling and Metallurgy

Among the designated Dutch projects, Myne Circular Metals and Mitsubishi Materials Tools Europe are focusing on high-grade metallurgy to supply essential metals for advanced manufacturing [1][4]. Myne Circular Metals utilizes sophisticated sorting and recycling technology to transform low-grade scrap metal into high-purity secondary aluminium and copper [1][2]. The company aims to scale up its operations by establishing multiple recycling installations across the EU, with each facility projected to process 50,000 tonnes of metal per year [1]. This secondary copper is highly valued in high-tech systems and materials (HTSM), serving as a foundational element for quantum computing hardware and robotics [GPT].

Securing High-Tech and Defence Supply Chains

Simultaneously, Mitsubishi Materials Tools Europe is targeting secondary smelting and refining activities to reclaim copper and tungsten from industrial waste streams [1][4]. Its closed metallurgical process, which is already commercially active in other European facilities, is designed to produce 60 kilotonnes of high-purity copper cathodes [1]. Recovering tungsten is particularly critical; because of its extreme density and heat resistance, tungsten is highly sought after for dual-use technologies, advanced robotics, and defence-related manufacturing [GPT]. By localizing the processing of these metals, the EU reduces its reliance on single-nation suppliers and strengthens its industrial resilience [2].

Powering the Battery and Hardware Ecosystems

The energy transition and high-tech hardware sectors will also benefit from the efforts of Back to Battery and CRITICAL. [1][3]. Back to Battery employs hydrometallurgy to process lithium-ion battery waste, extracting essential battery-grade materials including lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and graphite [1][4]. Starting with an initial capacity of 2,000 tonnes per year in the Netherlands, the project plans to scale up to 26,000 tonnes per year [1]. This represents a scaling factor of 13 times its initial capacity, aiming to capture approximately 10% of the European battery recycling market by 2030 [1].

Unlocking Complex Electronic Waste

Addressing the complexity of printed circuit boards (PCBs), the Dutch startup CRITICAL.—founded in October 2024—is developing its Urban Mining Factory (UMF/PCB) [3]. While typical industrial recyclers only recover about five elements from discarded electronics, CRITICAL. intends to extract nine elements at its launch, with the ultimate goal of refining 24 distinct elements [3]. The company is targeting a processing capacity of approximately 15,000 tonnes of discarded PCBs per year by 2029 [3]. The recovered materials are crucial for high-tech systems, including the complex hardware required for quantum computing and advanced telecommunications [GPT].

Accelerated Permitting and Strategic Autonomy

Obtaining ‘Strategic Project’ status under the CRMA provides these companies with crucial administrative and financial advantages [1][3]. Under the EU regulation, member states are legally obligated to facilitate these projects, establishing a single point of contact to streamline development and capping permit approval processes at a maximum of 15 months [3]. Heleen Herbert, the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, highlighted that these projects demonstrate the Netherlands’ capacity to translate advanced recycling knowledge into large-scale market applications, directly reducing Europe’s strategic dependencies [1][4].

Sources & Ecosystem Partners

Circular Economy Critical Raw Materials