The Horizon Europe POLYMEER project aims to establish a sustainable bio-based value chain for bioplastic products. By efficiently converting wet brewers’ spent grain into high added value materials, it is endeavouring to diversify the array of innovative material solutions capable of replacing traditional plastics.
The report presents the progress the Commission has made in implementing the 2022 strategy for the outermost regions. It shows that the Commission has delivered on its commitment to reflect the outermost regions’ characteristics in legislative proposals, policy initiatives and programmes.
The outermost regions have high potential to develop circular economy solutions. Cohesion policy supports circular economy development there. Both the ERDF and Interreg support waste management and recycling, for instance in Réunion with EUR 18 million of ERDF funding dedicated to the circular economy. Outermost regions also benefit from support under the LIFE programme. Several of these regions have designed circular strategies, such as the Circular Economy Conference of the Azores.
The UNLOCK project focuses on turning waste feathers into products for the agricultural industry, such as mulch film. It is organising a networking event focusing on advancing the circular economy within the agricultural sector. Come and discuss the benefits of feathers!
On 21 November 2024, Circular Wien is organising an upcycling fashion show featuring slow fashion designers aimed at reducing textile waste, an exhibition of art and jewelry made from recycled materials, and food rescued from waste.
Concrete accounts for 8% of the world's CO2 emissions. Efforts are being made to reduce its embodied carbon, but reusing concrete from existing buildings has significant untapped potential.
This study presents an innovative digital workflow for predicting the lifespan of concrete elements, CO2 uptake via natural carbonation and embodied carbon savings through reuse. The workflow was tested in a building from the 1960s with high reuse potential.
It found that most precast elements would last long enough to be reused effectively and that reuse is better for the environment than carbonation.
The digital workflow is useful for quickly assessing lifespan, carbonation and embodied carbon of concrete. It is a useful tool when designing for reuse.
BUILD UP, the European portal for energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings, is hosting the fifth in a series of six webinars organised with the CircularB COST Action project. This one is on Contractors, Builders and Manufacturers of Construction Products.
The ECESP Leadership Group on Textiles organised the #EUCircularTalks event on the revision of the Waste Framework Directive: Enhancing textiles EPR schemes through inclusive governance. Panellists discussed key evidence concerning how best to align waste management practices with sustainability goals.
This webinar took a closer look at the proposed changes to EPR schemes for textiles and highlighted the role of inclusive governance in meeting the sustainability targets.
Recycling Flexible Packaging will focus on finding circular solutions to the problem of flexible plastic waste.
It is intendedfor professionals involved in the design, production, regulation or recycling of flexible packaging, and will be a chance to gain insights into the latest breakthroughs and stay ahead of present or future legislative changes.
Feedstocks for Plastics Recycling will focus on unlocking the value of Europe’s plastics waste streams. It will be an opportunity to explore the challenges and possibilities of acquiring feedstock for recycling in Europe.
Chemical recycling is big and set to get bigger - after all, it helps overcome the limitations of traditional plastics recycling (and we have so much plastic to recycle...).
However, there are still problems and this event will address the challenges and opportunities facing the development of these emerging technologies and their integration into the supply chain.
