This report presents the key insights that emerged from the workshop on Re-Valuing resources: cross-sectoral circular solutions for a sustainable future.

It sets out how the eight participating EU projects enable cross-circularity through material reuse, digital tools and systemic approaches that intersect across industries, governance levels and territorial levels.

It then identifies the conditions that enable replication and scaling, drawing on real-world demonstrations and stakeholder experiences.

Lastly, it highlights the social, community and governance dimensions that underpin successful circular transitions, with a focus on participatory practices, long-term trust-building and multi-actor collaboration.

Every year, our global economy consumes around 100 billion tonnes of resources — three quarters of which it cannot replenish. This reliance on a constant flow of virgin raw materials leaves our economies increasingly exposed to price shocks, supply disruptions and the universal inefficiencies of resource waste. One direct way to relieve this pressure is to keep materials circulating at their highest value.

The Rediscovery Centre considers that:

• the call for evidence focuses too much on measures to enhance collection and recycling and too little on prevention, repair and reuse;
• tackling consumption rates and increasing reuse will also reduce the EU’s reliance on imports;
• welcomes the move to develop EPR schemes but feels that the non-profit sector and other key stakeholders involved in the design and implementation process should be involved as well as producers;
• more effective circularity metrics and targets are needed, including separate targets for consumption reduction, repair, reuse and preparation for reuse;
• dedicated and sufficient financial mechanisms and funding streams are needed to ensure the viability of prevention, repair and reuse initiatives across the EU.

Plastic pollution continues to pose a major challenge for communities across Europe, and the question of who should finance the management of litter has become increasingly important. This first ACR+ policy paper on litter evaluates the progress made by Member States in establishing and rolling out the EPR systems required by Article 8 of the Single Use Plastics Directive (SUPD).

It finds that few Member States have started implementing these systems. It is easier to establish systems for packaging-related SUPD products (because of the EPR systems already in place) than for new products such as balloons and wet wipes.

However, the most challenging part of the implementation is the calculation of littering costs. Public authorities pay the bulk of this, but more transparency is needed.

Each year, the EEA takes stock of progress towards meeting the six objectives of the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP), one of which is a regenerative circular economy.

The report finds that the EU's consumption exceeds the planet's 'safe operating space' for resource extraction and its consumption is unlikely to decrease significantly this decade. It is also unlikely that per capita total waste generation will significantly decrease by 2030.

Legislation already in place to prevent waste generation and improve waste management — including through recycling and the reuse of materials — has contributed to a relative decoupling of raw material consumption and waste generation from economic growth but significant additional efforts are needed to reach the 2030 targets.

The circular economy is increasingly recognised as essential to achieving both environmental and socio-economic objectives, yet little is known about how many people work in circular economy activities and under what conditions. Circular economy employment spans all countries and sectors and includes both formal and informal settings. However, definitions, classifications and methodologies for measuring such employment remain unaligned.

This report addresses these gaps by developing and applying an internationally applicable methodology for measuring circular economy employment. The approach builds on existing labour and environmental frameworks and expert consultations, providing the first global baseline covering 177 of 187 ILO Member States.

Reuse activities are an essential part of the EU’s moves to tackle the growing waste crisis.

However, the current combined targets for reuse and recycling generally prioritise recycling. This disregards the fact that quantitative reuse and preparing-for-reuse targets are an essential policy tool to implement the EU’s waste hierarchy.

This report presents an overview of existing targets and a detailed look at 24 targets set in different product categories and waste streams. The policy recommendations will help policymakers as they shape the Circular Economy Act, the revised WEEE Directive and other relevant measures at EU level. They cover issues such as setting specific targets for product streams with high environmental impact and job creation potential.

Paper recycling is one of Europe’s greatest circular economy achievements. However, regulatory fragmentation, market imbalances and rising operational risks are placing pressure on recyclers.

Recycling Europe calls on EU policymakers to act. This manifesto proposes four measures to safeguard the success story of paper recycling:

• Design circular paper products: recycling should be expected and the CEA should drive demand;
• Reduce EU administrative burdens: EU-wide rules on end-of-waste criteria for recovered paper and shipments are needed;
• Secure access to global markets for recovered paper: not all recovered paper can be re-used within Europe;
• Address the fire risk from lithium batteries in waste management facilities: proper waste sorting is crucial.

With a significant number of ships expected to reach the end of their service life shortly, ship recycling presents a strategic opportunity for Europe. Boosting domestic ship recycling will:

• secure a steady supply of secondary raw materials and so strengthen Europe’s industrial resilience and strategic autonomy;
• make a meaningful contribution to the decarbonisation of the EU steel and construction sectors, supporting Europe’s broader climate and circular economy goals;
• create green jobs in the recycling and waste management sector;
• align with EU environmental policies preventing the export of hazardous materials and restrict exports of waste that harm the environment and human health in third countries.

This report looks at how scrap steel from the EU's increasing numbers of end-of-life ships can help decarbonise the European steel industry, strengthen industrial resilience, create green jobs, preserve and develop maritime skills and build a truly circular economy.

The steel industry expects demand for scrap to rise due to calls for lower carbon footprints and the implementation of new steelmaking technologies. Ship recycling is a significant and largely untapped opportunity to meet this demand.

Policies should support the development of safe and environmentally sound ship recycling, and stimulate material recovery and reuse. This will enable the EU to reduce dependence on imports, conserve valuable resources and advance toward climate neutrality.