29 Nov 2018
The event will tackle the question of how to translate circular economy principles into day-to-day relations with suppliers and businesses.
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11 Dec 2018
A workshop aimed at presenting how to finance circular business projects.
14 Dec 2018 to 15 Dec 2018
You are cordially invited to the "Let it Slow" Christmas market in Brussels 14-15 December 2018.
6 Nov 2018
The SCREEN Final Conference was held in Rome on 18 and 19 October 2018, during the two-day Forum CompraVerde (BuyGreen), in order to present the results of the SCREEN project.
13 Nov 2018
The BioRegions Forum 2018 will take place in Barcelona on 13 November 2018.
Pajjat-Hame roadmap towards a circular economy
A circular economy is a strategic priorirty for Finland's Päijät-Häme region, which is reflected in its RIS3 orientation and in Lahti's (the region's main city) development strategy. Whereas Finland's national framework for a circular economy provides an outlines for this transition, the Päijät-Häme regional roadmap, a joint strategy for nine municipalities, implemeents the national aims with actions at the regional level.
The roadmap was launched in October 2017 as part of Päijät-Häme's regional economic strategy for 2018–2021. The drafting process was coordinated by the Lahti University of Applied Sciences, in close cooperation with the regional council and local stakeholders such as regional and municipal authorities, academia, a regional development corporation, as well as public and private companies.
Päijät-Häme's roadmap has five main themes, with regional goals and actions set for each. The overarching themes are:
- Closed loops of technical streams to create added value
- Sustainable business from bio-circular economy
- Towards energy self-sufficiency by sustainable transport and energy solutions
- Shared economy generates new consumption models and business opportunities
- Piloting and demonstrating innovative circular economy solutions
Because input was sought from across the region through workshops and discussions, a stakeholder consultation and further informal contacts, the regional council created substantial enthusiasm and buy-in throughout the area, thus creating a foundation for successful implementation. The roadmap is a living document, with annual updates scheduled to identify new opportunities and involve new actors.
The EIB Circular Economy Guide
EIB Guide to Circular Economy
The EIB has already supported the transition to a circular economy with over €2.1 bn in project financing, including the first of a kind Aanekoski bio-pulp mill in Finland, the largest circular investment to date in Europe. An overview of such projects, alongside the bank's perception of the drivers to a circular economy (resource opportunities, technological development and the emerging socio-economic paradigm of sustainable development), corresponding opportunities and potential business models (circular design, value recovery, optimal use & circular support) is provided in this guide.
As the circular economy can actively contirbute to reducing carbon emissions and reaching wider environmental protection goals, the EIB is keen to finance projects contributing to this transition through a range of financing products, including EFSI and InnovFin for higher risk innovations. When doing so, it makes use of specific criteria to assess whether project are truly circular and attempts to categorise them within one of the aforementioned business models. During project assessment, further eligibility criteria are applied depending on the type of business model. These criteria, and more information about the bank's perception of circular economy strategies and project types, is provided in the guide's annexes.
06 Dec 2018 to 07 Dec 2018
In December 2018 DG ENV is organising a two-day workshop aimed at SMEs and regional authorities to join forces, boost the transition and bridge the gap in achieving a circular economy.
26 Oct 2018
The Be Circular Annual Meeting took place on 24 October 2018
Wiltz - a Circular Economy Hotspot in the heart of Ardennes
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.
Extremadura 2030
The Regional Government of Extremadura is working on a 'Strategy for a Green and Circular Economy' titled "Extremadura 2030". The objective is to encourage the production of goods and services while reducing the consumption and waste of raw materials, water and energy sources, thus based on the principle of closing the lifecycle of production. By doing so the regional government of Extremadura has created an intrinsic link between its overarching regional economic policy goals, European priorities for a sustainable economic future and the global fight against climate change. This strategy calls for citizens, businesses, civil society, public administration and the scientific community to collaborate in realising the circular economy. Implementation is foreseen through 4 horizontal programmes across 7 thematic axes. - Massive citizen participation program; - Citizen training program in green leadership; - Green and bio-economy R&D support program; - Program for the identification and enhancement of the full potential of the green economy of Extremadura.
CEN Guidelines for integrated circular economy strategies at local and regional level
CEN Guidelines for integrated circular economy strategies at local and regional level
The present guidelines have been developed by ACR+ in the framework of its Circular Europe Network initiative (CEN: www.circular-europe-network.eu).
It aims at explaining the potential role of local and regional authorities, and at developing guidelines to help them draw up integrated and efficient circular economy plans. Even though acknowledging the broader concept, these guidelines focus mainly on materials, considering that it is difficult for local and regional authorities to encompass all topics at once and since material resources represent the core element of circular economy.
The guidelines clarify the circular economy concept from a local or regional authority's perspective (Part 1) and propose key steps and elements to include in a local or regional circular economy strategy (Part 2).
The present document should serve as a set of first guidelines in the subject, particularly for the members of the Circular Europe Network, and is intended to be completed with examples of best practices to set such strategies, as well as concrete cases of circular economy.
The document is also available in Catalan, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. For more information, please click here.
Making Things Last: a circular economy for Scotland
Making Things Last: a circular economy strategy for Scotland
This strategy sets out our priorities for moving towards a more circular economy - where products and materials are kept in high value use for as long as possible.
It builds on Scotland's progress in the zero waste and resource efficiency agendas. A more circular economy will benefit:
- the environment - cutting waste and carbon emissions and reducing reliance on scarce resources;
- the economy - improving productivity, opening up new markets and improving resilience; and
- communities - more, lower cost options to access the goods we need with opportunities for social enterprise.
Realising these benefits will mean rethinking our approach to how goods are supplied, how they are used, and what happens at the end of products' lifetimes. In this strategy, we are prioritising four areas, although we will also take action elsewhere:
- Food and drink, and the broader bio-economy: food waste is a significant source of carbon emissions; and a more circular approach to the beer, whisky and fish sectors, for example, could lead to potential savings of half a billion pounds per year;
- Remanufacture: remanufacture is already contributing £1.1 billion per year to Scotland's economy with potential to grow by a further £620 million by 2020;
- Construction and the built environment: construction accounts for about 50% of all waste in Scotland and is a major influence on efficient use of resources;
- Energy infrastructure: there are considerable opportunities such as the reuse of equipment from wind turbines and decommissioned oil and gas platforms. Our ambition for waste prevention and using resources more efficiently is fundamental to achieving a more circular economy.
Green and Circular Economy Strategy, Government of Catalonia
Strategy of the Government of Catalonia: Promoting Green and Circular Economy in Catalonia
The Strategy for Promoting Green and Circular Economy of the Government of Catalonia aims to foster sustainability as a strategic area to attain economic recovery, increase competitiveness, create jobs, and reduce environmental risks. This strategy is structured into key policies' areas for promoting green and circular economy: the generation of demand and creation of markets, the improvement of the access to funding, the stimulation of research, development and innovation, the boosting of internationalisation and the promotion of employment and entrepreneurship. This strategy therefore contextualises the concept of green and circular economy in Catalonia. At the same time, it is a strategic roadmap that establishes the main areas of work for the medium-term, which are essential to promote this model in Catalonia.
RCYCL
The LIFE project RCYCL (LIFE99 ENV/B/000640) set up a scheme for the collection and reuse of bulky waste in municipalities of Belgium’s German-speaking community and the region of Verviers, under the auspices of a social enterprise.
Circular Flanders kick-off statement
Circular Flanders is the hub and the inspiration for the Flemish circular economy. It is a partnership of governments, companies, civil society, and the knowledge community that will take action together. These organisations are the core of our partnership. Each one has committed to carrying out a specific action.
Regional plan for the circular economy, Brussels Capital Region
Brussels Capital region Circular Economy strategy, adopted in 2016, sets a 10 year framework to move Brussels' economy towards a circular model.
The strategy is focused on three objectives: transform environmental goals into economic opportunities, anchor the Brussels economy, where possible, to local produce and to minimise transportation whilst optimising the use of available territory in order to create additional value for the people of Brussels and to contribute to the creation of employment. It is structured in 4 different axes (combining 111 actions):
- Transversal ( regulatory framework);
- sectorial (specific industries);
- territorial and
- governance (to bring together 3 ministerial department)
The Basque Ecodesign Hub: Training on Circular Economy
The Basque Ecodesign HUB is the centre of training activities on Ecodesign and Circular Economy in the Basque Country, resulting from the collaboration of the Basque Government, through Ihobe, with Novia Salcedo Foundation and a number of other Basque socio-economic actors.
Basque Ecodesign Center
The Basque Ecodesign Center (BEdC) is an organisation based in the Basque Country and structured as a partnership framework between Basque private firms, the main industrial clusters, and the Basque Government through the public agencies Ihobe and Spri. The objective of the BEdC is to help ensure that the Basque Country is an advanced region in the field of eco-design and a benchmark throughout the European Union, supporting SMEs and developing technical projects, new business ideas and training activities. Hence, the BEdC has developed several projects and publications in the field of the circular economy, from the angle of the eco-design approach.
36 Circular Economy Demonstration Projects in the Basque Country
The Circular Economy Demonstration Projects programme was launched in 2014 and has been repeated yearly, having developed 36 projects by 2016.
Circular economy, a holistic approach towards low-carbon Alpine cities
Cities and regions in Alpine Space have mainly set their low-carbon objectives and adopted relevant strategies in energy, mobility, construction aso. The project GREENCYCLE aims to introduce the system of circular economy as a holistic approach to support implementation of low-carbon strategies and provide additional 2-4 % greenhouse emission reduction to the partner cities.
Screen-lab: establishing a new reference framework to support H2020/ESIF synergies in Regions
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.
Contarina integrated waste management model: 'Door to Door', 'Pay As You Throw'
Contarina’s waste management model success is based on a curbside collection system with a “pay as you throw” fee: a model that has been thoroughly tried and tested. For years, Contarina has been leader in Europe in recycling and is an example of cutting-edge public entity in terms of services and results, working with the community to achieve a common goal: protection of the environment.
Three pilot colleges in the Lozere Department eradicate food waste from the menu
At the end of year 2014 the Lozere Department engaged in a territorial plan of waste prevention.
Among the different actions, the Department has implemented an action in three pilot colleges to fight food waste in the canteens. The ambitious and transversal program involved actors at all levels in the college: Director, Manager, kitchen team, teachers, students and their parents.
Waste to Energy all the ways in the district of Leoben, Austria
In the district of Leoben, about 12.300 tons of municipal waste were buried without any energy recovery until 2003. Since 2004 landfill regulations prescribe a pre-treatment of waste before landfill deposit and a new scheme for waste management with multiple treatment options – a residual waste splitting plant – allowed a reduction of municipal waste to a quarter and the production of heat and electricity for local use, reducing energy imports for the region.