The ELLIPSE project seeks to optimise the use of two heterogeneous waste streams of which plentiful amounts are generated across Europe: slaughterhouse waste (bellygrass) and paper and pulp sludge. The project will produce cost-efficient polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) for the agricultural and packaging sectors by co-processing these waste streams with other organic ones such as glycerol from the biodiesel industry and sludge from the dairy industry.
Skanska is a leading construction and development company that has made sustainability a crucial part of its operations. With the assistance of Cyrkl, it has taken on the challenge of deconstructing the Merkuria building, revolutionising the industry, saving materials and helping charities in the process.
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).
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.
CircEUlar is a four-year European Research and Innovation Action that will develop new modelling approaches for analysing circularity from a systems perspective.
The Procurement Transformation Workshop can be set up by organisations who want to rethink their procurement processes and integrate circularity in their procurement department.
The Circular Procurement Toolboxis built upon existing tools and methodologies designed to assist procurers in their efforts. It comprises a collection of original tools and methods that have been compiled throughout the project's duration, and continues to be refined based on practical experiences gained through their implementation.
Accumulating environmental and climate pressures and impacts are bringing unprecedented sustainability challenges. These problems are largely caused by unsustainable consumption, and require a fundamental shift in production and consumption systems in Europe and beyond.
Pressures and impacts from consumption can be reduced by:
consuming differently by shifting to less material-intensive options and using renewable or recycled materials,
consuming less through, for example, longer product lifespans or sharing models that can reduce the demand for new products, and
scaling up circular product design that enables circular consumption and reduces environmental impact.
