MIWA: a closed-circuit packaging loop
MIWA designs and produces genuinely circular packaging for the whole supply chain. It supplies brand owners/producers with smart capsules and retailers with smart dispensers using the service as a product model.
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Coolrec: recovering cast iron from washing machines
Coolrec, an electronics goods recycling company, extracts cast iron counterweights from old Miele washing machines to be returned to the factory for recycling.
Improving biomass production in Latvia
In Latvia, a project developed by the Ministry of Agriculture (in cooperation with private investment) seeks to improve biomass production in the country’s forests.
Löfbergs' drive for circular change in the coffee industry
In Sweden, there is an initiative from the coffee roasting sector which aims to eliminate all waste related to coffee cultivation, processing and consumption by the year 2030.
Ligeti Bolt: a packaging-free shop
Liegi Bolt is a packaging-free grocery shop in Budapest. The shop does not sell any products in plastic wrapping or packaging and so customers buy exactly the amount they need.
Buurman: the local hardware store and workshop that teaches you about the value of secondary materials
Buurman is a hardware store and workshop that only uses secondary materials, such as wood from demolition sites and insulation materials, plywood and cables from construction sites in Rotterdam or from exhibitions and festivals.
Borealis: producing renewable polypropylene from renewable propane
Borealis manufactures polypropylene using renewable feedstock provided by Neste. Specifically, Neste produces renewable propane and Borealis converts it to renewable propylene and subsequently to renewable polypropylene.
EtMoi works with prisoners to make badge holders, cushions and masks from old ties and scarves
EtMoi@Work is a Belgium-based circular, social, economy project. It consists of the production of a collection of office articles: badge holders, card holders, cushions for office chairs and new masks in silk by local prisoners. It is a circular economy project, since all its productions use recycled conference lanyards, silk ties and scarves that are no longer worn and, if possible, old jewelry.
Brens uses scrap iron, crushed concrete and pulverised rubber to build tomorrow's railways
Czech company Brens, which produces rail tracks, tram and railway lines, has turned to production processes using recycled materials.
Allgro: turning wastewater into water for their fruit and vegetable cutting business
In May 2019, the Belgium-based fruit and vegetable cutting business Allgro set up its own water plant. The facility turns wastewater into drinking water, thereby slashing the food company’s mains water consumption.
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The Interreg MED Green Growth Community (GGC): How can eco-innovation drive circularity in the Mediterranean?
The term "eco-innovation" basically boils down to innovation. What does eco-innovation really mean? And what is the link between eco-innovation and a more circular economy, particularly in the Mediterranean region?
A wide range of initiatives and programmes point towards innovation being key to enabling green growth. Eco-innovation and the circular economy: are they two sides of the same coin?
It is becoming clearer - and more urgent - every day that we need to abandon the linear economy. The climate emergency together with the economic crisis that the region is experiencing makes a transition based on eco-innovation a priority for a more sustainable future for the Mediterranean.
Read the full article here.
Pathways to circular procurement
One of the ways we can accelerate the transition to a circular economy is to change our procurement practices. Programmes like ProCirc are running pilot projects to test the waters.
In an article titled Pathways to circular procurement, Joan Prummel and Cuno van Geet, two experts on the subject working at Rijkswaterstaat, part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, explain the benefits of circular procurement and how to get started.
Durable, repairable and mainstream - How ecodesign can make our textiles circular
Durable, repairable and mainstream: How ecodesign can make our textiles circular - a report by ECOS
Textile products have a tremendous ecological footprint at all stages of their lives. This new report by the Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS), provides a comprehensive analysis of the current situation and goes on to explore the policies and standardisation actions needed to advance towards circular textiles, building on the lessons learnt from the implementation of the ecodesign approach in other sectors.
ECOS argues that textile products put on the EU market should comply with a minimum level of sustainability. Mandatory ecodesign requirements for textiles are needed to address minimum lifetime, as well as durability, reusability, repairability, recyclability, prevent the presence of hazardous chemicals, and limit microplastics release at all stages.
Circular construction and renovation - Actions and recommendations to the Federal government for accelerating the circular economy in construction
Circular construction and renovation
The final study report on Circular construction and renovation - Actions and recommendations to the Federal government for accelerating the circular economy in construction proposes actions to be taken by Belgium's federal government (and thus the regional levels as well), with a view to accelerating renovation and circular construction with respect to building materials.
More specifically, the study aims to identify relevant instruments, obstacles and measures which are either needed or already underway, and to issue general recommendations for the federal authorities. The study does not address ways to put these measures into effect or possible changes in the instruments.
Digital technologies will deliver more efficient waste management in Europe
This EEA Briefing highlights how digitalisation is transforming the 21st century and affecting every area of daily life, including the environmental technology sector. Digital technologies will make waste management more effective. They will enable Europe’s economy to recover more of the valuable materials present in waste streams, reducing the amount of raw materials mined or imported and avoiding the associated environmental and climate impacts.
The briefing also concludes that the digital transformation of the waste management sector should be aligned with plans to make greater use of digital technologies in the development of a circular economy.
Circular economy: Putting ideas into practice
Circular economy: Putting ideas into practice
This report, published by the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU), discusses the regulatory and economic tools needed to promote a circular economy.
Circular economy has come to be regarded as the solution to the problem of resource scarcity while at the same time acting as a motor for jobs and welfare in Europe and Germany. However, only a small proportion of the demand for materials is currently met by circularity, since waste management is lagging behind the requirements of a circular economy.
The goal of reducing material flows must be anchored politically and greater attention must be paid to sufficiency. Products must be designed to be compatible with a circular economy and high-grade recycling must finally become a reality.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on municipal waste
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on municipal waste management systems
ACR+ has run a survey targeting municipal and local authorities (and their waste operators) to understand and assess the impact of the COVID-19 on their waste systems, in particular regarding the services provided, the quantities collected, the health and safety measures, as well as the finances and communication to users.
The report presents the main information and trends coming out of this survey. It also provides an overview of the measures taken by local authorities to tackle the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures.
Local data were collected to analyse the impact of municipal waste generation and sorting performances. Several illustrations of good practices addressing key challenges are also highlighted.
A circular economy for plastics: Let's turn challenges into opportunities
A circular economy for plastics: Let's turn challenges into opportunities
Energy efficient bubbles, solar-powered interceptors, new business and design models, smart collection solutions, high-tech and fully automated sorting practices and chemical recycling technologies: the Dutch initiative provides inspiration and innovation insights linked to a circular economy for global application. Only by international collaboration will we achieve sizeable success as the plastics value chain spans the globe.
With this brochure, Holland Circular Hotspot and TNO bring their insights to the international level and share best practices with the hope that it will inspire everyone around the world to take action and kickstart circular development.
Growth-positive zero-emission pathways to 2050
Growth-positive zero-emission pathways to 2050
Sitra commissioned this study to investigate whether and under what assumptions and policy measures the decoupling of CO2 emissions from economic growth could occur at a sufficient rate for CO2 emissions to decline to net zero by 2050. The analyses were carried out on a global level.
The results of this study show that deep CO2 emission cuts in line with the 1.5 °C target and positive GDP growth can occur at the same time.
A natural next step would be to analyse in detail the decoupling of other harmful environmental impacts from economic growth. For example, a global shift to more circular business models could reduce CO2 emissions and help cut the use of materials and natural resources while maintaining economic growth.
The winning recipe for a circular economy
The winning recipe for a circular economy
The study The winning recipe for a circular economy by Sitra set out to find diverse circular economy solutions that are viable and scalable, that drive systemic circularity, and that have exceptionally positive environmental and social impacts. Over 200 organisations around the world submitted their solutions for consideration.
The study presents 39 outstanding examples of circular economy solutions that are closing material loops and driving the circular transition while being very relevant to their own environment. These solutions demonstrate the benefits of circular business operations and how different organisations across society can use circular thinking to improve the value of their business and progress towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
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Citeo oeuvre pour réduire l'impact environnemental des emballages
Citeo est engagée pour un monde plus durable et oeuvre pour réduire l’impact environnemental des emballages ménagers et des papiers, en les transformant en nouvelles ressources.
Depuis 25 ans, les entreprises ont investi 10 milliards d’euros pour collecter, trier, recycler les emballages et les papiers. Cet engagement a permis de déployer la collecte sélective partout en France, de faire du tri le 1er geste citoyen des Français et de créer des filières de recyclage, en partenariat avec les collectivités locales, les filières matériaux et les opérateurs.
Citeo contribue à une mission d’intérêt général : ancrer la consommation durable, l’éco-conception et le recyclage dans les habitudes des entreprises et des citoyens de métropole et des Outre-mer.
restado - Circular Economy in the Construction Sector
restado is a platform that offers a circular economy approach to construction by promoting the reuse of reclaimed construction materials.
It provides support and knowledge on how to reclaim and reuse the materials, and offers a marketplace to trade them.
GLOPACK Platform: towards no-impact packaging and improved shelf life for food products
The GLOPACK project is investigating food packaging with no environmental footprint and the ability to extend the shelf life of food products.
The project is focusing on three food packaging areas:
- biodegredable and home compostable food packaging made from agro-food residues,
- bio-packaging with advanced active functionalities to improve food preservation and shelf life without additives,
- battery-free RIFD bio-sensor to track food freshness.
The GLOPACk project operates a multistakeholder platform to gather the experts of the whole food and packaging supply chain. The members of the Stakeholders' Platform are involved in the actitivies of the project via webinars, stakeholder events and joint development of documents.
Circular Economy IL draws on European policies to accelerate the circular transition
Circular Economy IL (CE-IL) is a non-profit organization serving as the Israeli Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. CE-IL acts on national, regional and international levels to integrate new resource strategies and circular based business models with Israeli innovation capabilities.
CE-IL aims to connect between Israeli initiatives, start-ups, companies, municipalities, academic, researchers and policy makers and European circular economy stakeholders, in order to collaborate and find common ground, making reference to European policies, to accelerate the circular transition, inter alia, to exchange know-how, knowledge and information.
These goals are already set into action in several cooperation projects with many European experts.
ReThink is driving circular economy transition in Ukraine
ReThink is a platform aiming at promoting sustainable and circular economy in Ukraine, through education and advocacy campaigns, multi-stakeholder dialogue and innovation facilitation.
A prominent activity for the platform in 2019 focused on single-use plastic bags, with a call to the Ukrainian government to tackle the issue, and partnering with law firms for the drafting of a law proposal to restrict the use of plastic shopping bags and plastic packaging in Ukrainian retail stores.
Prosperkolleg transfers the idea of circular economy to the industry
The project „Prosperkolleg“ in Bottrop started on the 1st of June 2019 with the objective to explore how to transfer the idea of circular economy to the industry. The "Hochschule Ruhr West", the "WiN Emscher-Lippe GmbH", the city of Bottrop, the "Effizienzagentur NRW" and the "Prosperkolleg association" joined forces to research and demonstrate innovative circular product and business model developments. The project is funded by the ministry of economics, innovation, digitalization and energy of the land NRW.
Circular Slovakia
The Slovak Environmental Strategy prioritises the transition to circular economy. Building on the Transition to Green Economy process, the Slovak Ministry of Environment, alongside the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Institute for Circular Economy, PwC Slovakia, Slovak Business Agency and Slovak Environment Agency joined forces to by establishing Circular Slovakia in October 2019.
This platform aims to increase discussion between the public and the private sector, as well as between businesses about opportunities and barriers in the circular transition to result in new projects and partnerships. Simultaneously, Circular Slovakia will share good practice examples nationally and internationally while raising awareness of circular economy.
Circular Economy Competences. Making the Case for Lifelong Learning
Making the transition to a circular economy requires a pressing need for new skills, competences and approaches. Education, and training have a critical role to play in delivering and updating these skills.
The Erasmus+ CYCLE project created a set of tools and resources to support adult trainers in developing and expanding their professional and educational skills in the circular economy.
The Cycle Competence Centre (CYCLE CC) is a platform where educators can find training and guidance tools in 6 languages to help them introduce circular economy in different learning environments.
Italian Phosphorus Platform
The Italian Phosphorus Platform was set up to mirror the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform, following an agreement between ENEA, the platform manager, and the Italian Ministry of Environment. This platform aims to reach national self-sufficiency in the Italian phosphorus supply with a circular approach.
Phosphorus a European critical raw material, with Europe being almost completely dependent on third countries for its supply (phosphate rock: 81%, phosphorus: 100%), and its end-of-life recycling rate is very low (phosphate rock: 17%, phosphorus: 0%) (source: 2017 list of Critical Raw Materials).
The platform features 4 working groups: market, technologies, legislation and good practices. More information on good practices in phosphorus recycling is available here (in Italian).
Inštitút cirkulárnej ekonomiky
The Inštitút cirkulárnej ekonomiky (Institute for Circular Economy) is Slovakia’s circular economy network, connecting public actors and private to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in Slovakia.
The Institute regularly publishes overviews of the circular economy in Slovakia, and supports municipalities with improving waste management locally, while also developing circular business models with companies. One such innovative programme specifically targets festival organisers, helping them reduce waste at large scale events.
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26 Oct 2021
Food waste is one of the main challenges of the 21st century worldwide. Our food system remains one of the biggest contributors to climate change, generating significant amounts of solid waste, but at the same time, 55 million EU citizens cannot afford a quality meal every day.
The IRCEM, the CSCP, BBI, Innowo and the ECESP are organising an #EUCircularTalks event on 26 October at 10:00 CEST.
The speakers of the event will discuss the different implications of waste and resource efficiency from a macro perspective to study cases and stakeholder engagement.
04 Nov 2021
TRANSFORM-CE - an Interreg NW Europe funded project - launches the first in its informative webinar series on turning single-use plastic waste into valuable new products on 4 November 2021.
The webinar will introduce two innovative technologies - additive manufacturing and intrusion-extrusion moulding - both facilitating the transformation of this common waste stream into the feedstock for countless applications, from roof tiles and decking to architectural models and 3D-printed components.
This webinar is a fantastic opportunity for businesses, manufacturers and government authorities interested in learning more about TRANSFORM-CE and the potential benefits of transitioning to a circular economy business model.
The project partners also welcome designers, creatives and members of the public who are interested in exploring the potential of single use plastic waste.
08 Dec 2021 to 10 Dec 2021
The 2nd International Conference on Strategies towards Green Deal Implementation – Water, Raw Materials & Energy (ICGreenDeal2021) - aims to present the issue of climate change and ways to prevent it with innovative solutions (technological, environmental, economic, and social) that can be implemented under the Green Deal Strategies.
This online conference on 8-10 December 2021 is the continuation of the 1st International Conference on Strategies towards Green Deal Implementation – Water and Raw Materials, a very successful event with almost 500 participants.
21 Oct 2021
ICT products like computers, smartphones, etc. are fundamental tools adding efficiency to our lives, amongst other advantages. At the same time, NGO’s have highlighted challenges concerning environmental, human and labour rights, and the need for effective eWaste management in the electronics industry.
Together with activities associated with eWaste Day 2021, efforts of WEEE Forum, Open Repair Alliance and many others stakeholders, we have come a long way to encourage repair to push for positive and sustainable changes.
During this webinar Making every Day Repair Day > with Intention, Policy, and Standards on 21 October, we’ll get a glimpse into the developments from the perspective of policy measures such as EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan, Sustainable Products Initiative, Green Public Procurement (GPP) criteria, etc. All in all, this webinar will focus on industry initiatives to harmonise and fast track progress towards circular and fair ICT, with a focus on reparability.
06 Nov 2021
The “take-make-waste” model of production and consumption dominating our linear economy today is not only highly wasteful but also an essential contributor to climate change. Up to 45% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions are associated with land management and the production of consumer goods, food, fashion, buildings, and other products used day-to-day.
The ECESP Coordination Group Members EIT Climate KIC, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Sitra, Generation Climate Europe, and OVAM invite you to this #EUCircularTalks at the UN Climate Conference COP26 in Glasgow on 6 November at 11:00 CET. The panel will discuss integrating and upscale circular solutions into national climate strategies like the Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).
20 Oct 2021
LOOPS is the opportunity to show what cutting-edge research has been produced, and which changes it can bring to our communities. For those who are not familiar with it, LOOPS is a live webinar series organized by Veltha, committed to spotlighting innovation in the field of circular economy.
19 Oct 2021
Consumer electronics, computers, laptops, TVs, tablets, gaming consoles, wearables, cameras etc., have become an essential part of our daily lives, with smartphones representing most retail sales. In the context of increased digitalisation, our reliance on these devices is likely to increase. But, how to address the critical environmental, societal and behavioural challenges to reduce their overall impact in the coming years? How to define the clear responsibility and opportunity of each actor when their roles are constantly changing?
EuroCommerce, the Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP), the European Environment Agency and the ECESP invite you, on 19 October at 11:00 CEST, to this #EUCircularTalks to discuss the role and responsibility of electronic retailers to support the circular economy.
14 Oct 2021 to 15 Oct 2021
The economic and environmental benefits of the circular economy are always on the forefront, but what about its social benefits? How are the livelihoods and well-being of specific communities affected by the transition? What about social norms, consumer behaviour and the social trade-offs that lie at the heart of the circular economy?
The Electronics Club of the CSCP's Consumer Insight Action Panel (CIAP) initiative is looking for pathways that address social implications in the circularity journey.
11 Oct 2021
Collaboration is the key to a successful and effective circular transformation. But how do different stakeholders collaborate on the ground? How do they collaborate with the government? With what impact?
On 11 October at noon CEST, Circular Change and Holland Circular Hotspot invite you to this #EUCircularTalks on the role of Network Governance and circular economy hubs in the EU circular transition. Special guest Prof. Jacqueline Cramer will introduce her survey on network governance's results, followed by presentations and exchanges on past experiences from stakeholders.
27 Oct 2021 to 28 Oct 2021
The need to move towards circular and more sustainable economic models has become more evident due to the Covid pandemic and data certifying the climate change effects. Moreover, European public institutions show an increased emphasis on promoting a circular economy transition, notably through the Next Generation Europe programme and the available funding.
At a single company level, however, how can we undertake this transition and its impacts? Often this has yet to be understood and planned. Advanced services, digitalization and «servitized» business models may have a big role in helping companies move to a circular paradigm and achieve not only environmental but also economic and social benefits.
The conference on 27 and 28 October deals with the synergies between servitization and the circular economy, and the role of servitization in supporting the transition towards a circular economy.
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19 Apr 2021
Circle Economy has launched their new version of the Knowledge Hub, a collaborative platform which aims to break down knowledge barriers to the circular economy transition. The platform now enables anyone keen to contribute to the global transition to add and edit case studies in the library.
19 Apr 2021
On 15 and 16 April 2021, participants representing governments, international organisations, the private sector, knowledge institutions, and civil society convened for the virtual World Circular Economy Forum + Climate (WCEF+Climate) hosted by the Netherlands and The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.
16 Apr 2021
Take part in the evaluation and validation of CIRC4Life developed CEBMs, key innovations and demonstrations, as well as the identification of future market opportunities! Deadline for applications: 3 May 2021.
14 Apr 2021
New sustainable packaging will extend guacamole’s shelf life by 15% thanks to labels and additives extracted from the avocado itself. The GUACAPACK Project aims to use renewable sources to develop an innovative biodegradable packaging system that includes barrier labels and antioxidant additives from avocado waste.
12 Apr 2021
Fishing industry by-products and municipal solid waste are transformed into bioplastics in the European DAFIA project, coordinated by AIMPLAS. DAFIA provides the automotive and food packaging industries with sustainable solutions by developing biopolymers, flame-retardant additives and barrier packaging.
25 Mar 2021
Thanks to innovation, forests will be key for sustainable urban development. The European BASAJAUN project will optimize the use of forest products to boost the economy in rural areas and obtain new materials and construction systems based on the circular economy of wood.
AIMPLAS will participate in the development of new profiles manufactured from natural resins and reinforcement agents.
22 Mar 2021
Welcome to have your say on the Sustainable Products Initiative, one of the deliverables of the Circular Economy Action Plan!
The feedback period runs until 9 June 2021 (midnight CET). The Commission would like to hear your views. Through public consultations you can express your views on aspects of EU laws and policies before the Commission finalises its proposals.
17 Mar 2021
The ECESP Coordination Group had its second meeting on 16 March to discuss how to take the ECESP to the next level.
16 Mar 2021
Industry faces major challenges with regard to handling the transition to an economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Whilst there is a growing body of literature seeking to understand how this transition will unfold, there is currently limited understanding of what the wider environmental impacts could be from the transformation.
12 Mar 2021
Have your say on industry’s role in supporting the circular economy and improving the EU’s environment and participate in the Targeted Stakeholder Survey of the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive. The feedback period closes 2 April 2021.