This report aims to provide a diagnostic to underpin the Clean Industrial Deal and the Single Market Strategy. It responds to calls from businesses to prioritise competitiveness.
The circular economy is identified as one of the keys to making the EU more competitive. The report looks at the barriers to this transition, such the higher cost of secondary raw materials, the difficulty of scaling up and replicating solutions in a fragmented market and diverging national regulatory frameworks which hinder the development of enhanced supply chains and discourage upscaling innovative recycling facilities.
The Critical Raw Materials Act and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation will enhance conditions for circular business models and the circular transition needs to pick up the pace.
The Circular Economy Show Podcast looks at the various aspects of the circular economy and the people driving it. There are over 200 episodes so far, covering a huge range of issues.
The transition to a circular economy in the textile and apparel value chain is an opportunity to address the environmental challenges facing the industry. However, without a strong focus on social justice, this transition risks perpetuating poor working conditions, gender inequality and vulnerability for workers, particularly in low-wage, labour-intensive roles.
This policy brief identifies five key recommendations for policymakers:
Align circular economy goals with just transition principles
Identify and protect vulnerable populations
Address income disparity and strengthen labour regulations
Enhance participatory mechanisms and access to justice
Implement restorative mechanisms and support reskilling initiatives
AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, has prepared an interesting article about contaminants in wastewaste. See how policymakers have updated the legislative framework for wastewater treatment, water reuse and the control of emerging contaminants.
This study assesses the potential to enhance the circularity of bio-based waste within the framework of the 2025 update of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy.
It focuses on identifying opportunities to move bio-based waste streams up the waste hierarchy, retain technical and economic value and minimise environmental impacts. This refers to bio-based waste which could potentially be recycled into new materials or substances.
The study maps waste generation, collection, treatment and reporting practices across the EU and the technologies for managing biowaste.
It finds that better separate collection and development of high-value recovery pathways could reduce environmental pressures, greenhouse gas emissions and import dependence, though technological feasibility and scalability remain uncertain.
The 2019 Single-Use Plastics Directive addresses the problem of marine - principally plastic - litter. It will be evaluated next year, and the process is starting with a public consultation. Give your views by 17 March!
The ESNI-NERM (The European Sustainable Nutrient Initiative (ESNI) Conference and the Nutrients in Europe Research Meeting (NERM) conference will be an opportunity to present and discuss scientific evidence and technological innovations that can support the European Commission’s goals on nutrient management.
The ESNI-NERM conference will be an opportunity to present and discuss scientific evidence and technological innovations that can support the European Commission’s goals on nutrient management.
The conference will take place on 28-29 April and they are calling for abstracts. Deadline: 30 January!
This public hearing is organised in connection with the opinion being prepared by the EESC on A comprehensive strategy for nature-based biodegradable materials to foster circularity and resource efficiency, strengthen the agri-food sector and scale-up the EU bioeconomy. The hearing will gather input for a comprehensive strategy for nature-based biodegradable materials.
Waste To Resources Latvia - boosting regional sustainability and circularity is a Lifeproject which provides a framework for coordinating, testing and scaling up circular economy solutions at national level, involving multiple partners and thematic implementation areas.
So far, it has launched national digital platforms for reuse and industrial symbiosis, improved data availability and decision-support tools for the waste management sector, and enhanced quality assurance of secondary materials through an accredited polymer testing laboratory.
