Netherlands Launches €40 Million Funding Call to Scale Plastic Recycling and Circular Technologies

Circular Plastics NL and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency have opened a €40 million funding call aimed at accelerating innovation and scale-up in plastic recycling and circular materials. The 2026 Open Call, published in the Dutch Government Gazette on April 3, targets collaborative projects focused on plastics, textiles, and rubber value chains.

According to the agencies, applications will be accepted from April 21 through October 6, 2026, with funding directed at partnerships that include at least one commercial entity. The program is designed to address key bottlenecks in scaling recycling technologies, particularly for waste streams that are currently incinerated, landfilled, or otherwise underutilized.

The funding is structured across two project categories. Research projects focus on developing new processes, materials, and recycling methodologies, including improved product design for recyclability, enhanced sorting and washing technologies, and more efficient conversion of waste into secondary raw materials. Showcase projects, ranging from pilot to demonstration scale, aim to resolve value chain challenges and enable industrial deployment of recycling technologies.

Eligible topics include advanced sorting of textile waste, pre-processing of mixed plastics for recycling, and innovations in both mechanical and chemical recycling. Specific processes highlighted include dissolution, depolymerization of plastics into monomers, and devulcanization techniques for rubber and thermoset materials. These technologies are increasingly viewed as critical to expanding recycling capacity beyond conventional methods.

Funding levels vary by project type, with research initiatives eligible for up to €1.5 million and showcase projects receiving up to €7.5 million. Project durations are set at up to four years for research and five years for demonstration-scale initiatives. Applications will be evaluated by an independent expert committee based on criteria including innovation, market relevance, project quality, and the strength of the consortium.

The call comes as the Netherlands continues to face challenges in scaling recycling infrastructure. In 2022, more than half of the plastic waste in the country was still incinerated, despite over one million tonnes being collected annually. Policymakers and industry stakeholders are increasingly focused on bridging the gap between pilot-stage innovation and full-scale industrial deployment.

Strategically, the initiative reflects broader European efforts to strengthen circular material flows and reduce dependence on virgin fossil-based resources. By supporting collaborative, application-oriented projects, the program aims to accelerate the commercialization of technologies that can deliver measurable environmental and economic impact.

To support applicants, RVO and Circular Plastics NL are organizing a series of webinars in April, along with a matchmaking event in Utrecht in May to facilitate partnerships and project development.

Source: Circular Plastics NL

SUNSHINE Spotlight: The €40 million Dutch funding call highlights the shift from pilot innovation to industrial-scale deployment as Europe seeks to close the gap in plastics recycling and circular materials infrastructure.