EIC beneficiaries on International Day of Zero Waste

On the International Day of Zero Waste 2025 three European Innovation Council financed projects were highlighted for their potential to reduce industrial waste and substitute fossil dependent products. The projects are EVERGLASS, an EIC Pathfinder coordinated by the University of Vigo that is developing laser-based integral glass recycling; STOP WASTIN' ME from Italian start-up Circular Materials funded by the EIC Accelerator that seeks to extract critical metals from industrial wastewaters; and PureSurf, an EIC Transition project coordinated by the University of Graz that aims to produce high performance bio-based surfactants from renewable waste streams. Each project is at a different technology readiness level and faces distinct technical and commercial challenges despite positive early achievements and external recognitions.

Why these technologies matter to EU policy and industry

The projects connect to two pressing EU priorities. First, reducing industrial waste and improving circularity responds to climate, biodiversity and pollution goals under the European Green Deal and the UN International Day of Zero Waste. Second, recovering critical raw materials is a strategic objective embedded in the European Critical Raw Materials Act adopted in 2024 which aims to reduce import dependency and increase recycling. The European Innovation Council provides risk capital for early and mid stage innovations that could address these systemic problems. However public visibility and awards do not equate to proof of commercial readiness. Independent life cycle analysis, regulatory approvals and credible scale up plans remain decisive for impact.

Project snapshots and technical approaches

EVERGLASS — laser morphing to recycle all glass types

EVERGLASS is a three year project funded under EIC Pathfinder and coordinated by the University of Vigo. The project targets the persistent limitation in glass recycling where many glass types used in electronics, smartphones, and specialised containers are excluded from conventional cullet recycling streams. Rather than melting mixed glass in large, energy intensive furnaces, EVERGLASS proposes using laser-based processing to ''morph'' glass waste into new, tailored products without the same constraints of molds or furnaces. The team says the approach could enable integral recycling of diverse glass fractions and localise production, but practical efficiency, energy demand and capital costs for industrial throughput remain to be demonstrated.

A notable technical enabler for EVERGLASS is the MESHFREE simulation tool developed by Fraunhofer ITWM which received the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize in 2024. MESHFREE is used to model complex, highly dynamic processes that are difficult to capture with conventional meshes and finite element methods. By simulating the laser transformation in silico, EVERGLASS can reduce costly physical prototyping and iterate more rapidly on parameters and geometry.

STOP WASTIN' ME by Circular Materials — reclaiming critical metals from wastewater

Circular Materials, an Italian start-up, received EIC Accelerator support for STOP WASTIN' ME. The company has developed a proprietary process they call SWaP, shorthand for Supercritical Water Precipitation. They claim this process can treat wastewaters that conventional physical chemical plants cannot and recover critical raw materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel with high efficiency. Circular Materials reports a first operational plant in Padua treating roughly 3,000 tonnes of wastewater a year and is planning facilities capable of up to 20,000 tonnes per year. The company has also been named first on WIRED Italia's 2025 list of Italian startups to watch and was selected as a Strategic Project under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, an important recognition from Brussels but not a technical validation.

Circular Materials markets additional benefits such as zero discharge and negative carbon footprint for recovered metals. These are attractive selling points for downstream battery and electronics manufacturers aiming to reduce scope 3 emissions. Yet such environmental claims must be backed by third party life cycle assessments and traceability systems to be credible in procurement and investor due diligence.

PureSurf — bio-based surfactants from renewable waste

PureSurf is an EIC Transition project coordinated by the University of Graz. The team is developing surfactants from underutilised renewable waste streams to replace fossil-based surfactants that dominate detergents, cosmetics and industrial formulations. The project builds on results from an earlier ERC Proof of Concept project called PURE that produced novel green surfactants and led to two patent applications. PureSurf aims to develop green manufacturing routes, validate prototypes and move towards a spin-off company to commercialize the technology.

PureSurf has received recognition beyond EIC funding. Project lead Katalin Barta was named among top 100 female innovators in the German speaking region by SHEconomy and the project won the Phönix prize in the prototype category, an award backed by Austrian federal ministries. These accolades increase visibility and can help with private spin-off formation, but the commercial route still depends on process scale up, consistent feedstock supply, and customers willing to adopt new formulations.

Comparative overview

What remains to be proven

Each project presents potentially important innovations but follows a common path from lab to market where many technologies fail or underdeliver relative to early promises. Key outstanding questions include the net energy and carbon balance at commercial scale, capital and operating costs, supply chain logistics for waste feedstocks, regulatory acceptance for new materials and recovered metals, and the creation of demand from downstream users who must be confident in quality and price. For public funders and corporate partners the relevant metrics are not only technical novelty but demonstrable environmental impact, traceability and economic viability.

The European Innovation Council is positioned to support such higher risk projects with potential systemic impact. Beyond funding, beneficiaries benefit from visibility, networking and business acceleration. The EIC also provides tools to help projects estimate greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation potential although some services change over time. For example the EIC GHG Tool previously available to beneficiaries is no longer in active use and the EIC has signaled it will offer new activities in the future. Projects that aim to make environmental claims should expect to provide independent life cycle assessments and transparent data to back those claims.

Awards, recognitions and policy links

External recognitions mentioned by the projects include the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize 2024 for Fraunhofer ITWM's MESHFREE simulation tool which supports EVERGLASS, WIRED Italia naming Circular Materials top of its '10 Most Innovative Startups to Watch in 2025', Circular Materials being selected as a Strategic Project under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, and PureSurf receiving the Phönix prize in Austria and its project lead being listed among top female innovators in the DACH region. These awards increase attention and can unlock partnerships but they do not replace third party verification of environmental and material claims.

Implications for investors, corporates and policy makers

Investors and corporate procurement teams should treat current claims with cautious interest. Promises of high recovery rates, negative emissions and integral recycling are appealing but depend on transparent lifecycle and techno economic assessments. Corporates with sustainability targets may engage early but will require traceability, certification and consistent supply. Policy makers can support diffusion by funding pilot deployments, adjustment of standards to accommodate novel recycled materials, and public procurement that accepts validated secondary materials. Regulators will need to assess safety and environmental risks particularly where pressurised or chemical processes are used.

Next steps and where to watch

Stakeholders should monitor several near term indicators. For EVERGLASS watch for pilot demonstrations that report energy use per tonne of recycled glass and product quality metrics. For Circular Materials follow the construction and commissioning of larger plants and independent life cycle assessments of recovered metals including Scope 3 impacts. For PureSurf track prototype product performance versus incumbent surfactants, regulatory clearances and commercialization milestones such as a spin-off formation and customer trials. Independent third party evaluations and transparent data releases will be the clearest sign these technologies are moving from promising prototypes to verifiable climate and circularity solutions.

How to learn more

Project pages and Horizon Europe databases contain formal summaries and contact points. EVERGLASS lists University of Vigo contacts and cites grant agreement No 101129967. Circular Materials and PureSurf maintain corporate and academic websites with technical and media updates. For environmental claims review accompanying life cycle assessments or ask for those studies when engaging commercially. The EIC community pages also publish resources, but note that some tools evolve over time such as the EIC GHG Tool which is currently not in active use.