On 27 January, Nordic Circular Hotspot and Natural State hosted a session which gave key insights from the Circular Build Forum, provided an overview of the Nordic Circular Construction project and launched the Nordic Community for Circular Construction.
This event will bring together circular economy leaders, pioneers, practitioners, explorers and researchers across industries and supply chains to celebrate circularity.
Participants will share opportunities, good practices, real-life cases and lessons learned from implementing the circular economy.
On 29 January, the European Committee of the Regions hosted Municipal Waste Europe for a partnership event on textile waste, taking stock of the first year of mandatory separate collection of textile waste in the EU.
Speakers discussed challenges on the supply and demand sides, along with the role of policy. Read all about it!
From a circular economy perspective, maintaining most of a building's structure is preferable to building a new one.
Repurposing offices into housing can expand affordable supply in high-demand areas while supporting inclusion and climate objectives.
This report aims to inform policymaking by exploring examples from various EU regions and identifying regulatory, technical, financial and social aspects that enable successful conversions of offices to affordable housing. It also highlights the multiple benefits of repurposing non-residential buildings into housing and provides insights into essential measures for scaling up such initiatives.
The Circular Economy Show Podcast looks at the various aspects of the circular economy and the people driving it. There are over 200 episodes so far, covering a huge range of issues.
The textile and apparel value chain is one of the most resource-intensive sectors, generating significant waste and relying heavily on a vulnerable workforce.
In recent years, businesses in this sector have adopted circular economy strategies to address sustainability challenges. However, most of these efforts focus on material efficiency and waste reduction, often neglecting social dimensions.
This PhD dissertation addresses this gap by exploring how to integrate social justice and equity into circular transitions at the business level. Through case studies in the Netherlands, Spain and India, it investigates how businesses can adopt circular practices inclusively and how policymakers can enable a more just circular transition.
The transition to a circular economy in the textile and apparel value chain is an opportunity to address the environmental challenges facing the industry. However, without a strong focus on social justice, this transition risks perpetuating poor working conditions, gender inequality and vulnerability for workers, particularly in low-wage, labour-intensive roles.
This policy brief identifies five key recommendations for policymakers:
Align circular economy goals with just transition principles
Identify and protect vulnerable populations
Address income disparity and strengthen labour regulations
Enhance participatory mechanisms and access to justice
Implement restorative mechanisms and support reskilling initiatives
Europe’s green and digital transitions are increasing demand for CRMs, just as geopolitical risks and trade tensions are reshaping global supply chains. The EU has been taking steps to secure and diversify supplies by building strategic partnerships with resource-rich countries, which includes recovering CRMs from mine waste and tailings.
The Western Balkans region is a natural partner: they are integrated into EU markets and transport networks and have a legacy of old industrial sites and mine tailings.
This study recommends mapping mining waste, linking local actors more closely to EU instruments and initiatives, and using the EU accession process to advance regulatory and administrative alignment on mining, waste management and water protection with the EU acquis.
Hazards Out! aims to raise awareness about the mandatory separate collection of household hazardous waste and support local authorities and other relevant stakeholders with establishing effective management strategies for it.
This workshop will focus on the operational aspects of HHW management, exploring how hazardous household waste is safely transported, temporarily stored, treated, and, where possible, recovered.
