CPA will shape the event’s programming and convene industry, policy, and innovation leaders to advance recycling infrastructure and circular supply chains across the Middle East
Dubai, UAE. May 2026 — The Circular Packaging Association (CPA) has been appointed Official Knowledge Partner of Recycling Expo Middle East 2026, taking place in Dubai on 22–23 September 2026. The partnership will advance regulatory and policy discussions around scalable circular packaging and recycling systems across a region where packaging waste accounts for an estimated 14–20% of municipal waste, a stream largely reusable and, by CPA research, worth up to AED 1 billion annually to the UAE economy if converted from waste to resource.
Through this collaboration, CPA will play a central role in shaping the event’s programming, contributing expertise, thought leadership, and expert speakers to discussions focused on strengthening circular supply chains and recycling systems across the Middle East.
Priority themes include strengthening reverse logistics and collection systems; improving traceability and verification of recycled content; building economically viable end-markets for recycled materials; advancing effective extended producer responsibility (EPR) models; and accelerating design-for-recyclability to improve real-world recycling outcomes.
Additional sessions will explore how circular supply chains can build resilience for the packaging sector, including the role of locally sourced recycled materials such as recycled PET (rPET) in supporting in-country value creation and bottle-to-bottle packaging systems.
Mohamed Ali Eldabaa, Chairman of Circular Packaging Association said: “Advancing circular packaging in this region means moving beyond dialogue into delivery. Our research shows that even small-scale recovery, just 60 tonnes of materials, can cut emissions by 45%, and that converting packaging waste to resource could generate up to AED 1 billion annually for the UAE economy alone. The opportunity is real, but capturing it requires the policy frameworks, infrastructure, and market systems to work together. From EPR design to viable end-markets for recycled materials, the challenges are interconnected, and our partnership with Recycling Expo Middle East represents a platform to bring stakeholders closer to the outcomes the region needs.”
Jake Cody, Event Director at Recycling Expo Middle East also mentioned: “Partnering with the Circular Packaging Association is an important step in strengthening collaboration across the UAE and wider GCC circular economy ecosystem. The work CPA is leading around sustainable packaging, policy, and industry engagement reflects many of the critical conversations shaping the region’s future.”
He added: “At Recycling Expo Middle East, our goal is to unite stakeholders from across the value chain to share knowledge, address regional challenges, and support practical progress toward a more circular economy. We are proud to welcome CPA as a Knowledge Partner and look forward to working together to help drive the industry forward.”
The collaboration is aligned with the UAE’s Circular Economy Policy 2021–2031, the first such policy issued in the GCC, and the region’s broader ambitions around resource efficiency and sustainable growth. It reflects increasing momentum toward translating circular economy commitments into practical, investable systems at scale.
About the UAE Circular Packaging Association:
Launched in 2023, as an industry working group licensed under Dubai Chambers; the Circular Packaging Association is the first of its kind circular economy cross sectoral platform that seeks to transform the packaging value chain. The Circular Packaging Association is the result of work initiated in 2019 by founding members of the CIRCLE Coalition for innovation in recycling towards a Closed Loop Economy.
CIRCLE was formalized under the sponsorship of the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment via the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a circular economy for packaging across the GCC. The Circular Packaging Association aims to embed circular and green economy principles to the packaging value chain in the UAE, transforming the existing take-make-dispose linear system into one that views and uses post-consumer packaging waste as a valued resource.
The association also aims to drive consumer awareness and provide insight and recommendations on legislations and policies related to sustainable packaging through a data-based, multi-stakeholder approach.
About Recycling Expo Middle East:
Recycling Expo Middle East 2026 combines a B2B trade exhibition with a focused conference programme and curated industry features, creating a practical platform for recycling and waste management professionals operating across the UAE and wider Gulf region.
Taking place in Dubai, the event is designed for municipal authorities, regulators, operators, technology providers, and end-user organisations seeking to engage with current policy priorities, operational challenges, and delivery-focused solutions across the waste and materials lifecycle. The programme supports knowledge exchange, collaboration, and solution discovery across municipal waste, recycling, construction and demolition materials, data-driven operations, and circular infrastructure.
Recycling Expo Middle East provides a neutral meeting point for industry stakeholders to connect, share insight, and contribute to the ongoing development of more efficient, resilient, and circular waste management systems across the UAE and the wider region.
