European Union
On 9 May 2019, the National Institute for Circular Economy (INEC) and Orée, the two main circular economy organisations in France, presented their collaborative research on the political dynamics of circular economy in Europe and the civil society networks that drive this circular transition.
NAFIGATE’s Hydal Biotechnology uses waste cooking oil to produce a fully biodegradable and biocompatible PHA biopolymer named Hydal (Polyhydroxyalcanoates). This is the first biopolymer of its kind being produced on an industrial scale at an affordable price.
In designing the varioPrint 135, Océ partnered with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and Philips to experiment with the use of recycled plastic in the production of industrial printers. Building on Océ's adoption of longevity and reuse principles in design, the company has made a further step towards circular economy and succeeded in developing an internal component that contains at least 30% post-consumer recycled polycarbonate from used 5 gallon water bottles.
In the framework of the Urban Agenda Partnership on Circular Economy, ACR+ co-organised a workshop with its member OVAM, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions and Eurocities.
In October 2015 the Luxembourg government named the municipality of Wiltz a Circular Economy Hotspot. In February 2018 Wiltz renewed its political commitment with a Circular Economy Charter signed by its municipal council, by which it committed itself to mainstreaming circular economy in its future project and activities in order to improve its global footprint on the Ardennes region and to take on its responsibilities towards future generations of citizens.
Water2REturn is an Innovation Action co-funded by the European Commission under its Horizon 2020 (H2020) programme.
On the 24th of May, C&A Foundation, together with Ecopreneur.EU hosted a Circular Fashion Policy Lab in Brussels at the European Economic and Social Committee in context of the Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. The purpose of the event was to bring together representatives from across the fashion industry to discuss what key policy measures could make a meaningful impact to boost the transition to a new green economy.
The EU cement industry supports the promotion of industrial symbiosis and the recognition of energy recovery as a waste management solution for non-recyclable waste. The use of waste materials in the cement industry with a simultaneous energy recovery and material recycling, referred to as co-processing, contributes towards achieving the objectives of the circular economy.
After several years of research, a pilot plant has been constructed and gone into operation within Covesto’s project Cycles (funded by German Federal Ministry of Environment (BMUB)), to demonstrate the reuse of low-concentrated salt-containing wastewater streams.
CIRC-PACK project aims at more sustainable, efficient, competitive, integrated and interconnected plastic packaging value chain with less fossil fuel dependence.
Cement recarbonation refers to the process where part of the CO2 emitted during the cement production is re-absorbed by concrete in use through carbonation.
Food and drink manufacturers work continuously to preserve the value of resources that go into producing food and drink products during the manufacturing process. The website Ingredients for a circular economy presents through concrete examples what manufacturers do to move towards a more circular economy: for instance, through preventing food waste and striving to preserve the value of resources such as water, energy and materials.
SCREEN is a Horizon 2020 project covering 17 European regions.
It aims at defining a replicable systemic approach towards a transition to Circular Economy in EU regions within the context of the Smart Specialization Strategy. The project also deals with the identification and implementation of operational synergies between investments in research and innovation under Horizon 2020, the Structural Funds and the European Investment Funds.
The PolyStyreneLoop (PSL) Cooperative is the European EPS/XPS industry’s closedloop solution for the recycling of polystyrene (PS) insulation foam waste.
This innovative project employs a ground-breaking technology to dissolve PS foam waste while also allowing for the extraction and recovery of bromine from the recently restricted flame retardant chemical, HBCD, which can then be used again for the production of new flame retardants.
RichWater is a EU Horizon 2020 funded project which has provided an innovative technology for wastewater reuse in agricuture. An integrated approach combining treatment and irrigation in a single system enables taking maximum advantage of nutrients.
Take Back Chemicals is innovating by proposing a 'functional economy' business model in the use of chemicals. Traditional business models are based on sales per volume, whereas TBC uses "chemical leasing" and regeneration process for greater efficiency and sustainability.
The report is based on the study of 3 cases in Belgium and 5 cases in the Netherlands with leading chemical industries.
