The AZMUD Project proposes innovations which will help reduce the consumption of water, energy, nutrients and pesticides, and promote the use of waste water in greenhouse cultivations.
Infinitdenim is specialised in the recycling of second-hand denim, rescued from its own city, Barcelona.
PCDT buys used spare parts for home appliances from individuals whose appliances cannot be repaired and will then sell thems - with no margin of profit - to customers who can use them to repair their own appliances.
In Joure (NL) the Jacobs Douwe Egberts plant uses spent coffee grounds as a bio-fuel to produce the steam needed for its production process.
AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, is coordinating a project called C-SERVEES to develop more circular products like washing machines, laser printers and toner cartridges, TV sets and telecom equipment.
Refit Wool is an innovative sustainable material inspired by the world of fashion. It includes fibres from industrial yarn and textile processing.
In line with a circular economy strategy, the company Favini and chocolatiers Domori have developped an industrial symbiosis system to produce the ecological paper Crush Cocoa from cocoa processing waste.
Refit Cotton is an innovative sustainable material, inspired by the world of fashion, which includes fibres from industrial yarn and textile processing for use in paper production.
Enrich manufactures organic compost in an open windrow system using source segregated green waste such as garden clippings and landscaping materials.
Hewlett-Packard (HP) endorses the Circular Computing and proposes remanufactured models as alternatives for new models. This action underlines a highly significant endorsement of Circular Computing’s approach to sustainability at the high end of the IT market.
Achieving the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Agreement climate targets will hinge upon the global transition to a low-carbon circular economy. Replacing finite and fossil-based materials with responsibly managed renewable materials could decrease carbon emissions whilst reducing dependency on finite resources.
However, the role that renewable materials can play in the circular economy is often under-rated, and, so far, most of the conversation has focussed on biodegradability, instead of the role they could play in reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling streams. The aim of the Collaborative Project was to start a conversation on the role of renewables in the circular economy, and in order to do this, set out the opportunities and challenges that companies face when using/shifting to renewable materials today and propose a shared vision for the future.
In order to support public purchasers to leverage support for a transition to a circular economy, in October 2017 the European Commission published 'Public Procurement for a Circular Economy'. This brochure contains a range of good practice case studies as well as guidance on integrating circular economy principles into procurement.
To support the transition to the circular economy, governance, regulations and business models will play a crucial role. More importantly, circular business models (CBMs) would allow the retention of an asset at its highest value over time and support enhancement of natural capital. Different CBMs will be required at different stages of a lifecycle of an asset and may work independently or collaboratively. Successful implementation of these business models will require action from designers, suppliers, service providers, contractors and end-of-life companies by sharing materials, systems, energy, as well as information and services.
The circular economy offers a new way of looking at the relationships between markets, customers and our use of resources. It uses innovative new business models and designs, disruptive technologies and reverse logistics to transform the current ‘take, make, dispose’ economic model. Circular initiatives work to three principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use and regenerating natural systems.
Highlighting that many retailers are already tapping into circular economy thinking, this report is the output of a Collaborative Project carried out by Arizona State University, Cranfield University, eBay, Kingfisher, PA Consulting, Philips, Stuffstr and Wrap to identify new ways of working to generate value, discover new business opportunities and reduce resource costs - strategies which fundamentally change the relationship these retailers have with customers.
All societies produce waste, though its characteristics and what happens to it depend on cultural, economic and political factors at local, national and global scales. New business models, technological innovations and social enterprise have the potential to reduce waste. Policymakers have a key role to play in supporting these efforts by fostering better communication between stakeholders; through regulation that prioritises reuse and quality recycling; and by encouraging resource efficiency through education, research and manufacturing initiatives.
Waste nationally and globally is increasingly problematic and challenging to policymakers. It is a problem that is increasing in scale and scope. It matters to all of us for a series of reasons:
In a circular economy, materials are more durable and easier to repair, reuse and recycle while waste is turned into a resource. In addition, processes from production to waste management become more resource efficient. Innovative business models enable companies to create value by selling services rather than products. Digital technologies will be pivotal in bringing about this systemic change. The European Union has to make the most of digital solutions for the benefit of a circular economy. This requires addressing the barriers to their uptake, enabling the free flow of data across borders, fostering trust in the data economy, and maximising synergies between the digital and circular economy agendas.
The Knowledge Alliance on Product-Service Development towards Circular Economy and Sustainability in Higher Education (KATCH_e) is a 3-year EU funded project that was launched in January 2017. KATCH_e brings together 11 partners from four EU countries to address the challenge of reinforcing the skills and competences in the field of product-service development for the circular economy and sustainability in the construction and furniture sectors. It develops training materials targeting universities, researchers, practitioners and businesses for the development of sustainable product-services. The main results of KATCH_e are:
Our world economy is only 9.1% circular, leaving a massive ‘"circularity gap". This alarming statistic is the main output of this first Circularity Gap Report, in which we launch a metric for the circular state of the planet. The Circularity Gap Report provides a framework and fact-based to measure and monitor progress in bridging the gap, year on year. Being able to track and target performance via the Global Circularity Metric will help us engage in uniform goal-setting and guide future action in the most impactful way. Closing the circularity gap serves the higher objective of preventing further and accelerated environmental degradation and social inequality. The transition to circularity is, therefore, a means to an end. As a multi stakeholder model, a circular economy has the ability to unite a global community behind an action agenda, engaged and empowered both collectively and individually. Its systemic approach boosts capacity and capability to serve societal needs, by embracing and endorsing the best humankind has to offer: the power of entrepreneurship, innovation and collaboration.
The circular economy is attracting significant interest worldwide, as evidenced by the numerous government strategies, business commitments and partnerships devoted to its development. At the EU level, the Action Plan for the Circular Economy and several other policy documents have demonstrated a strong commitment to move towards a low-carbon and circular economy. While the calls for a new economic model grow louder, it is clear that the transformation of markets and industries on a large scale will not be an easy achievement. It will require well-designed and ambitious policies to foster the transition as well as new business models. Against this background, CEPS brought together executives from major multinational companies as well as representatives of business associations, non-governmental organisations and research institutes to form a Task Force charged with tackling the immense challenges associated with the circular economy. This report is the outcome of their deliberations. It analyses the key obstacles that need to be addressed, explores numerous policy areas at the EU and national level where support can act as a catalyst for market transformation, and puts forward actionable policy recommendations.
The concept of the circular economy has been largely promoted as a solution to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. Many scholars, on the other hand, argue that democratic and equitable sustainability cannot be achieved under conditions of continuous economic growth. This online symposium will discuss how a circular economy and society can rise to the challenge.
Join this one-hour webinar on Brazilian circular capacity building. International speakers will share their views on rethinking our business models and making them more sustainable in the wake of COVID-19 crisis. Tune in on Wednesday, 15 April, 2020, from 14:30 to 15:30 (CET).
In the second webinar of Signifikant's circular economy series, the discussion will be focussed on how manufacturing organizations are finding ways to fast-forward transformation beyond old linear ways of doing businesses.
Join this webinar to learn about the relevance of Circular Economy for cities, the role and approaches of EU regulation, as well as specific opportunities/challenges that municipalities may face when “going circular”.
It replaces the postponed NetWorkshop on Circular Cities>Towns>Villages and Municipal Utilities due to take place on 1-2 April.
On 17 and 18 March 2020 the Circular Materials Conference invites you to reimagine materials with the help of emerging technologies and novel collaborations to create a circular future together.
The national conference on the Circular Economy is scheduled for March 19 in Rome and will be livestreamed. Developed in collaboration with ENEA, it will show the 2020 Report on the circular economy in Italy with a focus on the regenerative bioeconomy.
The live streaming of the Conference is available here.
Fifty million metric tonnes of e-waste is generated every year, equalling the weight of nearly 4,500 Eiffel towers. Much of it is incinerated or placed in landfill, causing pollution, human health hazards and the loss of valuable finite resources.
Listen to experts do a deep-dive into the problems associated with e-waste and discuss how they can be tackled.
CEPS, in cooperation with COWI, Prognos and CapGemini, is launching a new study for the European Commission’s DG Energy on the EU’s Global Leadership in Renewables.
This webinar will outline a framework to classify indicators according to the measurement characteristics of the circular economy, but also provide an alternative pathway to monitor the circular economy.
A seminar where actors in the building and construction sector, policy-makers, academics and others can explore possibilities to accelerate the circular transition in the building and construction sector.
A look beyond the EU's circular economy package by Nick Molho on Euractiv.com.
The Bulgarian EU Council Presidency's political priorities include circular economy.
The finalists for the Circular Economy Leadership Award Circulars 2018 have been nominated.
The roadmap for the Evaluation of legislation on Food Contact Materials - Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 is now open for comments from stakeholders.
Circular Glasgow, hosted by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, will connect with companies across the city helping them to open up new revenue streams, increase competitive advantage and realise financial savings using a range of practical tools.
The Reeeboot program is launched in France, to help associations working against social exclusion and the digital divide. Thanks to the programme, eligible organisations can benefit from reconditioned computer equipment, needed to carry out their activities and promote the return to employment.
A market consultation conference, hosted by the European Investment Bank and the European Commission, to raise awareness of an upcoming investment platform to improve access to finance of bioeconomy companies in Europe.
The first meeting of the Coordination Group of the ECESP convened in Brussels on 22 November 2017.
23-24 November, Charleroi - Extending product lifetimes through re-use and repair has tremendous social and environmental impact and is at the heart of a circular economy vision, but is seldom put into the spotlight during discussions on Europe’s move towards circular economy. The main aim of this public conference is to show-case examples of cooperation between social enterprise, public bodies and private industry.
There is much talk about circular economy, but how far has its mitigation effect reached the circle of climate policies? With this publication, Circle Economy advocates for a deeper and stronger integration between circular economy and addressing climate change.
