The EU economy uses unsustainably large amounts of materials. In 2021, only 11.7% of these materials came from recycled waste. This share of recycled material is known as the circular material use rate (CMUR) and over the last 20 years it has increased only slightly. The EU’s circular economy action plan aims to double that share by 2030.
This briefing looks at trends in the EU’s circular material use rate and the environmental impacts of material use. It also analyses the EU’s prospects for reaching its 2030 target. Efforts should focus on reducing use and increasing recycling of non-metallic minerals — such as construction materials — as these account for about half of all materials used.
The Economy of Francesco is a platform set up upon a call from Pope Francis for young entrepreneurs, researchers and economists to work together to transform today’s economy with a view to combating the culture of waste and promoting social justice.
The initial call received over 3000 applications from 120 countries, showing that there is a whole community that feels deeply about this. Annual events are in line with the Ecology of Francesco's principles for reduced environmental impact.
EoF provides a regular programme of initiatives organised at regional or local level in the form of workshops, laboratories, seminars, conferences, round tables, calls for action and much more.
The EU Green Week 2023 from 3 to 11 June is the annual opportunity to debate, become familiar with, or even celebrate EU environment policy. The main event - the Brussels conference - takes place on 6 and 7 June. The policy debates on "Delivering a Net-Zero World" theme and expert workshops are organised by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Environment, with invited speakers from the world of politics, business, NGOs, and academia.
The Re-Shoes LIFE project wants to provide an alternative, circular and sustainable solution for footwear end-of-life management. The European Platform for Sport Innovation (EPSI) will organize the Re-Shoes project launch event on 6 June 2023 in the Azores (Portugal), as part of the EPSI Annual Conference 2023.
EDANA, the leading global association and voice of the nonwovens and related industries is launching its first Sustainability Forum, which is an evolution of their previous Circular Nonwovens Forum. It will cover all relevant sustainability topics for the nonwoven industry: natural raw materials, consumer expectations, circularity, bio-economy, etc.
The Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) of the European Commission has launched work on a study regarding “Background Data Collection for Future EU End-of-Waste Criteria of Construction and Demolition Waste”.
In this context, the Commission is opening an online stakeholder survey, available until 31 August 2023.
This event, organised by RREUSE on 22 and 23 June with the support of FairWertung, will bring together leading experts, social entrepreneurs, policymakers, and social enterprise leaders to discuss the current state of the textiles market and explore innovative ways to increase re-use and reduce textile waste.
Kosovo, a potential EU candidate country, has embarked on an ambitious journey – the transition towards a circular economy. The aim of this journey is:
to preserve the country’s nature and rich biodiversity
to valorise its resources and talent,
to contribute to a more resilient and regenerative economy and a society where everyone has the opportunity to live a good life.
This roadmap by Kosovo's Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure identifies six priority areas: a) food and b) forestry systems, c) creative and d) retail sectors, e) built environment and the f) manufacturing sector.
Given the strong interdependency of these sectors, the Roadmap also introduces horizontal areas that enable and support priority areas and further promote circular transition.
On 23 May, the AL-INVEST Verde Programme, funded by the European Commission for promoting sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America, launched its second call for proposals. Join the information session and discover more about the programme and the call terms and requirements.
Two online information workshops (on 5 and 13 June) will be organised for associations, chambers of commerce and other institutions representing the private sector, research centres and think tanks. During the workshop, an overview of the programme as well as full information on the second call will be presented.
This online session on 2 June 2023, from 10:00 to 12:00 (GMT+2), explores how cities worldwide can unlock the potential of the circular economy at the local level, while promoting biodiversity and nature conservation.
