18 Nov 2019 to 22 Nov 2019
The fourth edition of the EU "Raw Materials Week" will take place from 18 to 22 November 2019, in Brussels.
You are here
Secondary raw materials
25 Sep 2019 to 26 Sep 2019
The EREK international conference will demonstrate how successful businesses and industries seek resource efficient solutions, collaborate in a circular and social economy, and pursue digitalisation to gain a competitive edge. From keynote speeches to practical sessions, the conference aims to gather the Resource Efficiency community by promoting exchanges between all actors, from newcomers to front runners, from SMEs to business intermediaries, raising awareness of existing and upcoming opportunities to make the Circular Economy a reality.
Giovanardi - Sara Selmin
Raytent is a green economy project based on the recycling of acrylic fabric deriving from the awning industry, designed to create high quality yarns for the world of furnishing, sun protection, fashion and industry.
12 Jul 2019
On 5 July a a survey on consumer attitudes to reuse and recycling of electronic and food products was launched in the framework of the EU funded project CIRC4life.
Municipality-led circular economy case studies
Municipality-led circular economy case studies
This publication, managed and delivered by C40 Cities, provides 40 thorough examples of practical circular economic initiatives from cities around the world, for inspiration and replications by other cities.
The Climate-KIC Circular Cities project is investigating how city governments can be transformational change agents and creators of smart and sustainable neighbourhoods.
The results are expected to improve how cities manage building, construction and utility waste and, through productively utilizing household and industrial waste streams, can increase the growing perception that what was once viewed as waste can now be viewed as resource streams.
Creating a Digital Roadmap for a Circular Economy
Creating a Digital Roadmap for a Circular Economy
The EU faces multiple challenges (climate crisis, environmental disasters, a lack of competitiveness, falling behind in the digital race, etc.) that it will need to address if it is to ensure long-term sustainable prosperity for European citizens. At the same time, there are two ongoing transitions – the creation of a circular economy and the digital transformation – that could provide the means to address these challenges, if they are managed well.
As the EU and national policymakers are making significant efforts to promote a circular economy on the one hand and a digital economy on the other, Annika Hedberg and Stefan Šipka, together with Johan Bjerkem, argue that it is time to align the agendas as a means to achieve greater sustainability and competitiveness.
This publication:
- demonstrates what digitalisation means in the context of a circular economy;
- considers what a greater focus on sustainability would mean for the digital transition;
- examines the role of the EU policy framework, tools and initiatives in steering a (digital) transition towards a (digital) circular economy and makes recommendations for EU institutions for the next five year.
It suggests that the EU must:
- think systemically, define a vision and act;
- provide an adequate governance framework and economic incentives for a (digital) transition to a (digital) circular economy;
- encourage collaboration across European society and economy as well as globally, and empower its citizens to contribute to the transition.
This Discussion Paper builds on the findings of the EPC’s "Digital Roadmap for a Circular Economy" project of 2017-19 and paves the way for a more extensive final study, scheduled to be published in the late autumn of 2019.
The project has been supported by Aalto University and the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) (members of Helsinki EU Office), Central Denmark region, Climate-KIC, the Estonian Ministry of the Environment, Estonian Environment Investment Centre, HP, Orgalim, the province of Limburg, UL, Fondazione Cariplo and Cariplo Factory.
CE100 Acceleration Workshop
Abstract:
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched its Circular Economy 100 (CE100) programme in 2013 and includes city and government authorities, universities, and companies.
The CE100 programme focuses on maintaining the utility and value of products and materials at all times, in contrast with the standard “take, make, dispose” model.
This May 2019 CE100 Acceleration Workshop was held in Catalonia.
Field trip for policy makers: circular economy & social inclusion in practice
Abstract:
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.
Adhesives industry: water-soluble adhesives facilitate return and reuse bottle schemes and end-of-life recycling
Türmerleim is a company that produces adhesives, including for reusable bottles. Its adhesives have a high level of alkaline solubility, making them easy to remove and so promoting the reuse and recycling of bottles.
Developing Romania's strategy for a transition to a circular economy 2020 - 2030
Abstract:
During Romania's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in Spring 2019, IRCEM began a project to support the development of a circular economy strategy for Romania until 2030. With support from the Ministry of Environment, Department for Sustainable Development and countless other public authorities, civil society organisations and private businesses, a series of 9 conferences and workshops was held from April to June 2019. A draft strategy will be presented to the Romanian government on the basis of these discussions in Autumn 2019.
PVC Upcycling - reclaiming PVC, copper and aluminium from decommissioned electric cables
REDEL is an energy provider in Italy. Its activities comprises decommissioning outdated energy installations (de-risking), generating a vast amount of discarded power cables. The PVC Upcycling project aims to initiate a circular model for reclaiming resources by:
- de-manufacturing: recovering the PVC of electric cables coming from decommissioned energy plants;
- re-manufacturing: recycling of the same PVC in products with low environmental impact.
Along with PVC, copper and aluminium are also reclaimed and turned into metal granules for new production purposes.
Raytent: high-quality yarns and fabrics made from solar tents industry cut-offs
Giovanardi recycles technical acrylic textiles from solar protection industry, to create the Raytent line of high-quality yarns and fabrics.
Sharing platform Werflink enables construction companies in Belgium to reduce waste by re-using materials
Werflink is an online sharing platform on which construction sites and companies and can share equipment, materials, resources, freight space and facilities. The platform has been set up in collaboration with the Flemish Construction Confederation, construction company BESIX, Circular Flanders and FLOOW2, to create a more circular construction sector.
ICESP: Italy's circular economy platform
Abstract:
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.
03 Jul 2019
This Retrace dissemination event will be an opportunity for participants to find answers to how to achieve a systemic change that would support the transition to circular economy.
The World Circular Economy Forum 2019
Abstract:
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.
4th Circular Change Conference
Abstract:
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.
Austria Circularity Gap Report
Austria Circularity Gap Report
On 19 June 2019, Altstoff Recycling Austria (ARA) and Circle Economy released the Circularity Gap Report Austria, the first measure of circularity for a nation state.
Experts and peer reviewers included CEC4Europe, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism, the Federal Environment Agency, the Federation of Austrian Industries, the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, TU Vienna, the INZIN Institute and the City of Vienna. This landmark report paves the way for nations to lead the transition from a linear economy of Take-Make-Waste to a circular economy.
The analysis, commissioned by ARA, found a circularity rate for Austria of 9.7%, ahead of the figure of 9.1% in Circle Economy’s Global Circularity Gap report published in January 2019.
The Austria report will enable political and business leaders to identify and monitor the best interventions to boost the circularity rate, the proportion of materials that are recycled, re-used and re-manufactured in the Austrian economy.
This report is the first of its kind, where the circularity of a country is assessed combining different approaches. The relevance of the outcomes therefore goes beyond providing an action agenda for Austria alone.
19 Jun 2019
At the beginning of June, Circle Economy and Altstoff Recycling Austria (ARA) released the Circularity Gap Report Austria, which makes Austria the first nation to measure the Circularity Gap. This landmark report paves the way for nations to lead the transition from a linear economy of Take-Make-Waste to a circular economy.
The analysis, commissioned by ARA, found a circularity rate for Austria of 9.7%, ahead of the figure of 9.1% in Circle Economy’s Global Circularity Gap report published in January 2019. The Austria report will enable political and business leaders to identify and monitor the best interventions to boost the circularity rate, the proportion of materials that are recycled, re-used and re-manufactured in the Austrian economy.
Greenrail - Dawid Janik
Greenrail is an Italian company that has developed an innovative and sustainable railway sleeper, offering excellent technical, environmental and economical features for the railway sector. The technology developed by Greenrail allows the production of railway sleepers with secondary raw materials, using a blend of rubber collected from ELTs (End of Life Tyres) and plastic from urban waste.
The company handles the whole process of design, prototyping and testing of the products, collaborating with primary research centres and industrial partners.
21 Jun 2019
The call for interest to become a club member of the Consumer Insight Action Panel on circular economy is now open – express your interest today!
The Danube goes Circular - Transnational Strategy to Accelerate Transition Towards a Circular Economy in the Danube Region
The Danube goes Circular - Transnational Strategy to Accelerate Transition Towards a Circular Economy in the Danube Region
One of the Interreg DTP MOVECO (Mobilizing Institutional Learning for Better Exploitation of Research and Innovation for the Circular Economy) project results is the Transnational Strategy to accelerate transition towards a circular economy in the Danube region.
Be transnational – reducing disparities within the Danube Region can only happen through cooperation, capacity building and knowledge exchange across borders. This holds also true for the implementation of the circular economy to make the Danube Region, as a resource poor region, less dependent on imported primary resources.
MOVECO identified key challenges with regard to the transition towards a circular economy and offers recommendations for progress. The strategy further provides the reader with many good practice examples and possibilities to raise awareness for circular economy.
Regular updates on the MOVECO project can be found on this page.
Circular Economy in Cities - Factsheets - Urban Products System Summary
Circular economy in cities - Products factsheets
These factsheets outline circular economy opportunities to design out urban waste and pollution, ensure products and materials maintain their value, and regenerate the natural systems in our cities.
Easy-to-reference, the factsheets are a collation of research and case examples that answer some of the most prevalent questions around what circular economy can bring to cities:
- Why is change in cities needed?
- What circular economy opportunities address key urban system issues?
- What can urban policymakers do to harness circular economy opportunities?
- What are the potential economic, social, and environmental benefits of these opportunities?
The whole collection of factsheets, by system and phase, is available on the Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation website.
Circular Economy in Cities - Factsheets - Urban Building System Summary
Circular economy in cities - Buildings factsheets
These factsheets outline circular economy opportunities to design out urban waste and pollution, ensure products and materials maintain their value, and regenerate the natural systems in our cities.
Easy-to-reference, the factsheets are a collation of research and case examples that answer some of the most prevalent questions around what circular economy can bring to cities:
- Why is change in cities needed?
- What circular economy opportunities address key urban system issues?
- What can urban policymakers do to harness circular economy opportunities?
- What are the potential economic, social, and environmental benefits of these opportunities?
The whole collection of factsheets, by system and phase, is available on the Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation website.
13 Jun 2019 to 14 Jun 2019
The European Plastics Converters Association, together with the German association for plastic packaging Industrievereinigung Kunststoff-verpackungen, is organizing its annual conference under the theme A Circular Future with Plastics on the 13-14 June 2019 in Berlin.
La Caverne d'Ali Baba: a re-use library for art students at ESA Saint-Luc, Brussels
The Caverne d'Ali Baba (Ali Baba thieve's cave) is an initiative by and for students in the art school of ESA Saint-Luc, in Brussels.
According to the Fédération des Récupérathèques, of which the initiative belongs to, the service stands as a shared and co-managed warehouse of reuse materials, available to students for any of their creative projects. Valorisation and exchanges make use of local virtual currency. These initiatives aim at promoting a sustainable model in schools, based on collective intelligence, solidarity and social interaction.
12 Jun 2019
Stand-up innovation is like stand-up comedy, but instead of comedians performing comedy, scientists, pioneer thinkers, and circular economy pundits set the stage for innovative ideas.
Ok, we promise they’ll throw in a few jokes, too.
Globally, the circular economy movement is gaining momentum, and the Vienna-based NGO, alchemia-nova aims with stand-up Innovation to inspire people to think circular in Austria. This second event of the stand-up innovation event series is focusing on materials in a circular economy. How will they circulate, what does it need for it? Quality, Infrastructure, customers, new laws, …