Catalogue of Best Practices in Circular Economy
The Catalogue of Best Practices in Circular Economy identifies good practices carried out in Spain which are transferable and scalable by other stakeholders.
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Grover: Reducing e-waste by renting out electronic devices
Grover rents technological items such as smartphones, laptops, virtual reality (VR) gear and wearables to customers on a flexible basis and with full usage rights. Customers can choose how long they want to rent a given product.
Tradecowall: Upcycling mixed mineral construction and demolition waste
The cooperative company Tradecowall manages construction and demolition waste in the Belgian Walloon region and comprises a network of companies working with inert waste recycling centres in the region.
Too Good to Go: the global food reduction app
Too Good to Go is an app for reducing food waste. It's operated by a Danish company which seeks to inspire and empower individuals to do something to stop food waste.
Green Alley Award: rewarding the most innovative circular start-ups
The Green Alley Award is Europe’s first prize for start-ups active in the circular economy, launched in 2014 by the Landbell Group.
The initiative aims at supporting a climate-neutral circular economy by encouraging and promoting promising business ideas to turn waste into resources and fight the abundance of plastic waste in our economy.
Effective Recycling Concrete Technology: aggregates from 100% recycled CDW do not compromise on quality
ERC-TECH is a company based in the Czech Republic that provides the construction sector with know-how, licenses and products to reuse 100% of construction and demolition waste in concrete mixtures and other products suitable for use in various construction activities.
With Leef... tableware really does grow on trees
Leef has eliminated plastic waste by producing 100% biodegradable plates from (non-palm oil) palm leaves grown in mixed plantations in Tamil Nadu, India.
Circular lighting by Signify
Signify was the first lighting company to develop 3D printing of luminaires at scale. As part of its commitment to doubling its positive impact on the environment and society, Signify has committed to doubling its circular revenues to 32% by the end of 2025.
URBAN WASTE: Reducing municipal waste generated by tourism
The URBAN WASTE project focuses on urban strategies for waste management in tourist cities. It involved stakeholders from 11 pilot areas and studied the challenges inherent in waste management so that appropriate strategies responding to real-world needs can be devised and implemented.
Varusteleka or how to extend product lifecycle
Varusteleka, a webshop selling military surplus and outdoor gear in Finland, buys back products it has sold to customers and resells them as second-hand products.
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ROOTS - circular policies for changing the biowaste system
CirculaR pOlicies for changing the biOwasTe System (ROOTS): a position paper
4 Horizon 2020 projects working on biowaste valorisation have teamed up to promote innovative solutions for the circular bioeconomy. This joint initiative is named ROOTS-circulaR pOlicies for changing the biOwasTe System. The projects - HOOP, ValueWaste, Scalibur and WaysTUP - are piloting new solutions to transform urban biowaste and wastewater into valuable products like Feed, Fertilisers, Bioplastics, Biopesticides, Proteins and Bioethanol.
The promoters have discussed their views and shared their concerns on policy barriers hindering innovations that lead to the Circular Economy for urban biowaste. As a result of the discussion, 4 focus topics have been singled out, accompanied by proposed solutions, that will constitute the key messages and be addressed in future initiatives.
Critical Raw Materials: civil society calls for firm and fast action to secure supply and maintain a strong industrial base in the EU
Critical Raw Materials: civil society calls for firm and fast action to secure supply and maintain a strong industrial base in the EU
The EESC and CCMI believe that the present/future of critical raw materials resilience is of essential concern to EU's organised civil society. For this reason, and because the CEAP represents a step forward with a clear roadmap for initiatives and actions, the EESC recommends that the Parliament and the Council support this approach.
The EESC position concerns 6 main objectives:
- Supporting sustainable primary sourcing in Europe
- Fostering secondary sourcing from waste and circular reuse
- Maintaining extractive and processing capacities in the EU
- Investing in activities that can foster substitution
- Diversifying trading partners and supporting developing countries
- A more frequent review of the critical raw materials list.
Circular Consumption Charter
The Italian 'Circular Consumption Charter' - a practical approach to empowering consumers
18 Italian Consumer Associations sponsored by Eni have identified the challenges to be tackled and the actions to be implemented in order to empower consumers for the circular economy transition in a document titled Circular Consumption Charter.
According to the Charter, circular consumption should be:
- Educated, conscious
- Transparent
- Properly informed
- Ongoing comparative
- Balanced
- Multiple lifetime
- Shared and collaborative
- Increasingly digital
- Inclusive green
- Accessible
- Moderate, non-wasteful
Proposed actions
- Circular education pathways
- Labelling handbook
- Circular product digital data sheet
- Circular incentives
- Physical platforms
- Digital platform
- Monitoring and disseminating
For more information click here.
Circular textiles - Knitting the way to a sustainable future
Circular textiles: Knitting the way to a sustainable future
Textiles are an important issue for cities, as people generate more and more textile waste. City authorities are required to provide for separate collection of used textiles but have limited ways of putting the waste generated to good use.
Eurocities’ paper on circular textiles is published ahead of the Commission's new Strategy for Sustainable Textiles, planned for autumn 2021, to help the EU shift to a climate-neutral, circular economy (CE) where products are designed to be more durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable and energy-efficient. It focuses on a sustainable recovery of the textile sector from the Covid-19 crisis by:
- making it more competitive,
- applying CE principles to production, waste management, etc.
- and directing investment, research and innovation.
Accelerating the transition to the circular economy - Improving access to finance for circular economy projects
The transition to a circular economy is at an early stage in the EU.
Regulations, markets and investment tools, including financial risk assessment, are adapted to linear models. Generally speaking, externalities linked to linear business models are not taken into account. This poses a problem for emerging circular models, which have to contend with the challenge of accessing finance, as the financial sector sees circular projects as highly risky.
To improve the conditions for financing CE projects, the Expert Group on Circular Economy Financing identified the main areas where incentives are needed, addressing recommendations to policy makers, financial institutions and project promoters.
See also: Categorisation system and Incentives to boost the CE reports
Green and digital "twin" transitions: process of structuration and evolution of circular economy and industrial digitalisation
Green and digital "twin" transitions: process of structuration and evolution of circular economy and industrial digitalisation
Over the past decades concepts such as sustainability and industrial development have slowly come to the same operational logic, as demonstrated by a growing interest in exploring and describing the synergy between developments in the circular economy and industrial digitalisation. There is agreement on their complementarity evolution paths, but no outlook is available regarding the co-evolution staging and structuring. This paper based on desk and empirical research presents an approach to outline the likely path of evolution.
So far, the notion of transition to sustainability has been applied in single sector studies, while reality indicates that the systemic change required cuts across thematic technologies and sectors. The approach taken can be useful to enrich current analyses.
TOMRA: Resource recovery playbook
As an impact leader and frontrunner promoting resource circularity, TOMRA has extensively explored, analysed and collaborated with value chain partners to address the ever-increasing global problem of waste. This white paper presents the challenges, projections and opportunities involved in managing post-consumer waste in developed and developing countries. It describes how society can speed up the transition to a circular economy by collecting and recycling waste, especially plastic packaging and other carbon-intensive materials.
The white paper can be downloaded from TOMRA's website, but this requires registering in a third party's data base and submitting your email address.
Recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles from Environmental Civil Society Organisations
Environmental CSOs' Recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles
This joint position paper from the Wardrobe Change coalition contains recommendations for the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles. It has been signed by 25 civil society organisations. The paper sets out recommendations structured around four overarching principles:
- Make sustainable textile products the norm
- Drive resource-sufficient textile consumption
- Leave the linear business model behind
- Hold the EU textile industry responsible for its role in the world.
The Circular Economy in Granada, Spain
The COVID-19 may have hit the pause button on tourism, but it also highlighted the need to switch to the circular economy.
This report summarises the findings of a two-year policy dialogue with the city of Granada in Spain, and provides recommendations and a vision to transition to a circular economy. It draws on Granada’s own experience with the transformation of a wastewater treatment plant into a bio factory in 2015, which contributed to increased water reuse and the production of new material from waste. The report argues that the city of Granada can play a role as a promoter, facilitator and enabler of the circular economy. This will require a collective and coordinated approach across all stakeholders and levels of government.
Safe Jobs in the Circular Economy
Safe Jobs in the Circular Economy
The circular economy promises a move away from a linear model of growth (extract, make, dispose) to a sustainable model (recycle, reuse, remake, share). This report, Safe Jobs in the Circular Economy, commissioned by the European Public Service Union (EPSU), focuses on the role of labour in the transition to a circular economy and, in particular, the health and safety of workers operating waste and wastewater management systems.
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CEFLEX - The Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging
The Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging (CEFLEX) initiative is a collaboration of over 160 European companies, associations and organisations representing the entire value chain of flexible packaging. CEFLEX wants all flexible packaging to be designed for easy collection, sorting and recycling, with valuable new markets and applications created for the recycled materials.
CEFLEX stakeholders represent the full value chain including: raw material producers (plastics, paper and aluminium foil), ink, coating and adhesive suppliers, film producers and flexible packaging converters, brand owners, waste management companies, recyclers, extended producer responsibility organisations and technology suppliers.
InnovaWood - European network of forest and wood science and technology
InnovaWood speaks for research, innovation and education in the field of wood science and technology. It is a European network of 60 organisations in 28 countries, including research institutes, universities, VET actors and regional cluster organisations throughout the value chain from forestry and wood processing to construction, furniture and the circular economy.
The network promotes greater impact from innovative uses of wood, Europe’s chief and abundant renewable raw material, through dedicated communication. It supports project consortia and collaborative initiatives, forging links with other industry sectors and promoting crosscutting RTDI cooperation. Collectively, its members are involved in at least 1 500 national and 250 international projects.
The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) promotes recycling among local and European industrial members
The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) represents the recycling industry at European level. Gathering the national recycling federations from EU/EEA Member States, EuRIC represents over 5 500 companies, from market leaders to SMEs, who recycle waste streams, i.e. household or industrial and commercial waste, end-of-life vehicles, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, packaging (paper and plastics), end-of-life tyres or textiles.
It serves as a platform for the cooperation and exchange of best practices, actively promotes recycling and contributes to European projects.
EuRIC’s event, the European Recycling Conference (ERC) discusses key questions with industry professionals and EU policy-makers.
Read about EuRIC's top five priorities from 2019-2024 here.
The Education for Zero Waste and Circular Economy platform
The EduZWaCE platform is one of the intellectual outputs of the project titled Education for Zero Waste and Circular Economy funded by the Greek National Agency in the frame of Erasmus+.
The platform is a virtual learning and collaboration environment for all interested stakeholders, using an interactive and collaborative online structure:
- Knowledge Hub: interactive resource centre gathering useful information for Vocational Education and Training teachers and professionals
- Online Training Course for EduZWaCE Manager and EduZWaCE Technician
- Partners Section for the partners in the EduZWaCE project
- Collaborative Section to inspire professionals from companies
- Diagnosis Tool for companies to investigate opportunities for circular economy and zero waste solutions.
ASPAPEL, the Spanish Association of Pulp and Paper Manufacturers, promotes a competitive and sustainable development of the sector by encouraging circular methods
ASPAPEL is a Spanish association for pulp and paper manufacturers. They work to promote sustainable and competitive development of their member companies, especially focusing on the improvement of industries by applying circular methods in the recycling of used paper processes.
Their key areas are:
- environment,
- energy,
- forestry,
- recycling,
- industrial relations,
- occupational risk prevention,
- public communications.
The association is governed by a General Assembly and a Management Board with assisting committees and working groups.
Chemical Recycling Europe: Closing the loop for the plastics industry
Chemical Recycling Europe is a platform that encourages its members to unite for the common goal of closing the loop for the plastics industry through technological innovation and participation within chemical recycling. The platform encourages the goal of recycling all plastic waste into its original components or as value-added materials.
The association was established in 2019 for the European chemical recycling industry to make a difference towards the public and European institutions.
Its members offer technologies to transform unrecyclable plastic waste into new raw materials. In this way, the transformation to reuse ensures the reduction of CO2 emissions and combat global warming and increased CO2 footprint of plastic products.
A social currency - turuta - to promote production and interchange locally
Turuta is a project of mutual exchange and enrichment. Starting in 2010 as an experimental project of a new microeconomy, it gave birth to the "turuta market", based on a social currency called turuta (a traditional military march played during Carnival parades). This is used to pay for local goods and services, promoting local production and interchange. Each partner in the turuta market has an online account.
It is a living project being developed by the members of the association ECOL3VNG (local ecological economic ecosystem at Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona). The collective history of this ecosystem is being written through minute-taking (agreements of Board, commissions and assemblies, i.e. the "legislation") and account-taking of the exchanges between partners.
DigiCirc - Digital innovations for the Circular Economy
The EU-funded DigiCirc project aims at enabling the digitalisation of the Circular Economy by building upon the innovation potential of SMEs. It accelerates innovation by identifying cutting-edge circular economy solutions and by promoting business development and start-up growth.
DigiCirc will build and coordinate an innovative network of stakeholders that will set the foundation for an open space for innovation performed through the DigiCirc accelerators.
45 circular innovations, addressing sectoral challenges and generating new value chain, will be selected through open calls in three domains:
- Circular cities
- Bioeconomy
- Blue economy.
For more information on open calls (the first on Circular cities to be launched in November) and the accelerator programme click here.
Nordic Circular Hotspot
The Nordic Circular Hotspot aims to be the leading resource and collaborative learning hub on circular economy in the Nordics.
This Hotspot works to connect stakeholders in the Nordic region, such as local and regional governments, business, communities, knowledge institutions and academia, to (co-)develop and initiate practical circular solutions, business models, projects and initiatives. The aim is to be the go-to place in the region for everything circular in the region to faster accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
CirQuality OWL – a production site closes loops
The CirQuality OWL project is funded by the EU (ERDF) and the Federal State North-Rhine Westfalia (NRW) with the aim of fostering the circular economy in the area.
Seven regional partners from the different fields (from energy to technologies to food to universities and associations) teamed up to use the circular economy to get the region off the ground in an innovative, crisis-proof, resilient and sustainable way. Together they are jointly striving for the following goals:
- Discover Circular Economy (CE)
- Regional capacity building
- Qualifying stakeholders
- Providing strategic support to stakeholders
- Developing regional identity
- Transfer results
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16 Nov 2021
The hybrid event Addressing the Textile Microplastics Challenge on 16 November is introducing ongoing developments and plans concerning the evaluation of microplastic shedding. The event is organized by TUV Rheinland together with HKRITA, HKUST and GIZ GABRIC with the support of the German Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Invest Hong Kong.
01 Nov 2021
A high-level debate & presentation on Smart Villages, organised under the auspices of the 2021 Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU, will take place on 1st November in Dubai. It will focus on the "smart village" concept, co-initiated and co-created at EU and world level, which is about citizens taking ownership and responsibility.
29 Oct 2021
ICESP will be present at ECOMONDO 2021 with a beacon conference on "The Italian platform of circular economy actors (ICESP): initiatives within the European circular economy action plan", organised in collaboration with the Ecomondo Scientific Technical Committee and ENEA, on 29 October from 10:00 to 13:30 CET.
16 Nov 2021
RREUSE's Annual Conference on “The evolution of social enterprises in the circular economy. Past, present and future” is part of its 20th anniversary celebrations and will take place on 16 November 2021 from 10:00 to 13:00 CET.
06 Nov 2021
The Regional Council of Veneto and Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region are working together with a view to COP 26 to present the state of play of the circular economy in their two regions. The talk will cover political commitments and practical examples.
06 Nov 2021
This session, an EU-side event for COP 26, will underscore the need to move from a linear to a circular economic model in order to tackle climate change, and the role which local governments must play. It will present the commitments made under the Circular Cities Declaration, actions undertaken during the More Circularity, Less Carbon campaign and successful cooperation between researchers and local governments from COLOR CIRCLE, as well as good practices from European cities and regions.
06 Nov 2021
COP 26: EU side event organised by REPLACE + DigiPrime + Policy Lab
05 Nov 2021
LOOPS is a live webinar series committed to spotlighting innovation in the field of the circular economy. The event on 5 November 2021 at 11:00 CET will focus on the mining industry.
29 Oct 2021
EIT Climate-KIC would like to cordially invite you to the Cross-KIC Western Balkans Regional Workshop that will take place on 29 October 2021, as part of the EIT Cross-KIC collaboration initiative.
09 Nov 2021
In order to achieve the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target, the European Commission is planning to announce new initiatives addressing the entire life cycle of products with the following objectives:
- design of products that allows circularity and
- promotion of circular economy processes and sustainable consumption.
The initiatives should also ensure that waste is prevented and that the resources used remain in the EU economy for as long as possible.
The Sustainable Products Initiative, expected to be published in December 2021, is a cornerstone of EU’s endeavours to create a circular economy. It will include rules for setting requirements on mandatory sustainability labelling and/or disclosure of information to market actors along value chains in the form of a digital product passport.
Join this EURACTIV Virtual Conference on 9 November at 9:30 CET to discuss EU's Circular Economy Action Plan and whether its new initiatives, such as the digital product passport, will achieve the transparency for products that policymakers are looking for. How easy will it be for industry, big and small, to comply with?
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19 May 2021
The new Circular Economy Action Plan identifies textiles as a key product value chain with potential to boost the EU market for sustainable and circular textiles. The European Commission is organising a series of targeted stakeholder workshops to gather input on challenges and gaps as well as opportunities for the sector towards sustainability. Join the second workshop on 2 June 2021!
17 May 2021
Imagine Circularity is a new global initiative aiming to reach one million people in Europe and beyond. At its core is a short survey which exposes all participants to the basics of a circular economy, educates them and gathers their views and perceptions of circularity.
17 May 2021
The New Circular Economy Action Plan identifies textiles as a key product value chain where there is potential to boost the EU market for sustainable and circular textiles. The European Commission has launched a public consultation to gather input on challenges and gaps as well as opportunities for the sector towards sustainability.
17 May 2021
The New European Bauhaus has the ambition to make the Green Deal a cultural, human-centred and positive, tangible experience. Its Prizes will give visibility to examples and concepts that illustrate how beautiful, sustainable, inclusive places already exist in our territories, our communities and in our practices, paving the way to the future.
05 May 2021
The Asia-Europe Environment Forum (ENVForum) Workshop Series on Circular Plastic Use: Innovate & Change to Close the Loop offers participants the opportunity to design and implement innovative solutions in the field of circular plastic use and waste management. This project planned for June 2021 is organized in association with INNOWO.
04 May 2021
"Innovative Business Practices and Economic Models in the Textile Value Chain" (InTex) is a three-year UNEP project funded by the European Union. The InTex project has five components, two with global reach and three focusing on national implementation in three African countries: Kenya, South Africa and Tunisia.
04 May 2021
The 2021-2027 programme for Environment and Climate Action (LIFE) will become the EU’s most ambitious climate and environmental programme. It will enter into force retroactively from 1 January 2021.
29 Apr 2021
A new partnership led by the UNIDO is looking for interested organisations to express their interest in joining ‘SWITCH to Circular Economy Value Chains’ - a five-year European Union-funded project that aims to accelerate the transition to more circular value chains (namely textiles and garments, and plastic packaging) in developing countries.
28 Apr 2021
Five consortium partners, including Ecopreneur.eu, have kicked off an EU-COSME funded project “Fashion For Change”. Over the next 3 years, they will help SMEs, designers and start-ups from the European fashion sector scale-up and accelerate their sustainable businesses while increasing awareness about circular fashion among stakeholders, including consumers. Share your views in the quick poll.
28 Apr 2021
The European Commission is organising a series of targeted stakeholder workshops to gather input on challenges and gaps as well as opportunities for the textile sector towards sustainability.
The first workshop on 26 May 2021, at 13.30-17.30 CEST, focuses on “management of used textiles”.
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Circular Fashion Policy Lab
Abstract:
On the 24th of May, C&A Foundation, together with Ecopreneur.EU hosted a Circular Fashion Policy Lab in Brussels at the European Economic and Social Committee in the context of the Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. The purpose of the event was to bring together representatives from across the fashion industry to discuss key policy measures to make a meaningful impact for a green economy.
Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference on 20/21 February: Delivering on the Circular Economy - What's next?
Abstract:
Two years after the adoption of the first EU Circular Economy Package, more than half of the initiatives included in the Action Plan were delivered. The first Circular Economy Stakeholder Annual Conference took place in Brussels in February 2018 to discuss upcoming deliverables, explore new areas of action, and share the first achievements of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform.