Go Circular 2024 will focus on utilising enablers and breaking barriers to achieve plastic circularity.
It's an opportunity to discuss the main challenges in the field of plastic circularity and to identify partners for related projects. The conference covers the entire circular plastic value chain and aims to speed up the shift to a low carbon circular economy.
Businesses need financing, and banks need to know whether a given company is a good risk. The Risk project group (part of De Nederlandsche Bank's Circular Economy Working Group and consisting of experts from Rabobank, ABN AMRO, ING, Triodos and Invest-NL) set out to create a scorecard which would enable financial institutions to establish whether a specifically circular business is a good bet.
Enterprise Europe Network Flanders, Flanders, Wallonie Entreprendre and Hub.Brussels are organising an official WCEF2024 side-event: a global online matchmaking session focusing on circular innovation. There'll be an online part (8-14 April) and an in-person part (17 April).
This training, scheduled to take place on 24 January at 9:00-13:00 CET on ZOOM platform, aims to present the tools and methodology developed by the Up2Circ team to support SMEs with the uptake of circular innovation.
Circular Hub Tirol is the point of contact for all issues dealing with the circular economy in Austria's Tirol region. Together with their partners, they offer services such as
project initiation
networking
circularity check for SMEs
information and further education on the circular economy, and
an annual exhibition of good practices in the area of circular design.
At European level, the built environment is responsible for 40% of CO2-eq emissions and roughly 60% of material consumption.
By applying bio-based alternatives to conventional ‘mineral’ construction materials, the environmental impact of the EU27+UK sector can be reduced by 18%.
However, there is a limit to the sustainable wood supply that can be harvested without compromising vital functions provided by forests, and the projected increase in wood consumption is not compatible with the realistic growth potential of harvesting activities. Therefore resource efficiency, bio-based added value or demand for new housing should be carefully weighted in to ensure a sustainable shift, the study concludes.
Gravity Wave is a social start-up based in Spain. It focuses on working with small-scale fishermen to collect as much as possible of the plastic waste fouling the Mediterranean, from water bottles to a whole load of discarded fishing nets.
Knof is a Slovenian social enterprise with a focus on circularity and sustainability. It operates reuse boutiques, a circular laboratory and a programme for individuals and entrepreneurs supporting sustainable companies.
The Circular Economy Lab was set up in 2018 by Cariplo Factoryand Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center. It is a hub of circular economy competences that aims to help spread the principles and methods of the circular economy and support companies as they go circular.
The Lab is involved in various projects, such as the Iren Startup Award Call4Circular | Circular products and materials. It promotes the circular economy by holding workshops on key topics and by creating networking opportunities for innovative ecosystem players, such as startups, innovative SMEs, universities, research centres and technology transfer centres.
At the Handelsblatt Circular Economy conference, the central role of industry, business, politics and science in implementing the circular economy will be discussed under the motto "reverse thinking".
The conference brings together top thinkers, decision makers and experts who already have experience in implementing circular economy solutions.