Over 2 insightful days, the event brought together over 4,500 international professionals from 95 countries, 180 expert speakers, and more than 400 exhibitors. With 80% of attendees holding executive, C-level, or management profiles, the trade show has solidified its reputation as the world's leading event for the entire circular economy. As Garry Costen, Group CEO of Secure ITAD, observed, “This is the best exhibition around UK/Europe to see the different innovations and machinery to tackle the circular economy.”

4 Industry Events. 1 Pass.

Under one roof at Messe Frankfurt, four co-located events spanned the entire resource recovery ecosystem: E-Waste World Expo, Battery Recycling Expo, Metal Recycling Expo, and ITAD & Circular Electronics Expo. While united by a shared circular mission, the four events’ exhibitions and dedicated conference tracks targeted the unique technological, regulatory, and commercial challenges shaping its respective sector.

E-Waste World Expo

Exhibitors showcased the latest e-scrap sorting, shredding, and separation technology, attracting a mix of established brands and startups. Florian Heßler of URT noted the collaborative dynamic: “There are many stakeholders, not only companies that are already long-time in the market, but there are also newcomers, and it is a good chance for everybody to discuss.”

Industry innovators and policy experts led highly anticipated presentations, with the highest engagement focused on critical topics such as AI & robotics in e-waste recycling, the forward-looking WEEE 2050 outlook, and a deep dive into the role of WEEE recycling in enhancing the circular economy.

Battery Recycling Expo

With the European regulatory landscape shifting rapidly, the show floor served as a vital technical hub for brands to promote their solutions in black mass processing, commercial-scale hydrometallurgy, and localised supply chains.

The conference saw intense interest from global OEMs, cell manufacturers, and recyclers, with the most highly bookmarked discussions focused on the Black mass outlook 2026/27, a critical look at whether Europe will follow China's lead in LFP recycling, and presentations on Novel black mass processing for battery grade, low CO₂ European products.

Metal Recycling Expo

Exhibitors showcased the entire metal recycling supply chain, featuring heavy-duty processing machinery, sensor-based alloy sorting systems, and advanced refining technologies, and providing answers to attendees in the non-ferrous and ferrous metals sector.

Highly attended sessions included a discussion on the current and future supply and demand of critical raw materials, an exploration on industrial pathways to recovering tech metals, alongside an updated assessment of valuable and critical raw materials in smartphones under the new guidelines of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act.

ITAD & Circular Electronics Expo

Bridging corporate asset management, secure data destruction, and device refurbishment, the floor highlighted how circular practices drive both bottom-line value and strict ESG compliance. The commercial viability of these setups was a key highlight, “The foot traffic is very good, the footprint is really well designed for getting in and funnelling people to you, the overall ROI seems to be excellent,” shared Roger Gagnon, President & CEO of Extreme Protocol Solutions.

The conference track saw deep engagement with standout sessions on scaling circular business models in complex organisations, unlocking the hidden commercial and sustainability value of returned electronics, and a comprehensive look at how sustainable ITAD creates business value.

Securing the Future of Circularity in 2027

The 2027 co-located events will take place on 12-13 May, returning to Halle 3 at the Messe Frankfurt.

Due to the unprecedented success of the 2026 show and a massive wave of immediate on-site bookings, over 70% of premium booth space has already been secured. With only 30% of the show floor remaining, companies are urged to act quickly. Contact Event Director Peter Sarno today to secure your space.

About Trans-World Events

Trans-World Events is a leading international organiser of B2B conferences and exhibitions connecting global business communities across the critical minerals, battery recycling, e-waste, metal recycling and circular economy sectors.

Established by a management team with more than 60 years of combined industry experience, Trans-World Events specialises in creating market-leading conferences and exhibitions that bring together manufacturers, recyclers, technology providers, policymakers, investors and industry leaders. Through its portfolio of international events, the company supports collaboration, innovation and knowledge sharing across industries shaping a more sustainable and circular future.

Media Contact

Shiley McPherson, Head of Marketing 

Trans-World Events

E: shiley@trans-worldevents.com

T: +44 1483 330 018