Polski
Waste Under the Digital Microscope and Battery Fever: What's New in the Industry
This week reveals two faces of the same trend – regulation and the market are increasingly pushing for full transparency in the flow of raw materials, from the waste container to the recycling plant. In the UK, a mandatory digital waste tracking system is launching, while the global EV battery recycling market is gearing up for several dozen-fold growth. Let's look at what this means for the industry.
01 · Waste Digitalization
The UK bids farewell to paper waste transfer notes [1]
From 1 October 2026, licensed waste collection points in England and Wales are required to report waste flows through the new Digital Waste Tracking system. This marks the end of the era of paper waste transfer notes – data now goes into a digital database, covering waste classification codes, carrier information, and details on hazardous waste, among other things [1].
The goal is simple: regulators want to detect suspicious activity faster and tackle waste crime more effectively, which has long been the Achilles' heel of the UK's waste management system [1]. The rollout is phased – Scotland and Northern Ireland will join the system in January 2027, and in October 2027 the obligation will be extended to carriers and brokers across the entire UK [1].
For the Polish industry, this is a signal worth watching. If the UK model proves successful, it could become a benchmark for other EU countries considering digital oversight of the waste chain – and that would directly affect transport companies, collection points, and processing facilities operating in Poland [1].
02 · Battery Recycling
EV battery recycling: from niche to a key supply chain link [2]
The second topic this week comes down to numbers that are hard to ignore. According to a new market report, the global EV battery recycling market will grow from $0.54 billion in 2024 to $23.72 billion by 2035 – a compound annual growth rate of 40.9% [2].
This growth is being driven by EU regulations requiring the recycling of at least 65% of battery mass by the end of 2025, and 70% by 2030. On top of that, there's a purely economic factor: recovering lithium and other metals from used batteries is becoming increasingly cost-effective compared to traditional mining [2]. The Asia-Pacific region – China, Japan, and South Korea – remains the market leader, thanks to strong battery and EV production [2].
What's happening at the level of waste oversight in the UK is happening, in the EV battery sector, at the level of the entire business model – secondary raw material is no longer a side note, but a strategic part of the supply chain [1][2]. Both stories share one thing in common: it's becoming harder and harder to treat waste as a secondary issue, because both law and the market now demand that it be counted, weighed, and recovered.
Summary
Summary
The digitalization of waste oversight and the rapid growth of EV battery recycling are two examples of how quickly our industry is changing – and how many business opportunities are opening up along the way. If you want to see these trends up close, talk to technology suppliers, and make connections that will genuinely translate into business, join us at the Industry Trade Fair for Environmental Protection Technology and the Circular Economy – Eco World Poland 2027. See you there!
Invitation
Digital waste tracking and the EV battery recycling boom are just a preview of what you'll see at the trade fair. Visit the Industry Trade Fair for Environmental Protection Technology and the Circular Economy - Eco World Poland 2027, where you'll meet suppliers of digital waste oversight technology and battery raw material recycling installations. It's the place where regulation, technology, and business meet under one roof.
Eco World Poland 2027Footnotes
[1] letsrecycle.com — https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/digital-waste-tracking-goes-live-what-happens-now/[2] GlobeNewswire / MarketsandMarkets — https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/02/3373801/0/en/ev-battery-recycling-market-to-grow-from-usd-0-54-billion-in-2024-to-usd-23-72-billion-by-2035-at-a-cagr-of-40-9-marketsandmarkets.html
This review was prepared by the Ptak Warsaw Expo editorial team.