There has been relatively little focus on the role of consumers in the circular economy.

Ultimately, the decision on how a product will be recycled, repaired or reused lies with the end users. This EU Circular Talk will share insights into enabling circular behaviour through digitalisation. What still needs to be done to make circularity the rule among the overwhelming majority of consumers in Europe? How can digitalisation play a supporting role in this process, particularly considering the increasing EU focus on digital tools, such as the Digital Product Passport, supporting apps and the role of Artificial Intelligence?

This EU Circular Talk will tackle the following topics:

• Encouraging consumers to adopt more circular behaviour
• How digitalisation can play a supporting role and ongoing blind spots
• Opportunities for different actors to use digitalisation to promote consumer engagement
• Case studies where digital tools have been used to support circular behaviour

Programme

• 10:00-10:20 Welcome and introduction
  Why circular behaviour is needed, how can digitalisation help and what opportunities are there for stakeholders
  • Imke Schmidt, Project Manager, CSCP
  • Marianna Nicolau, Project Manager, CSCP
     
• 10:20-10:50 Case studies from stakeholders using various digital tools
  • William Neale, Advisor on the circular economy, DG ENV, European Commission
  • Cynthia Reynolds, Founder, Circular Regions
    Digitalisation as a tool to gather circular behaviour case studies
  • Markus Terho, Project Manager, Biodiversity and everyday life, Sitra
    PSLifestyle App
  • Tiina Vyyryläinen, EESC member
     
• Panel discussion
  Multi-stakeholder group perspectives
   
• Q&A and conclusions

This EU Circular Talk is made possible with the contribution of:

• Circular Regions
• The European Environment Bureau
• ERASME Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Sustainability
• Generation Climate Europe
• IRCEM Romania