Each year, humanity consumes resources equivalent to 1.7 planets. Sustainable resource use is therefore essential if we are to achieve our national environmental and climate objectives and the sustainable global development goals in the 2030 Agenda.
RE:Source is a strategic innovation programme co-funded by the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova), the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas) and the Swedish Energy Agency. The programme focuses on research and innovation in sustainable material use.
Within RE:Source, the RE:Agenda describes the innovation area of sustainable use of resources, which aims to support solutions that contribute to the efficient use of the earth’s resources within the planetary boundaries.
AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, has now completed the fourth and final year of the RepescaPlas project. The project has developed a complete management system for plastic waste recovered from the sea and subsequent recycling into products of commercial value.
Recovo is a B2B platform located in Spain which specialises in selling on deadstock fabric which would otherwise be classified as textile waste.
The platform helps EU-based brands and suppliers to give a second life to unused fabric. This reduces the amount of resources needed to meet buyers' needs and cuts down on waste.
Recovo uploads photos and information on fabric remnants put up for sale by producers which can then earn money from products rather than paying for waste disposal. Buyers can order samples, then buy as much of the fabric as they want which is delivered straight to them. Recovo ships within the EU, and most vendors are located in Europe, specifically Spain and Portugal.
A user-friendly platform promoting circularity and combating waste!
In this project, a subset of Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) partners have developed an approach with Bel Group for setting Science-Based Targets (SBTs) for nature in a single dairy farming landscape. A proof of concept for determining ecological thresholds has been developed that can be used as the basis for setting science-based targets for nature within a Dutch dairy landscape.
Project partners have worked with the Initial Guidance of the SBTN, and used the Biodiversity Monitor for the Dairy Farming Sector (Biodiversity Monitor) (an instrument developed through a collaboration of FrieslandCampina, Rabobank and the Dutch chapter of the WWF) as the basis for target and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) development.
The Circularity Gap Report 2022 draws on five years of analysis to show the power of the circular economy to equitably fulfil our global needs and wants, with radically fewer materials and emissions.
The 2022 report by impact organisation Circle Economyreveals that the throwaway global economy is fuelling the climate crisis, with more than half a trillion tonnes of virgin materials consumed since the 2015 Paris Agreement was signed.
Circular economy solutions can have a huge impact on climate change. This is because 70% of greenhouse gas emissions are related to the production and use of products – from the buildings we live in and the transport we use to the food we eat and the clothes we wear.
Clear Fashion, independant expert of garment evaluation, is a solution that informs consumers on brands' practices and clothes' impact, and enables fashion brands to communicate their scores, in order to bring more transparency in the fashion industry.
It has been established that the circular economy has a high leverage effect and some progress in this field has been made, but the circular economy has yet to top the political agenda. A strategic approach to circularity is urgently needed and should be developed, managed and implemented in a cross-ministerial capacity in line with efforts at EU level and together with partner nations.
Against this backdrop, the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) recommends organising the transition to circularity via a new, cross-ministerial governance mechanism coordinated by the German Federal Chancellery. RNE’s statement covers a further 13 recommendations, ranging from the need for social safeguarding instruments to expanding education and research.
The Incubation Forum for Circular Economy in European Defence aims to apply the circularity approach of the EU Green Deal to European defence.
It does this by engaging a cooperative community, including EU defence ministries, industry, institutes, research centres, financial institutions, academia and other bodies at national and international level.
Working groups called "Project Circles" cover the following themes:
Critical Raw Materials
Circular Additive Manufacturing
Circular Materials for Textiles
Sustainable Ecodesign
EMAS Uptake Strategy
Green Procurement
Circular Data
Spare Parts Management.
Based on circular economy principles, IF CEED aims to incubate collaborative projects and their respective consortia.
As a company or organisation you want to contribute to circularity. This may require a new business model focused on efficient use and reuse of products, components and raw materials. You can use Saxion University of Applied Sciences' free, interactive toolset to clarify what you want to achieve and start exploring how to develop your circular business model.
Awareness is increasing about the presence of microplastics in our environment and their negative impact on ecosystems, animals and people. The wearing/washing of textiles made from synthetic fibers is one recognised source of microplastics in the environment. Textiles and plastics are among the key value chains in the EU circular economy action plan.
It is possible to reduce or prevent the release of microplastics from textiles by implementing sustainable design and production processes and caretaking measures that control microplastic emissions during use, and by improving disposal and end-of-life processing.
This briefing aims to improve our understanding of microplastics released from textiles from a European perspective and identify pathways to reduce or prevent this release.
