CIRCULÉIRE is Ireland’s National Platform for Circular Manufacturing. It aims to help deliver circular business model innovation by unlocking the value that resides in an Irish circular economy.
It is an industry-led public-private partnership with 25 Founding Industry Members (MNCs and SMEs alike) which aim to become circular economy exemplars in Ireland.
The platform has an innovation fund dedicated to implementing systems-level innovation demonstration projects. It has developed various tools to help businesses go circular: the Circular Economy Infographic, the Circular Maturity Model and the Circularity Action Plan.
CIRCULÉIRE has also set up the CE knowledge library, a collection of good practices.
Pollution caused by incorrect packaging of waste is a serious problem. It can be addressed by designing products that are easier to recycle and by investing in collection and recycling systems. Establishing these kinds of systems requires a strong coordination body, backed up by transparent and stable sources of funding.
Experience suggests that the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) can have significant potential to achieve a range of policy objectives. The EPR Toolbox contains detailed information about EPR and provides an introduction to a number of distinct issues.
The academic paper "Analysing European Union circular economy policies: words versus actions" comprehensively reviews and analyses the EU’s circular economy (CE) policies. Results show a dichotomy between words and actions, with a discourse that is rather holistic, while policies focus on “end of pipe solutions”.
To address these limitations, the paper proposes a set of 32 science-based policy recommendations which can help strengthen circular economy policies both within and outside the EU. This research thus brings key insights for practitioners and academics seeking to better understand the EU’s CE policies and how to improve circular economy implementation at both national and international level.
See here for more results, insights and recommendations.
