More than 140 million SMEs make up a significant part of China's economy and technological innovation.

However, they are also responsible for significant environmental issues, with most environmental regulation violations in China being incurred by SMEs. This paper investigates how SMEs can help China transition to a circular economy by harnessing their potential for technology innovation and flexibility in adopting circular practices. By looking into the development characteristics of Chinese SMEs, it highlights the implications for SME-related policies and management and emphasises the need for collaboration between businesses, NGOs and individuals.

By tapping into their strengths, SMEs can play a vital role in delivering the successful transition to a circular economy in China.

The circular economy was introduced in China’s policies in 2002 and has evolved into a national strategy and a fundamental pillar of the economy. However, while the efforts so far are worth celebrating, issues such as coordination challenges, uneven development, unsustainable success, and a lack of research are still undermining China's circular development.

This paper builds a primary framework by reviewing the development of China's circular economy policy. The paper consists of a policy review, the implementation and the corresponding outcome, challenge identification, framework establishment and application.

This paper - part of the A Circular Economy Vision series - follows one of Circular Innovation Lab's previous analyses of the potential effects of the European Critical Raw Materials Regulation (ECRMR) on developing economies.

It focuses on the EU’s domestic critical raw material (CRM) markets, revealing how the current hyperfocus of the policy on extraction, processing and recycling is not applicable to all identified CRMs. By analysing the limits of the ECRMR as it stands, the paper argues that a supporting structure of circular economy legislation could promote a successful ECRMR for all CRMs, not just those that could benefit from recycling infrastructure.

The paper provides detailed policy recommendations for each CRM where data allow.

As the world transitions to green energy and greater technology use, critical raw materials (CRMs) are the new frontier of economic and political disputes.

The EU has recognised this threat to supply chains, passing the European Critical Raw Materials Regulation to help stabilise EU access to CRMs. Published in March 2023, the regulation seeks to improve EU extraction, processing and recycling capacity with minimal reliance on other states. However, the EU has limited sources of many CRMs, and so strategic projects in third countries will be utilised to ensure that EU demand is met.

This paper discusses the possible impact of this regulation on developing economies, exploring how they will be affected by strategic projects, shifting EU import demand, and circularity incentives.

Global biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate, giving rise to a sixth mass extinction and constituting one of the core challenges of the triple planetary crisis. Biodiversity forms the foundation of life on Earth and its loss presents a systemic risk to future human survival. To reverse the biodiversity crisis, transformative systems-wide change is required.

This paper addresses an existing research gap by exploring whether the circular economy can play a role not only in halting biodiversity loss but also in regenerating it and thereby contributing to a nature-positive future. To unlock the regenerative potential of the circular economy, a coherent strategy is needed that provides incentives for all actors, notably policymakers and businesses.

This Sitra memorandum focuses on providing building blocks to help the next European Commission address the ecological crisis while maintaining Europe's competitiveness and resilience.

The renewed European Commission will take office in 2024 and must keep up the European Green Deal, ensuring that it centres on nature and mainstreams the circular economy across the EU single market.

The key recommendations include:

• ecosystem accounting
• biodiversity offsets
• circular single market
• leveraging nature as a business opportunity
• using data for the green transition
• addressing Europe's global biodiversity footprint, and
• reforming the common agricultural policy.

Stakeholders are encouraged to contribute to the ongoing debate, ensuring the strategy's success.

Wood is becoming increasingly important: it is key to energy, construction and decarbonisation, as well as raw material security. In addition, a raft of legislative and non-legislative measures are being prepared by the Czech Republic and the EU on the issue of wood processing and forestry.

Analysising the sector is therefore paramount. After eight months of work, the research team (Think Tank) of the Institute of Circular Economy has published a study on Closing the Loop on Wood: Circular Bioeconomy Opportunities in the Value Chain for Forest Products and Wood in Czechia. It explores the material flow of wood in the Czech Republic and the challenges, weaknesses and opportunities for cross-sectoral use.

Hutoepito has been awarded a HUF 197.85 million non-refundable grant by the Hungarian Ministry of Finance to fund research, development and innovation activities under the Upcycling of closed-cell rigid polyurethane foams project.

The widespread use of polyurethane foams in various industrial technologies produces high volumes of rigid PU foam waste. Proper handling of this is essential for environmental, social and economic reasons.

The goal is to produce upcycled polyurethane foam products.

The researchers first identified the upcycling opportunities of closed-cell polyurethane foam materials and purchased the necessary machinery. Later, they started production of upcycled polyurethane foam blocks and sheets, and now they are developing prototypes.

The boating industry in Europe, represented by EBI (European Boating Industry), has developed a roadmap for solving the roadblocks to end-of-life boat recycling. It sets ambitious targets and policy recommendations to reach by 2030. The boating industry also commits to phasing out unsustainable recycling practices.

The roadmap and recommendations were developed by EBI following the work of the Stakeholders’ Group on end-of-life recreational boats. The Group is co-chaired by the European Commission's DG MARE and EBI and includes national authorities of the Member States and key stakeholders (industry, users, academia and related industries).

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In recent years, plastic waste generation has become a prime concern in the global political arena.

A dedicated strategy on plastics was adopted at EU level, leading to the Single-Use Plastics Directive. Nonetheless, plastic waste management data show that achieving a circular economy for plastics in the EU is still a long way off. Available studies suggest that plastic waste generation may stay high in the future or even increase without ambitious circularity policies.

This report looks at the challenges associated with plastic waste generation and discusses the potential for using chemical recycling technologies as part of an ecosystem of solutions for increasing the circularity of plastics. It is based on evidence collected through desk-research.