rhinopaq: reusable and recyclable shipping packaging as a B2B service
rhinopaq provides reusable shipping packaging boxes made of polypropylene, which can be reused up to 20 times.
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How to reduce textile waste by repurposing unsold/gently-used t-shirts, dresses and skirts to make grocery bags
A simple design to turn an unsold/gently-used piece of clothing into a circular grocery bag.
The Babytheek: a library for baby supplies
The Babytheek is a handy system for borrowing baby items during the first year of the baby’s life.
Pryme: A game changer in plastic recycling
Pryme converts plastic waste into valuable products on an industrial scale. It has developed a new approach to an existing and proven chemical recycling technology. Pryme has optimised the pyrolysis process by adding proprietary characteristics.
ZenRobotics
ZenRobotics has harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to improve the quality of waste sorting. ZenRobotics' AI-powered robot technology is used at its material recovery facilities (MRFs) to capture valuable high-purity materials from waste streams in construction and demolition, commerce and industry, and municipal solid waste.
CIA: putting coffee husks to good use
The Italian company CIA has found that the most appropriate way to reuse coffee husks is as a fertiliser and soil conditioner by composting them in organic farms.
Dienpi: applying research to materials for fashion accessory production
Dienpi S.r.l. produces labels, tags and packaging for fashion brands. The production of tags and packaging for luxury brands whose production processes are not traditionally linear involves considerable amounts of innovation, sustainability and craftsmanship.
Rice for architecture by Ricehouse
Ricehouse natural mortars are obtained by expertly mixing aerial lime with rice husks, a agricultural by-product derived from husking raw rice.
CleanBags: A machine for disinfecting medical bags for recycling
CleanBags machines empty and internally disinfect bags used in healthcare facilities. The disinfectant used is chlorhexidine digluconate which has a broad spectrum of action, meaning that it acts on bacteria and viruses, even COVID-19.
Fiusis: energy and fuel from pruning olive trees
Italy's Puglia Region has large expanses of olive groves. Pruning these trees yields around 800 kilotonnes of residual biomass each year and Fiusis uses this biomass to produce energy.
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Southwest Finland's circular economy roadmap
In the framework of the CIRCWASTE project, Southwest Finland developed a circular economy roadmap to implement the national waste plan and define regional objectives with concrete measures to achieve these.
The Finnish Environment Institute formed an expert network on circular economy, and began identifying regional strengths and special characteristics to start with. A regional cooperation group of more than 20 members was founded to work the strategy. It was composed of representatives from various towns, education establishments, the Regional Council of Soutwest Finland, private companies etc.
For Southwest Finland, stakeholders set a focus on sustainable food systems, high-tech industry, transport and logistics. Public services and knowledge exchange with industry, academia and civil society are the overarching themes.
The objectives and measures are classified along the priority sectors:
- construction
- biodegradable waste
- nutrient reuse
- municipal waste.
Targeted training and versatile learning materials will advance circular economy in construction, where the strategy aims to generate less waste and increase the use of construction and demolition waste to 70%.
As Southwest Finland is a national frontrunner in making use of agricultural by-products and nutrient reuse, the region wants to build on its strengths and halve food waste by 2030. Another goal in this area is to increase the amount of recycled organic waste to 60%.
Additionally the strategy hopes to decouple municipal waste growth from regional GDP growth, and increase recycling to 55%.
Brussels construction industry roadmap towards a circular economy
Brussels construction industry roadmap towards a circular economy
The Brussels Regional Programme for a Circular Economy is Belgium's capital region strategic effort towards a circular economy. Within this programme, the Brussels construction industry with its 12,000 businesses is a priority sector. As construction and facilities management accounts for 98% of water use, 75% energy demand and 33% of waste in Brussels, there is great potential for a substantial contribution to a circular transition.
This roadmap, developed in partnership with the Environmental Agency through 3 stakeholder workshops, includes three gradual steps towards circular building in Brussels:
- voluntary measures by construction businesses by 2025
- comprehensive regulation for circular public buildings by 2030
- reforming all relevant local planning regulations to include circular principles by 2040
While the latter goal remains to be clearly defined and prepared, the voluntary measures by companies and regulatory update for public buildings have already been transformed into actionable steps, e.g. revising training curricula in vocational and professional schools with a circular mindset or setting up monitoring systems to track the flow of resource and waste from Brussels' largest construction sites.
Circulair Den Haag: transitie naar een duurzame economie
Circular The Hague: transition to a sustainable economy
In this policy note, the City of the Hague outlines why a circular transition is necessary and what benefits it can provide to the city for its sustainable development. Continuing with a state-of-play, the note sketches out the policy framework at European, national and regional level to provide strategic context and introduce analysis of a non-exhaustive list of 143 ongoing circular projects in The Hague area. Links to further research show that making use of the opportunities a circular economy provides in the Construction, Procurement and Retail Trade sectors alone could substantially reduce carbon emissions and deliver 3,500 jobs in The Hague area.
Building on this research, the policy note indicates the city's priorities best lie in biomass, construction material and critical raw materials. To showcase possible next steps, the note provides a list of easily implementable projects and policies in these priority areas, while concluding with a stakeholder engagement strategy that should enable the city's administration to realise its goals for the priority sectors.
Roubaix's Circular Economy Route Map
After the 2014 elections, the new Roubaix municipality team wanted to change the image of its city and encourage a positive attitude towards both its inhabitants and France as a whole.
The roadmap aims at turning difficulties into advantages, generating a new dynamic. Based on the Sustainable development strategy (since 2003), a zero waste policy is progressively implemented with a focus on cooperation and awareness raising among the stakeholders.
The approach is global, even if some activities are implemented on a micro-scale (budget issue), mostly at the level of a city sub-district (Fresnoy-Mackellerie).
To enable the entire City of Roubaix to experience the transition to a zero waste economy, projects are open and accessible to all categories of population and businesses. This is reflected in the way the projects are designed and co-developed, and how the City communicates about them.
Some concrete solutions are tested on an everyday basis and feedback is already shared with others (zero waste family program, zero waste business label, zero waste festival…).
Generally speaking, the City of Roubaix wants :
- to have the largest possible audience sharing the zero waste concepts, to match activities that could bring new dynamics into this field and make it happen. The more people share the same values the better;
- to multiply the interaction at different levels (inhabitants, institutions, businesses) but also to keep a global coherent approach;
- to minimize the production of waste, by changing consumer’s behaviour, retailer distribution methods and the design and processing used by the companies;
- to make the remaining and really unavoidable waste enter a circular loop.
National Circular Economy Strategy Greece
National Action Plan on Circular Economy
Greece's Governmental Economic Policy Council ensorsed a National Action Plan on Circular Economy in early 2018 to set the country on a path towards the long-term adoption of circular economy principles. This further supports Greece's economic strategy in its key quest to “Green” the economy in a way that creates jobs, especially for women and youth, and supports long-term equitable and inclusive growth based on resource efficiency, promotion of SMEs, innovation and investment in new technologies, and strengthening of the “social economy” potential. The long-term (2030) goals of the National Action Plan on Circular Economy can be summarised as follows:
- moving up the waste hierarchy by focusing on preventing waste and improving recycling
- supporting circular entrepreneurship by promoting “industrial symbiosis” and business clusters
- supporting circular consumption patterns of re-using, re-storing and re-pairing rather than buying new products, especially for electrical and electronic devices
- enhancing multi-stakeholder partnerships across industry, academia, and civil society
- monitoring progress towards a circular economic model through SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound) indicators.
Priority actions for 2018 include:
- lifting barriers to a circular economy through 10+ regulatory and legislative interventions, e.g. integrating circular economy considerations and criteria in the Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Impact Assessment requirements for sites and projects as well as in the environmental permitting process or elaborating new legal definitions for wastes, by-products and re-fuse materials after first use intended for re-use, declassification of waste and quality standards for secondary raw materials
- earmarking existing funds to implement the aforementioned interventions and fund demonstration projects
- further enhancing knowledge, understanding, education, awareness and communication
- improving governance structures by setting up an inter-ministerial Executive Secretariat for the Circular Economy to oversee implementation and related Observatory to monitor progress
Prior to this, Greece has already adopted a new Law on Recycling in November 2017 to fully align existing waste legislation with circular economy principles and taken effective measures to reduce the consumtion of single-use plastic bags with a ministerial decision in August 2017 that introduced merchant responsibility and set fees for consumers. With these measures and the actions set out in the National Circular Economy Action Plan, Greece aims to achieve the following by 2020:
- achieve a radical reduction of the per capita produced waste
- increase reuse and recycling of wastes, with a separate collection of recyclable waste and of bio-waste, to reach 50% of total municipal solid waste produced from a 25% where it stands today
- reach a 74% recovery and less than 30% disposal of total municipal solid waste produced from the current 82% disposal
- create around 15,900 new jobs and the increase of the annual turnover of the waste management related businesses.
Strategy for the Transition to the Circular Economy in the Municipality of Maribor
Strategy for the Transition to Circular Economy in the Municipality of Maribor
The underlying idea of the Strategy for the Transition to the Circular Economy in the Municipality of Maribor, as well as the Wcycle project, is its to have an own innovative model as a system for managing all the resources available in the Municipality of Maribor and the wider urban area.
The model is based on the operation of enterprises that are predominantly publicly-owned and already provide public services for residents. They are thus the city’s bottlenecks that until now have not functioned as a connecting link, which is a fundamental principle in the transition from linear to circular economy.
Only close cooperation between public companies, citizens, industry and local self-government can lead to a successful interconnected system that optimises resources and results - economic, environmental and social. This is a long-term project that provides development-oriented efficient management of resource flows in local and regional environments.
The purpose of the Strategy and Wcycle project discussed is cross-sectoral cooperation in handling, processing, re-use and development of resources, which deals with the circular economy in Maribor in seven selected sectors (i.e pillars or circles).
The positive consequences of these practices are the emergence of new business opportunities for the Municipality of Maribor, the people and the economy, the creation of high-quality, mainly green jobs, new added value and a fresh economic boost.
Plan national de gestion des déchets et des ressources (PNGDR)
Luxembourg's National Waste and Resource Management Plan
Luxembourg's new National Waste and Resource Management Plan includes measures and guidelines for the implementation of the amended Waste Management Act of March 21, 2012. It analyzes the situation regarding waste management and lists measures that will be taken to ensure the re-use, recycling, recovery and disposal of waste in the most environmentally friendly conditions while remaining in line with the national and European legislative context. The prevention program is integrated in the text of the national plan and introduces a whole-system approach for waste prevention.
The overall objective of the NWRMP is to protect the environment, cultural property and human health by preventing and reducing the harmful effects of waste. In addition, waste management has long-term goals, including conservation of resources, climate protection and impacts for future generations.
This plan represents a considerable step in the transition towards a circular economy, and builds on the principles of a sober and responsible consumption of natural resources, the optimisation of product life cycles, opportunities for re-use or failing that, waste recycling.
The NWRMP, among others, includes the following ambitious targets for 2022:
- reducing food waste by 50%;
- 65% collection rate of electric and electronic waste;
- less than 10% of all municipal waste going to landfill.
The plan was also drafted in consultation with stakeholders and citizens over a 3-year period. This included thematic workshops on municipal waste, food waste, construction & demolition waste and treatment plant waste. The plan also received input through the May 2017 'National Waste Day' and further public consultations in Spring 2018. Its implementation willl be overseen by the Ministry for Sustainable Development and Infrastructure's environmental agency for the period 2018 - 2022.
Brussels Regional Programme for Circular Economy
The Brussels Regional Programme for Circular Economy (BRPCE) is an integrated strategy involving 111 measures aimed at delivering circular patterns at the city level. The main objectives of the BPRCE are:
- to transform environmental objectives into economic opportunities
- to anchor economic activities within Brussels’ borders, maximising resource circularity and boosting entrepreneurship, and
- to create new employment opportunities.
Circular Economy roadmap of France: 50 measures for a 100% circular economy
The transition towards a circular economy is a key project of the ecological and social transition. The linear model — producing, consuming, discarding — is inevitably leading us towards the depletion of the planet's resources.
We must move towards a different type of economy, where we consume in moderation, where products have a longer lifetime, where we limit waste, and where we are able to transform waste into new resources.
This transition is a genuine societal project whose aim is to move away from the throw-away society. It invites us to change the way we lead our lives and to invent new and more sustainable production and consumption methods. The French roadmap includes four key priority areas: better production, better consumption, better waste management, and engaging all stakeholders.
Extremadura 2030
The Regional Government of Extremadura is working on a 'Strategy for a Green and Circular Economy' titled "Extremadura 2030". The objective is to encourage the production of goods and services while reducing the consumption and waste of raw materials, water and energy sources, thus based on the principle of closing the lifecycle of production. By doing so the regional government of Extremadura has created an intrinsic link between its overarching regional economic policy goals, European priorities for a sustainable economic future and the global fight against climate change. This strategy calls for citizens, businesses, civil society, public administration and the scientific community to collaborate in realising the circular economy. Implementation is foreseen through 4 horizontal programmes across 7 thematic axes. - Massive citizen participation program; - Citizen training program in green leadership; - Green and bio-economy R&D support program; - Program for the identification and enhancement of the full potential of the green economy of Extremadura.
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What can we learn from the Nordics about Circular Economy?
The goal of the circular economy is to take full advantage of all available resources through reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling. The recent Nordic Circular Summit in Copenhagen covered topics from public administration programmes to innovative techniques and renewable practices in the marine and food industries.
What can we learn about the circular economy from the Nordic perspective? Find some answers in this position paper.
Quick Scan Circular Business Models
Quick Scan Circular Business Models - a white paper
This white paper on Quick Scan Circular Business Models - Inspiration for organising value retention in loops from the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy offers an approach for developing a circular business model. It is based on a classification for existing and future circular business models developed in 2021. It consists of seven basic models geared primarily to the manufacturing industry, although it can also be used in other sectors.
The paper is divided into three parts:
- an introduction explaining the background and central concepts
- an overview of the seven circular business models comprising the classification, and
- the actual Quick Scan.
The interactive Quick Scan version can be found here.
Sustainable Production and Consumption of Food. Mise-en-Place Circular Economy Policies and Waste Management Practices in Tourism Cities
Sustainable Production and Consumption of Food. Mise-en-Place Circular Economy Policies and Waste Management Practices in Tourism Cities
Although previous researchers have explored the circular economy practices of different businesses in various contexts, only a few papers have focused on the sustainable preparation and consumption of food in the tourism and hospitality industry. This paper sheds light on case studies from hotels, restaurants and cafés that are located in urban tourism destinations.
This research suggests that catering businesses can implement a number of responsible initiatives by introducing preventive measures and recycling practices to curb food loss and the generation of waste. In conclusion, it finds that there is scope for regulatory authorities and policy makers to encourage hospitality practitioners to minimise food waste.
Implementation of circular economy approaches in the electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sector
Circularity and the electrical and electronic equipment sector: Barriers, enablers and policy insights
The article Implementation of circular economy approaches in the electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sector: Barriers, enablers and policy insights by Vasileios Rizos and Julie Bryhn aims to enrich the research in the field of circular economy business models by focusing on the EEE sector.
The study adopts a multi-case study approach and uses a sample of 31 cases developed through the EU-funded CIRC4Life project and the snowball sampling method.
The findings show that despite the various policy instruments in place to boost the CE transition in this sector, gaps exist which require policy attention.
The study suggests actions to facilitate CE practices including knowledge sharing platforms and business partnerships as well as R&D project grants.
ChangeMakers
ChangeMakers
ChangeMakers is a magazine published by Circularities together with Circl/ABN Amro Bank. Readers can learn about working methods and practical examples of circularity from directors, designers, buyers and marketing specialists from companies like Philips, Bugaboo, Fairphone and Mitsubishi.
The magazine aims to inspire future-proof professionals with a wealth of interviews from people who really know what they're talking about and feel passionate about the circular transition. Each section tackles the circular economy from a different perspective: for instance, directors speak about how they need to steer their companies and designers talk about the principles underpinning their work.
If you're interested in circular issues, this magazine is well worth the read!
Progress towards preventing waste in Europe - the case of textile waste prevention
Progress towards preventing waste in Europe: the textile case
Waste prevention is the best waste management policy option, according to the waste hierarchy - the EU's main rule for the environmental ranking of waste management policies. Its main objective is to reduce waste generation, the environmental impacts of waste management and the hazardousness of the waste generated.
To support this objective, the EU and all its Member States have put in place legislation that promotes activities in products' life cycles aimed at reducing the amount of waste generated.
This report aims to assess progress towards the main objective of waste prevention: decoupling (i. e. breaking the link between waste generation and economic growth).
Linking cross-border shipments of waste in the EU with the circular economy
Linking cross-border shipments of waste in the EU with the circular economy
This briefing provides a snapshot of the status of trading non-hazardous, recyclable waste within the EU. Its aim is to provide knowledge and information to support the review of the EU's Waste Shipment Regulation.
The idea is to improve the functioning of secondary material markets by offering insights and potential solutions to help ensure that waste is treated in the best possible way in line with the principles of the waste hierarchy.
Circular economy and the energy transition – potential of a Flemish circularity hub for EV Li-ion batteries
Circular economy and the energy transition – potential of a Flemish circularity hub for EV Li-ion batteries
How can a "strategic stock management" approach shed light on the potential of circular strategies for critical raw materials? This reports provides insights at regional macro-economic level for policy-makers.
The future economic and environmental potential of a Flemish Circularity Hub for li-ion batteries from electric vehicles is explored as a case study with high policy relevance.
Consumers’expectations of circular business models: perspectives of suppliers
Consumer expectations of circular business models - supplier perspective in Product-Service Systems
In ‘Vision 2050. A long-term strategy for Flanders’, the circular economy is one of seven transition priorities. New business models play a key role in this transition.
This paper explores incentives and barriers for consumers in adopting new circular business models - such as Product-Service Systems (PSS). Eight B2C suppliers were interviewed in the sectors of coffee, housing, electrical appliances and clothing.
The study confirms that PSS are context-dependent and emphasises the dynamic relation between producers and consumers in PSS.
Future research priorities include uncovering practical and cultural aspects of PSS, as well as exploring what it takes for PSS to be transformative in the context of a transition towards the circular economy.
Consumer Attitudes towards Circular Business Models and Activities
Consumer Attitudes towards Circular Business Models and Activities
This study focuses on the willingness of consumers to use circular business models (CBMs).
It assesses the ‘suitability’ of a product or sector for a particular circular business model from a consumer-based perspective: is it likely that a sufficient number of consumers would be willing to adopt the CBM to make it worthwhile for providers to enter this market? The study aims to provide an overview of different attitudes towards a diverse set of CBMs. Specifically, it takes six scenarios concentrating on coffee, printing, housing, clothing, household chores and secondhand markets. This approach makes it possible to compare results for a variety of CBMs as well as to identify general trends in consumers’ intentions and reported behaviour.
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nachaltig.digital: a platform for sustainable digitalisation
Nachhaltig.digital is a platform for stepping up dialogue on the sustainability and digitalisation of SMEs in Germany.
It provides a space for the exchange of ideas, products, solutions, inspiration and discussion - both online and offline. The platform helps companies to use digitalisation to make their business sustainable.
The platform has also focused on the circular economy. As well as providing a forum where companies can interact, Nachhaltig.digital informs them about digitalisation and the circular economy, answering questions and telling them about current trends.
Repair my stuff: an online platform for finding professional repairers
Repairmystuff is an online platform based in Ireland which supports, promotes and encourages the repair industry in Ireland.
It promotes a circular economy by providing a free online space for repair companies. It aims to give consumers more options for accessing repair services throughout the country. It also provides consumers with a search tool which suggests service providers according to what needs to be repaired and where in the country the person is located.
Product categories include:
- clothes and bags
- monitors, TVs and displays
- electronics
- fitness and sports
- furniture and upholstery
- large and small appliances
- lawnmowers and garden machinery
- leather and shoes
- musical instruments
- watches and jewellery
- others.
Nordic circular cooperation in CIRCit Norden
CIRCit was a 3½-year research project, spanning the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. The objective was to help their industry to discover and implement the opportunities of the circular economy.
This project was part of the Nordic Green Growth Research and Innovation Programme funded by NordForsk, Nordic Energy Research and Nordic Innovation.
The project focus areas for the circular economy were:
- Sustainability screening
- Business modelling
- Circular product design and development
- Smart circular economy
- Closing the loop for a circular economy
- Collaborating and networking for a circular economy.
The project webpage contains 101 circular economy case studies in the Nordic region and several scientific publications.
FISSAC - Fostering Industrial Symbiosis for a Sustainable Resource Intensive Industry across the extended Construction Value Chain
FISSAC is a project seeking to stimulate the coordination and facilitation of work in the construction and demolition value chain. Accordingly, the initiative aims to gather various stakeholders and to encourage the development and adoption of a common methodology and software platform for the exchange of information and best practices.
The overall aim of the project is to help companies with sustainability practices, by creating models that can be used by anyone. The models can be:
- manufacturing processes (such as demonstrations of close-loop recycling processes to transform waste into secondary raw materials)
- product validations (examples of eco-design and eco-innovative construction products)
- industrial symbiosis models (software platforms for example).
Madaster: online register and 'material passport'
Madaster is a platform to register and document a range of materials or products. It offers its services to individuals, companies or public sector institutions that wish to collect and store data about their materials. Madaster stores the data in a secure and efficient way.
Most importantly, the platform offers updated information about the circular values and potentials of the owned materials, thus expanding opportunities for more efficient green management of resources. With the data, Madaster provides the clients with a “material passport” that enables them to use it for moving towards a circular economy.
Madaster has a global focus and operates in several countries (e.g. The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Norway and China).
Accelerating transition to circularity with Circular Berlin
Circular Berlin is an NGO that focuses on making Berlin circular. Berlin is envisioned as a resilient, citizen-oriented region. Resources are sourced locally and their value is maintained as part of a continuous loop. Circular Berlin operates across areas such as community-building, education, as well as developing knowledge on industries with a high potential for circularity: the built environment, food and biomass, textile and fashion, and materials and products.
Circular Berlin hosts events in which the community meets, debates and exchanges. Topics range from sharing knowledge to collaborative planning sessions, and has built open-source digital tools allowing information to be exchanged more quickly.
For more information on specific projects, consult their website.
A Digital Platform for Circular Economy created by the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Digital Platform for Circular Economy (CE HUB) recently created by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia showcases circular economy-related information for the business community on:
- possibilities of improving knowledge and practice
- current events in the EU
- potential grants
- financial support
- business models
- possible savings by shifting to a CE business model.
The interactive part of the platform aims to:
- link business people from different sectors,
- present best practice examples, ideas and projects, and
- establish future cooperation and new investments with national, regional and international partners.
The aim is for CE businesses to join the Alliance for Green Transition of Serbia.
Circular Labs
EN: The MarketPlace Circular Labs aim to give visibility to good practices and circular economy success stories developed by businesses and entrepreneurs in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula (Castilla y León, Galicia and North of Portugal).
ES: El MarketPlace Circular Labs tiene por objeto dar visibilidad a Buenas Prácticas y casos de éxito de economía circular desarrolladas por empresas y emprendedores en el Noroeste de la Península Ibérica (Castilla y León, Galicia y Norte de Portugal).
PT: O MarketPlace Circular Labs pretende dar visibilidade às Boas Práticas e casos de sucesso da economia circular desenvolvidas por empresas e empresários do Noroeste da Península Ibérica (Castela e Leão, Galiza e Norte de Portugal).
Forest Sharing, an innovative platform taking care of woods
Forest Sharing is a platform/marketplace for the shared and innovative management of unmanaged or underutilized privately-owned forests according to PEFC standards, a network where exchanges between owners and economic operators within the supply chain are facilitated and organized, thus creating the economies of scale needed for forest activities (sale of wood or derived products, recreational areas, adventure parks, thematic routes, management of Rural Development Plans etc.) to become economically viable.
The platform, online since September 2020, has around 300 registered users for 2 500 hectares of woods in various regions, with a potential of another 2 000 hectares. In 2019 it was selected as best practice/new business idea within Rosewood.
Socially minded platform for the reuse and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment
Circular economy marketplaces for reuse and recycling of products exist. The USOdy platform claims outstanding results with respect to its primary objective, the reuse and recycling of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), by contributing to the increase of the reuse of administration’s EEE from 5 % up to potentially 50 %.
Going beyond, the practice also enables vulnerable users and groups to get access to refurbished equipment at an affordable price, which contributes to reducing the overall digital divide in the society and creates jobs at refurbishing organisations for vulnerable persons. The practice is transferable to any region: all necessary resources (code, methodologies…) are available as free software.
Click here for more info.
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12 May 2022
The LCA4Regions partners are organising a conference in Brussels on 12 May. This will be an opportunity to share their project's initial outcomes and discuss how to apply life cycle assessment (LCA) to improve policy planning and actively make conscious decisions about resource efficiency and investments, with a focus on the sustainable built environment.
05 May 2022
The REthinkWASTE project is organising a webinar on Pay As You Throw and Know As You Throw models on 5 May.
03 Jun 2022
Learn on Friday 3 June how the Level(s) tools can help you implement core indicators to assess and report on the sustainability performance of buildings.
29 Apr 2022
A public hearing on 29 April 2022 is organised to feed into an EESC opinion on the Sustainable products initiative, including Ecodesign Directive. It will bring together speakers and participants from the EU institutions, as well as the organised civil society to discuss the proposed legislative framework.
28 Apr 2022
On Thursday 28 April The European Commission invites you to an online event on the methods for measuring the life cycle performance of products and organisations: the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and the Organisation Environmental Footprint (OEF).
26 Apr 2022
This webinar on 26 April will show you how to help your value chain reduce its carbon emissions to fight climate change, keep your business competitive, and stay legally compliant.
21 Apr 2022
Join the event on 21 April 2022 for the launch of the Circularity Gap Report Sweden to learn more about the state of circularity in Sweden and how advancing it can help strengthen climate action.
12 Apr 2022
The 4th OECD Roundtable on the Circular Economy in Cities and Regions will bring together key stakeholders from cities, regions, national governments, the private sector, civil society, academia, philanthropy and international organisations on 12 April 2022.
07 Apr 2022
This event on 7 April aims to explore the concept of biofactories and present the technical advances of the projects ECOVAL and WALNUT. The social, legal and market barriers for the valorisation of high added value products for agriculture and industry, such as sludge or biofertilisers obtained from waste flows from urban water treatment plants, will be discussed.
17 May 2022
This #EUCircularTalk on Measuring Circularity on 17 May 2022 aims to reach out to and hold an interactive dialogue with stakeholders outside the leadership group. This session will address the link between ISO work on international circular economy standards and circular procurement practices.
The national Norwegian GPP audit will be presented as an example of measuring green public procurement efforts and their impact.
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03 Dec 2021
In 2020 the EU’s circular material use rate reached 12,8 %, i.e. almost 13 % of material resources used in the EU came from recycled waste materials, according to Eurostat.
The circularity rate - which is part of the EU monitoring framework on the circular economy - is the share of material resources used coming from recycled waste materials, thus saving extractions of primary raw materials.
30 Nov 2021
The initiative called Microplastics pollution – measures to reduce its impact on the environment aims to tackle microplastics unintentionally released into the environment. It will focus on labelling, standardisation, certification and regulatory measures for the main sources of these plastics.
The European Commission would like to hear your views on microplastics pollution. Give your feedback!
10 Dec 2021
The ECESP Coordination Group members will present Europe's pioneering work in the field of the circular economy to a global audience on 17-18 January 2022 during the Europe Circular Days in Dubai. European Commissioners, MEPs, and other EU institutions' representatives will join the event to present Europe's vision for the circular economy.
26 Nov 2021
The EROS Project, with the participation of AIMPLAS and ITC, is working to develop new recycling processes to recover composite materials from the aeronautics and wind turbine sectors to manufacture new products for the transport and ceramics industries.
17 Nov 2021
A historic decision has been announced at the Catalonia Circular Hotspot Event 2021! The 2023 edition of the Circular Economy Hotspot will be hosted by Nigeria, Ireland, and Chile!
15 Nov 2021
You are invited to participate in a survey by the European Commission on the use and application of the environmental footprint methods (and PEFCRs and OEFSRs). The results of this survey will help the Commission understand how they can provide further support for accelerating and implementing these methods more effectively.
23 Nov 2021
Join this year's Nordic Circular Summit exploring the circular economy in the Nordic region on 23–26 November, and learn about the region’s tremendous circular opportunities.
08 Nov 2021
The sixth EU Raw Materials Week will take place from 15 to 19 November 2021, bringing together stakeholders to discuss policies and initiatives in the field of raw materials.
During the online event on Bio-based solutions for the green and digital transition on 16 November, you will learn how to upcycle woody biomass residues into valuable and innovative products.
04 Nov 2021
On the Green Track is an EU campaign on biodiversity and nature for young people, organised in collaboration with the Global Biodiversity Youth Network and implemented in spring 2022 during the European Year of Youth.
You or your organisation can contribute to the debate about the future of nature and biodiversity by organising a youth-focused event and hence become one of the Green Track Stops.
04 Nov 2021
This online course is accessible to all professionals and individuals, from entrepreneurs to business owners and project managers who want to learn how to design resilient and profitable business models with circular economy principles. In this 15 hour, self-paced course, you will learn the basics of business ecosystem design and how to put the circular design approach into practice.
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Ellen MacArthur Foundation launches Circular Economy in Cities portal
Abstract:
In March 2019, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched Circular Economy in Cities, a suite of easily accessible resources which provide a global reference on the topic.
Wanted by Sitra: Circular economy solutions that change the world
Abstract:
The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra is collecting a selection of circular economy solutions that are among the most viable, promising, scalable and impactful in the world.
Circular Change promoting Creative & Circular
Abstract:
Within the ECESP, Circular Change has promoted the role of creative industries with a focus on circular design.
CEC4Europe explores and evaluates business showcases from the circular economy industry platform
Abstract:
This research by Lukas Stumpf, part of the CEC4Europe factbook on the circular economy published in September 2018, evaluates 131 projects from the Circular Economy Industry Platform (CEIP) regarding their contribution to circular economy from both a scientific and a political perspective.
IRCEM and its Strategy for Romania's Transition to Circular Economy
Abstract:
History of IRCEM - the Romanian Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment “Ernest Lupan” - and development of ROCES - Romania's Strategy for the Transition to a Circular Economy (ROCES) 2020-2030
Copa-Cogeca shares its members' initiatives on tackling food waste during the COVID-19 crisis
Abstract:
Copa-Cogeca is sharing the initiatives of its members that demonstrate the many actions taken by EU farmers and cooperatives to deal with the Covid-19 crisis.
WBCSD and Circle Economy: Scaling the Circular Built Environment
Abstract:
This publication by WBCSD and Circle Economy highlights how the built environment, consuming almost half of the world's resources extracted every year and responsible for a massive environmental footprint, is a fundamental sector in the circular transition.
ProCirc project: creating a toolbox for circular procurement
Abstract:
ProCirc – Circular Procurement: Accelerate circular economy through procurement power, alliance and capacity building – is a 3.5 year Interreg North Sea Region project that started in 2018, co-funded by the Regional Development Fund of the European Union. It is led by a consortium of 11 partners, including ACR+, representing both public authorities and research institutes.
ECESP at the European Parliament: presenting the role of the Platform for a circular future
Abstract:
On the initiative of the ECESP coordination group members Arthur ten Wolde (Ecopreneur.eu), Jean-Pierre Schweitzer (European Environment Bureau) and chair Ladeja Godina Košir (Circular Change), an ECESP breakfast meeting was organised on 29 January 2020 to introduce the Platform to MEPs working on the circular economy: achieving a circular economy through active stakeholder involvement.
Circularity Gap Report Austria
Abstract:
In June 2019, Altstoff Recycling Austria (ARA) and Circle Economy released the Circularity Gap Report Austria, the first measure of circularity for a nation state.
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Paper Challenge at school!
'Paper Challenge' is a sustainable development education programme that provides support for the implementation of responsible paper management in schools.
Greenlab accelerating green business in Brussels
GreenLab (previously BSE Academy) has been created to develop environmental markets in the Brussels-Capital Region and create jobs of all kinds.
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Delivering the circular economy: a toolkit for policymakers
The circular economy offers business leaders and government a clear opportunity for long-term growth that is less dependent on cheap materials and energy, and which can restore and regenerate natural capital. This report provides an actionable toolkit for policymakers who wish to embark on a circular economy transformation.
Circularise - an open, distributed and secure communications protocol for the circular economy
Information sharing, transparency and collaboration have been widely recognised as essential catalysts for a circular economy. To use one company’s ‘waste’ as ‘food’ for another, stakeholders need to access the right information at the right time. Information sharing often risks a stakeholder’s competitive advantage. Circularise develops an open communication protocol using blockchain technology.
From strategy to financing: comprehensive guidelines for green start-ups
The Guidelines for green start-ups provide an overview of the most relevant areas and issues for green entrepreneurs in order to facilitate the transition towards a climate-friendly economy, by avoiding the irreparable losses involved in unsustainable consumption and production. There is an overview of main barriers, key opportunities and financial instruments available.