As part of the EU's Bioregio project, the Slovakian city of Nitra has developed a project for community composting by 50 households. The system produces compost, which can be used as a fertiliser by the community. The project aims to lower technical barriers to the reduction of bio-waste.
EntoGreen aims to develop sustainable feed and organic fertilisers by using bio-based technologies to recycle nutrients from agricultural and food waste and reintroducing them into the food chain, thus closing the nutrient cycle.
Toast Ale was founded in 2015 to reduce demand for natural resources by replacing virgin barley with surplus fresh bread.
The cotton gauze grocery bag provides a unique design turning an environmentally-friendly cheesecloth gauze fabric into a sturdy mass produced grocery bag that later can easily be used at home as machine-washable cotton napkins, reusable cleaning cloth and much more.
Pluumo uses surplus feathers cleaned to hypo-allergenic standards to make compostable, biodegradable packaging.
BE O Lifestyle is a Dutch company which has developed a form of plant-based plastic that it uses to manufacture water bottles. The bottles are made from sugar cane residue and are reusable, completely environmentally-friendly - and nice to look at!
The E-waste Race is an educational competition between ten primary schools to collect old electronic devices. Project participants are given an introductory lecture about recycling and the valuable materials contained in electronic devices. They then start collecting e-waste and the school which collects the most wins an educational - and fun! - school trip.
Red Orka is a circular babywear brand that aims to do better for people and the planet. Red Orka's product is delivered to people's homes on the basis of a subscription for a fixed amount each month. The baby rompers are made from 100% organic cotton and produced in the most sustainable way possible.
The Italian company Menichetti produces organic glues and adhesives intended for sustainable packaging. The raw material is obtained from leather and tanning industry by-products.
LENA is the first online and offline fashion library in the Netherlands. It has a system for borrowing clothes and provides an extended wardrobe for every occasion. Their aim is to speed up the fashion industry's transition towards a circular system.
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:
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.
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:
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.
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.
The Roadmap towards the Circular Economy in Slovenia sets the path for Slovenia to become a circular economy front runner in the region. Designed through an inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach, it identifies four priority sectors, give recommendations to the government and identifies best practices. The Roadmap introduces the Circular Triangle, a model which unites three inseparable elements – Circular Economy (business models), Circular Change (government policies) and Circular Culture (citizens), three interdependent aspects that are at the core of systemic change from a linear to a circular economy in Slovenia.
This strategy sets out our priorities for moving towards a more circular economy - where products and materials are kept in high value use for as long as possible.
It builds on Scotland's progress in the zero waste and resource efficiency agendas. A more circular economy will benefit:
Realising these benefits will mean rethinking our approach to how goods are supplied, how they are used, and what happens at the end of products' lifetimes. In this strategy, we are prioritising four areas, although we will also take action elsewhere:
The Strategy for Promoting Green and Circular Economy of the Government of Catalonia aims to foster sustainability as a strategic area to attain economic recovery, increase competitiveness, create jobs, and reduce environmental risks. This strategy is structured into key policies' areas for promoting green and circular economy: the generation of demand and creation of markets, the improvement of the access to funding, the stimulation of research, development and innovation, the boosting of internationalisation and the promotion of employment and entrepreneurship. This strategy therefore contextualises the concept of green and circular economy in Catalonia. At the same time, it is a strategic roadmap that establishes the main areas of work for the medium-term, which are essential to promote this model in Catalonia.
The London circular economy route map outlines a vision of a capital city thriving through the adoption of the principles of circular economy: an economy which keeps products, components and materials at their highest use and value at all times.
Circular Flanders is the hub and the inspiration for the Flemish circular economy. It is a partnership of governments, companies, civil society, and the knowledge community that will take action together. These organisations are the core of our partnership. Each one has committed to carrying out a specific action.
Leading the transition: A circular economy action plan for Portugal was adopted by the Portuguese Council of Ministers in December 2017.
An increasing number of countries consider implementing a deposit return system for single-use beverage containers to address today’s challenges, i.e.:
TOMRA shares lessons learnt from its 45+ years’ experience of innovating and managing deposit return systems globally in a new white paper including:
The white paper seeks to contribute to an educated discussion on recycling best practice – including what can be learnt from the past and what the future may look like.
Romania’s recycling rate of 13% is one of the lowest in the EU with most waste going to landfill. The publication explains how the city of Sălacea, in the north-west of Romania, not only managed to quickly rise from almost no waste recycling to 40% in 3 months, but also how the community reduced its overall waste by 55%.
The case study also explains how political will, commitment from local waste operators and involvement of the community were key to the success of the strategy. The municipality introduced door-to-door household separate collection for 5 types of waste (paper and cardboard, plastic and metal, glass, bio-waste, residual waste) and implemented a four-week education programme with citizens before changing the collection infrastructure.
This study explores developments in the field of the circular economy in the Arab States of the Gulf region to identify areas where the EU and the GCC countries can strengthen their collaboration. Focusing on two GCC countries with recent policy developments in this area: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the study first examines the current framework conditions that would shape prospects for a circular economy and then explores emerging business opportunities.
The research concludes that there are three main areas where the EU and GCC countries could further collaborate on the circular economy:
The report was first published on the European External Action Service’s website.
More than ever during the COVID-19 crisis, the circular economy has asserted itself as the model that can accompany recovery and enable a higher and better growth, through a systemic vision that makes it possible to tackle the most relevant challenges nowadays: the climate crisis and the environmental impact.
Companies must heighten their ambitions over the next Decade of Action, to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), by adopting a production and consumption model by 2030 that allows societies to keep growing economically, but under planetary boundaries and in the light of societal challenges.
This, in brief, is the content of the report Máxima Ambición Circular para la Década de la Acción (in Spanish) published by Foretica.
ACR+ is launching a publication on the development and implementation of circular bioeconomy strategies in different contexts, focusing on three detailed regional case studies in Navarre, Bayern and Flanders.
Under a cooperation agreement with the French Pays de la Loire region, ACR+ has set up a working group on the circular bioeconomy, with a focus on governance. The working group aims to support the development of local and regional roadmaps for the circular bioeconomy, as public authorities steer and support the development of the circular bioeconomy on their patch.
The publication is the result of activities implemented by ACR+ through the working group.
Commissioned by the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP), which advises the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and co-authored by Circle Economy and Shifting Paradigms, this report uncovers the range of socio-economic and environmental co-benefits that circular mitigation interventions can bring to GEF countries of operation.
The report supports strategic advice by the STAP to the GEF and its implementing partners, and helps carve out a role for these bodies in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon circular economy. Its findings will be highly relevant to the development of future GEF projects and programmes across its different focal areas.
The circular economy offers new answers to the question of how 9 billion people can survive on this planet, accepting that there are planetary boundaries and climate change is ongoing.
The aim of this study is to identify drivers of the big five globally largest material flows by mass - ferrous metals, aluminium, paper, glass, asphalt - from a circular perspective and to understand the story behind them.
The focus is on what the development of the BIG 5 tells us about intentions, because this will also reveal the unintended.
This study might inspire industrial managers to take the right decision and pave the pathways to a circular society that is just, balances out social and ecological needs and will provide a solid ground for survival of mankind on planet earth.
REVOLVE magazine has published several articles on waste management and smart cities:
Future is waste. When it comes to climate change and environmental degradation, waste is both the problem and the solution.
This article focuses on the Interreg MED Green Growth Community's work on developing green and smart public services in Euro-Mediterranean cities.
Here’s a look at Euro-Mediterranean projects that have been making progress on the ground.
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.
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.
The Mercado Organizado de Resíduos (MOR) is a Portuguese online platform that can be used to trade different types of waste for recovery (with the exception of waste classified as hazardous by the general waste management scheme).
MOR provides the space for waste of all categories to be traded, whether for recovery or for disposal under the country's general waste management scheme. This includes transactions and exchange of by-products and recycled materials.
The Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (Portuguese Environment Agency) has licensed MOR Online as the first integrated management platform in the waste market.
The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra is a future fund collaborating with partners to research, trial and implement bold ideas that shape the future. It aims to make Finland a pioneer in sustainable well-being.
Since 2015, Sitra has been working to lead the way to a circular economy – a new kind of society in which everyday lives and well-being are no longer based on excessive consumption and fossil fuel use.
Currently, Sitra’s work focuses on supporting a fair transition to a circular economy and investigating how business can be based on sharing instead of ownership. Sitra is also working to advance circular trade policies, to increase the understanding of environmental effects of digitisation and to explore the potential of the circular economy to safeguard biodiversity.
Specialized in establishing and nourishing dialogue between different stakeholders particularly in the process of creation of circular economy (CE) roadmaps, it is promoting new narratives, orchestrating interests, exchanging knowledge and enabling innovation.
CIRCULAR STRATEGIES
ROADMAPPING PROCESS
EXPERT CONTRIBUTION
Circular Point is a service hub set up by Geonardo Ltd to provide practical and business circular economy solutions for companies and organisations. Its versatile services allow its clients to choose the most suitable and relevant support their company or organisation needs to apply circular economy principles in their daily practice or product development.
Circular Point has a mission to serve both the efficiency and profitability of its clients, while creating a positive environmental, social and consumer impact as well. The circular economy offers a wide range of opportunities for innovation, better and long-term consumer relations as well as for reducing the negative ecological footprint and for the sustainable management of natural resources.
The Collaborating Centre on Sustainable Consumption and Production (CSCP) is an international, non-profit think-and-do tank. Together with companies, political organisations and civil society actors, the CSCP pursues its mission to mainstream sustainability towards the good life for all.
From H2020 projects (R2Pi, Scalibur, Refresh and Spread), to CE Missions to Japan and Mexico, to launching the Consumer Insight Action Panel with the European Economic and Social Committee, co-developing the European Circular Cities Declaration or designing and running the Academy of Change – a unique capacity building programme that can be replicated across various topics - the CSCP integrates multiple stakeholders and various perspectives to help implement a systemic transition towards circularity.
The Conseil Européen de Remanufacture is a business-led group advocating the growth of remanufacturing to €100 billion in Europe by 2030 in sectors like automotive, aviation, acoustic devices, agricultural equipment, construction equipment, defense, electronics, electrical equipment, IT imaging equipment, machine tools, marine, medical devices, telecoms, trains, transmissions, tyres, wind turbines.
Open to participation with universities in Horizon and similar EU-funded research programmes, it has access to several experienced technical research staff. Networked with WEF, OECD, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, UNEP, it is well connected to standards organisations and academic researchers in the fields of circular design, eco-design, product life extension, IR4.0, and digital.
MaterialTrader.com is a one-stop-shop for trading materials and connecting with potential business partners in a way that grows your business sustainably and helps prevent unnecessary material waste.
Zero Waste Europe is the European network of communities, local leaders, experts, and change agents working towards the elimination of waste in our society.
Zero Waste Europe advocates for sustainable systems and the redesign of our relationship with resources to accelerate a just transition towards zero waste for the benefit of people and planet.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is composed of both government and civil society organisations. With over 1400 member organisations, it is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. The European Regional Office in Brussels represents IUCN at EU level and works with Member States to help deliver EU goals.
IUCN has been focusing on the circular economy (CE) debate for some years now, including addressing marine pollution issues (e.g. plastics).
IUCN brings knowledge, expertise and convening power on biodiversity and nature-based solutions to the CE debate, aiming to establish the link between both environmental priorities: conservation of nature and transition from a linear to a circular model.
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of over 1 750 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 100+ countries, ICLEI influences sustainability policy and drives local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development.
To live in a truly sustainable society, we need an economic model that separates economic growth from resource depletion and environmental degradation, replacing the linear “produce, consume, discard” model. ICLEI focuses on how local governments can lead the transition to a circular economy.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The transition to the circular economy needs collaboration. That’s why the first German Circular Economy Festival is an open social innovation event, calling on all relevant actors to pool their efforts to speed up the transition. For a societal endeavour of this scale, stakeholders from civil society, academia, policy making, industry and more need to be actively engaged. The festival aims to spur on stakeholders and serve as a platform for open social innovation.
The European Commission is organising a webinar about the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method in the tourism sector on 14 October 2021. The training is free of charge and open to all. You are most welcome to join and participate!
The Directorate-General ENV of the European Commission is inviting you to participate in a webinar on Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) for newbies - a basic training on the PEF method - on 8 October 2021. No previous experience in the field is needed.
EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius will join RREUSE to explore the meaning of social value in the circular economy and whether social dynamics have been inherent factors in developing EU policies related to the green transition.
The webinar on 7 October 2021 will also focus on the way forward in ensuring that tools such as the Social Economy Action Plan and the Circular Economy Action Plan work together to create a more favourable policy and funding environment for social enterprises, safeguarding a socially fair and inclusive circular transition.
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 in the transition towards sustainability. The fourth workshop on 18 June 2021 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CET will focus on “product design for sustainability in the textile value chain”.
On 7 June 2021, the Italian G20 Presidency and the EU are organising an online workshop on Circular Fashion to inform discussions in the G20. The workshop will explore the G20’s role in promoting the circular economy in the fashion sector.
On 31 May, it was announced that the European Commission issued guidance on the EU rules on single-use plastics and adopted an Implementing Decision on the monitoring and reporting of fishing gear. These rules aim to reduce marine litter from single-use plastic products and fishing gear and promote the transition to a circular economy.
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.
The third workshop (15 June 2021) focuses on sustainable consumption and circular business models in the textile sector.
From 31 May to 4 June, Vlaanderen Circulair will hold a Circular Building Action Week with eight open workshops, a plenary event and a circular market dialogue, entirely online. The theme of this edition is communication. Discover the offer!
The online panel discussion organised by European Policy Centre (EPC), in partnership with Apple, on 1 June 2021 will bring together policy-makers, and representatives of industry and civil society to discuss the role of innovation and partnerships in achieving zero pollution, climate neutrality and a circular economy.
The EPA is seeking proposals from the research community to help identify solutions to climate change and other emerging and complex environmental problems.The funding will be provided under the four EPA Research 2030 interconnected research hubs, including "Facilitating a green and circular economy".
This is a crucial time for shaping the Circular Economy in Ireland. The country's draft Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy is currently open for public consultation and will be discussed live on Instagram on Wednesday 26 May 2021 at 14:30 IST (UCT+1).
In January 2021, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) applied for the European Ombudsman Award for Good Administration. The Platform is a nominee in the category "Excellence in citizen-focused services delivery". Vote for project 25 – Giving civil society a say on green transition – to help us win the public vote award!
Virtual MeetingPack 2021 is taking place on 27 May from 9:30 a.m. More than 130 packaging industry companies have confirmed their attendance at this event offering a strategic overview of the development of barrier packaging.
ACR+ has made substantial contributions to developing monitoring systems with corresponding indicator sets for urban and regional authorities. Among others, ACR+ has continued its Circular Europe Network projects within the Urban Agenda Partnership on Circular Economy, while also contributing to the CIRCTER final report on sub-national circular economy monitoring.
Following a 19 February 2019 workshop on Circular Economy Competences - Making the Case for Lifelong Learning in the European Parliament, ACR+ and Zero Waste Scotland have produced a report detailing how to introduce circular thinking in education, create vocational training programmes in waste management, repair and reuse, and developing training programs for local authority staff.
ACR+ has consistently advocated to accelerate the circular economy, while also showcasing urban best practice in circular economy throughout 2019 at various events across the European continent.
For four days in 2019, more than 750 company leaders, scientists and policy makers from all over the world came to Antwerp for the World Resources Forum organised by OVAM - the Public Waste Agency of Flanders featuring sessions on the power of the circular economy and the link with climate change, and an introduction to numerous pioneering projects and initiatives that are driving the transition.
To help inspire conversation and policy action concerning inclusive circular business models during the next EU Commission mandate, RREUSE invited EU decision makers to a closed site visit to Les Petits Riens, a Brussels-based social enterprise with activities dating back to 1937.
During Romania's Presidency of the Council of the EU in Spring 2019, IRCEM began a project to support the development of a circular economy strategy for Romania. With support from the Ministry of Environment, Department for Sustainable Development and other public authorities, civil society organisations and private businesses, 9 conferences and workshops were organised from April to June 2019.
On 31 May 2018 ENEA (the Italian national agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development) presented the Italian Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ICESP). This platform, since launched formally on 3 December 2018 in the Italian Senate, is the mirror platform of ECESP at the national level and promotes the Circular Economy by sharing good practices from Italy.
This year took place the third The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), beginning Monday 3rd June in Helsinki, Finland. The Forum is organised by SITRA, the Finnish Innovation Fund.
The fourth edition of the international Circular Change Conference was a meeting of the global circular community, and a platform that sent a strong message to change-makers across Europe that more needs to be done to accelerate the change from linear to circular.
