Linked to the BATRAW project that develops circular approaches for electric vehicle batteries, this CEPS report delves into the new EU regulatory framework for batteries and the expanding EU digital product passport landscape. It identifies key opportunities and challenges for battery passports based on data collected from companies at different stages of the battery value chain.
The data suggest that the battery passport can help break down information silos among supply chain actors and support recycling and reuse. It also provides opportunities for increasing transparency about carbon footprint impacts across battery supply chains, while creating a level playing field with horizontal requirements for all supply chain actors.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission has just published a report on construction & demolition waste (CDW) which confirms that the circular economy is crucial for reaching climate neutrality by 2050:
- construction & demolition waste accounts for almost 40% of all waste generated in the EU
- the new JRC study estimates the potential for recycling and preparing for re-use of CDW to be roughly 83%
- realising this potential would lead to an additional 33 Mt CO2e savings annually (equivalent to the combined annual emissions of e.g. Estonia, Latvia and Luxembourg).
The European Commission is taking important legislative and non-legislative steps to ensure CDW is managed in an environmentally sound manner and contributes to the circular economy.
The Nordic Working Group for Circular Economy (NCE) is a working group under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The NCE mandate includes contributing to activities and exchanges of information that will promote the transition to a circular economy in the Nordic Region.
The NCE also wishes to influence the EU and global actors, for example by helping to identify solutions that will reduce consumption of raw materials, waste, emissions and energy by recycling products, including for new purposes.
The NCE also carries out projects on different topics related to the circular economy.
In 2022, the EU’s circular material use rate reached 11.5%. This means that 11.5% of material resources used in the EU came from recycled waste materials.
As a growing community of European frontrunner festivals, Green Deal Circular Festivals strives for fully circular and climate neutral festivals, as festivals can play a guiding role in inspiring a green movement and accelerate society’s transition.
The Romanian Government has approved an Action Plan promoting the Circular Economy as part of the National Strategy for the Circular Economy (NSCE). The action plan sets out a national vision for speeding up the transition to a circular economy, with measures geared to the nine economic sectors with the greatest potential for circularity in Romania's economy: agriculture and forestry; automotive; construction; food and beverages; packaging; textiles; electrical and electronic equipment; waste; water; wastewater.
The action plan has a cross-sectoral strand including promotion activities and a monitoring platform. It also stipulates 52 priority measures scheduled to be rolled out between 2024 and 2032.
CuCilento (which can be understand to mean both "Sew slowly" and "Sew in Cilento", a region in Campania) is an innovative business project designed by Sarah Khoudja as part of the EU's 'Empowering Women in Agrifood' programme led by the Future Food Institute. It is an upcycling workshop which processes agricultural by-products and other materials (boat sails, factory scraps, etc.) classified as waste and turns them into net or fabric bags that can be used for food packaging or shopping.
Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe is announcing a one-day event focusing on Circular Healthcare. Their training session to be held in Brussels on 28 November 2023 is aimed at transforming how to approach healthcare practices and implementing principles from the waste hierarchy in the sector.
Its objectives:
Learn how to reduce plastic and its impacts on health and the environment
Discover how to prevent waste and introduce reusable alternatives in healthcare settings
Explore how to eliminate harmful chemicals from healthcare products and processes
Engage in discussions on sustainable procurement and circular business models for healthcare
Network with fellow Circular Healthcare practitioners and innovators from across Europe.
The ECOSWEEE project recognises the importance of stakeholder engagement as a catalyst for change and aims to create a collaborative platform where stakeholders can come together, share knowledge, and collectively work towards improving collection rates and promoting sustainable practices.
Through ongoing engagement, the project will harness the power of stakeholders' expertise and commitment to drive tangible impact and contribute to a more sustainable future. Project activities include the creation and operation of the ECOSWEEE Stakeholder Platform, which will bring together relevant public and private actors and foster transparent discussions.
More information on the Ecosweee project
Join thethe ECOSWEEE Stakeholder Platform on LinkedIn
VAIVÉN 2023: Circular Economy Festival is a meeting and exchange space of the Circular Economy Coalition for Latin America and the Caribbean that seeks to promote and celebrate the development of the circular economy in the region.