Ecomondo 2026 will return to the Rimini Expo Centre in Italy from November 3 to 6 with an expanded international profile, a broader Waste as a Resource exhibition area and stronger emphasis on circular economy policy, resource recovery, bioeconomy, digital technologies and sustainable manufacturing. The 29th edition of the Italian Exhibition Group event is being developed as an increasingly cross-sector platform connecting industry, institutions, researchers and policymakers working on the green, blue and circular economy. For recycling industries, including tire recycling and rubber recycling, the expanded waste and resource recovery focus is particularly relevant as European companies face tighter requirements around Extended Producer Responsibility, secondary raw materials, circular product design and domestic recycling capacity. Ecomondo 2026 will also increase the number of English-language conferences and international institutional participants, with discussions expected around the Circular Economy Act, Critical Raw Materials Act, RESourceEU Action Plan, bioeconomy policy and new EPR provisions.

Ecomondo returns to Rimini in November 2026

The 29th edition of Ecomondo will take place from November 3 to 6 at the Rimini Expo Centre. Italian Exhibition Group describes the event as a meeting point for companies, institutions, the research community and policymakers addressing industrial and environmental changes linked to the ecological transition.

The organizers are positioning the 2026 edition around a more international, innovation-driven and cross-sector approach, with growing participation from companies involved in recycling, resource recovery, environmental technology, bioenergy and sustainable manufacturing.

Waste as a Resource exhibition area expands

One of the main developments for 2026 is the expansion of the Waste as a Resource exhibition area. The sector covers technologies and services connected with waste management, recycling, material recovery and regeneration of secondary resources.

The expansion is relevant to tire recycling and other industrial recycling sectors because European circular economy policy increasingly focuses on retaining valuable materials within productive supply chains rather than treating end-of-life products primarily as waste.

Secondary raw materials gain greater strategic importance

Resource recovery is becoming increasingly connected with European industrial policy as manufacturers seek more reliable supplies of recycled and alternative raw materials. This trend affects markets for recycled rubber, recovered carbon black, recycled steel and other materials recovered from end-of-life tires and industrial waste.

Events such as Ecomondo provide a venue where recycling technology developers, manufacturers, waste managers and policymakers can discuss how secondary materials can move from waste treatment systems into established industrial supply chains.

International participation continues to expand

Italian Exhibition Group is strengthening Ecomondo’s international profile in cooperation with Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency.

A multi-country roadshow covering Spain, Morocco, Germany, Hungary and Canada has been used to develop institutional and commercial connections and attract additional buyers, delegations and industry associations to Rimini.

Ecomondo network reaches Latin America and Asia

The international strategy extends beyond the main Italian exhibition. The wider Ecomondo network includes Ecomondo Mexico, which serves the Latin American environmental technology market, and Ecomondo China, which developed into a dedicated forum in Shanghai in June 2026.

The Green Med Expo & Symposium in Naples also forms part of the broader network, strengthening connections between European environmental technology providers and markets in the Mediterranean region.

European Commission, OECD and FAO among institutional partners

The 2026 conference program will involve additional European and international organizations, including the European Commission, OECD and FAO, alongside environmental agencies, industry associations and research institutions.

The growing institutional participation is expected to increase the number of conferences and summits held in English and strengthen Ecomondo’s role as a platform for discussing regulatory developments with international implications.

Circular Economy Act among major policy themes

The conference program will examine several European policy initiatives relevant to recycling and resource efficiency. These include the Circular Economy Act, Critical Raw Materials Act, Bioeconomy Strategy, Biotech Act II, Pact for the Mediterranean and RESourceEU Action Plan.

These initiatives could influence how European industries source raw materials, design products, manage waste and integrate recycled materials into manufacturing.

Extended Producer Responsibility remains key topic

New developments in Extended Producer Responsibility will also receive attention. EPR frameworks are increasingly important across European recycling markets because they establish responsibilities for producers and importers once products reach the end of their useful life.

For the tire sector, EPR systems influence tire collection, recycling targets, financing mechanisms, traceability and development of markets for recycled rubber and other tire-derived materials.

Artificial intelligence and digital technologies enter environmental agenda

Ecomondo 2026 will also focus on artificial intelligence and digital technologies supporting the ecological transition. Digital systems are increasingly being applied to waste sorting, material tracking, process optimization, emissions monitoring and recycling plant automation.

For complex recycling systems, improved data and digital traceability can help operators understand material flows and demonstrate regulatory compliance while increasing efficiency.

Bioeconomy and bioenergy remain major sectors

Bioeconomy and bioenergy will continue to form an important part of the event. Organizers describe these sectors as important components of the transition toward lower-emission and more circular production models.

The conference and exhibition program will explore technologies and business models that replace fossil resources, recover biological materials and integrate renewable feedstocks into industrial systems.

Entire exhibition hall dedicated to textile circularity

A major change in the 2026 layout is the creation of an entire exhibition hall dedicated to textiles. The new sector is intended to cover the full textile supply chain as European sustainability and circularity requirements for the industry develop.

The move illustrates Ecomondo’s broader strategy of creating dedicated vertical communities around industries facing major changes in product design, waste management and recycled-content requirements.

Blue Economy and Trenchless Districts reorganize water sector

The former Water Cycle & Blue Economy area will be reorganized into Blue Economy and Trenchless Districts. These areas will focus on wastewater recovery and reuse, no-dig technologies and equipment for more efficient management of water networks.

Technologies for pumps, valves, monitoring and digital control will be presented alongside broader approaches to sustainable water management.

Other circular economy sectors confirmed

Additional exhibition areas include Sites & Soil Restoration, Earth Observation and Environmental Monitoring, Bio-energy & Agriculture, Circular & Regenerative Bio-Economy, Circular & Healthy City and the Paper District.

The Innovation District will continue to provide space for start-ups, emerging technologies and companies developing new environmental and circular economy solutions.

States General of the Green Economy returns

The States General of the Green Economy will take place during the first two days of Ecomondo. The event is organized by the Foundation for Sustainable Development in cooperation with Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security and promoted by the National Green Economy Council.

The second plenary session will be held entirely in English, reflecting the increasing international orientation of the wider exhibition and conference program.

Resource recovery connects recycling with industrial transition

The expansion of Ecomondo reflects a wider shift in which recycling is increasingly considered part of industrial and raw material policy rather than only waste management. Companies are under growing pressure to demonstrate circular material use, reduce reliance on virgin resources and develop more resilient supply chains.

For tire recycling, pyrolysis, recovered carbon black and recycled rubber markets, this broader transition can create opportunities as secondary materials become more important to manufacturers seeking circular and lower-carbon alternatives.

Ecomondo strengthens role as international circular economy platform

By expanding its international network, exhibition sectors and policy program, Ecomondo 2026 aims to bring together a broader range of industries involved in ecological transition and resource recovery.

For recycling companies and technology providers, the event offers a platform to examine how regulation, manufacturing requirements, digitalization and secondary raw material markets are changing simultaneously and how those developments may influence future investment in circular economy infrastructure.

Original announcement by Ecomondo / Italian Exhibition Group.