German industry has been warned it must make even greater efforts to maintain its position as a leading nation in providing recycling and waste management technology to drive the circular economy (CE). The conclusion comes in a status report from 15 organisations and associations whose members make up what is called the ‘closed-loop economy’.
The report notes that technologically advanced and innovative industrial goods from the German sector of closed-loop economy are still in great demand on the world market. A few years ago, it points out, Germany was ranked third behind the USA and Japan in terms of patent applications. ‘In the meantime, China has passed Germany by – a clear sign that Chinese competitors are catching up in terms of innovative strength and quality.
The report sets out the scale of Germany’s sector: the closed-loop economy achieved a revenue in 2017 of around EUR 84.1 billion (up 18% compared to 2010) and employed more than 310 000 people in 2019 (12% more than 2010). ‘With a gross value added of around EUR 28.1 billion in 2017 (up 31 % compared to 2010), the sector is an important economic factor in Germany and continues to develop dynamically,’ the report adds.
Source: Recycling International
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