What if the problem isnโt that weโre failing to recycle, but that the system itself is working against it?
In this episode, we speak with Joan Marc Simon, founder of Zero Waste Europe and one of the leading voices shaping circular economy policy across the EU. With decades of experience bridging grassroots action and European regulation, he brings a sharp and often uncomfortable perspective on whatโs really happening behind the scenes of plastic recycling.
Note: This conversation was recorded prior to recent developments in the Middle East impacting global oil and plastics markets.
From oversupply and global market dynamics to policy design and economic realities, this conversation challenges some of the most widely held assumptions about circularity.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ:
Why plastic recycling in Europe is struggling โ despite ambitious targets
How global oversupply is undermining local circular systems
The role of policy, economics, and unintended consequences
Whether we need to rethink not just recycling, but plastic production itself
A thought-provoking conversation that goes beyond the surface โ and asks whether weโre solving the right problem at all.
๐ง Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!