The Baltic TRAM (Transnational Research Access in the Macroregion) project strengthened the relationship between analytical research institutions and businesses by fostering cooperation between companies and researchers, linking expertise to industrial needs.
RUCONBAR, developed in a project which ran from 2011 to 2014, is a highly absorptive, environmentally-friendly concrete noise barrier. It is an innovative mixture of recycled waste tyres and concrete which forms a porous, lightweight, sound absorbing panel.
Zona Urbana is a fashion company based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Since 2004, it designs and manufactures products with recycled materials, mainly bags or wallets.
In Venturis HoReCa a group of professionals has joined forces, knowledge, expertise and ideas to tackle the problem of food waste. They have developed IT systems (KuMin.Sys and KuMin.App) to monitor and reduce food waste in kitchens and canteens. Monitoring of food waste is the first important step in the process of reduction. Venturis HoReCa also advises companies on how to limit food waste.
REC.ON creates its production by recovering auto parts. Using a unique upcycling process, they transform used, unwanted parts of automobiles into new, high-quality, functional pieces of design, adding style and an industrial aesthetic to any interior. Moreover, they have a unique process of acquiring their materials.
Re-Match has a recycling process for synthetic turf, recovering up to 95% of the materials, which is accredited with the EU’s Environmental Technology Verification. Their patented technology separates the sand, backing, rubber and plastic fibre from used synthetic turf. These materials can then be sold or used in a wide variety of new products in different industries.
Re-food is an independent, citizen driven, fully volunteer, eco-humanitarian community charity, working to eliminate food waste and hunger on a neighbourhood basis. This Portuguese movement targets at ending food waste and hunger by saving food which was going to waste at local venues.
Last Minute Market is a social enterprise, founded in 1998 as a research initiative and now a spin-off from the University of Bologna. Today, it is an entrepreneurial society working at the national level in Italy, developing local projects to recover unsold goods and benefit non-profit organisations. Its objective is zero waste.
In Slovakia and Czechia, an initiative set by three recent graduates has been positively impacting the sector of waste management in both countries. The Elwis Waste Registration System has the objective to increase efficiency in the cities’ waste management systems by helping reducing the amount of mixed waste.
European consumers lack the means to improve the durability of their products. In addition to harming the environment by emitting CO2, extracting non-renewable resources unnecessarily and creating waste, premature obsolescence in all its forms affects citizens’ purchasing power, their right to repair and their freedom to make their products last longer.
This white paper aims to give all stakeholders suggestions and ideas to move towards a world in which repair and responsible consumption are the norm. This will necessarily imply new constraints on manufacturers, that can no longer make products without taking durability and repair into account. It will also require new tools to inform citizens so that they are empowered in their consumption choices.
Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME)
Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
This policy brief from the ATI project (Technopolis Group, IDC, Fraunhofer, IDEA, Capgemini and NESTA) aims to promote policy initiatives and good practices of advanced and digital technologies that deliver solutions to the pressing environmental problems of our times. It outlines policy challenges in Europe, presenting the positive and negative impacts of digital technologies. It couples the objectives within digital and circular economy, showing national and industrial strategies that foster green investment. It also explains the various policy measures at societal levels within research and innovation programmes, energy solutions, regional ecosystems, smart mobility, resource consumption and voluntary industrial initiatives.
Different types of waste have been successfully co-processed as alternative fuels and raw materials (AFR) in cement kilns in Europe, Japan, USA, Canada and Australia since the beginning of the 1980s.
In 2006, the first edition of the GTZ-Holcim Guidelines on Co-processing Waste Materials in Cement Production was published (GIZ-Holcim, 2006), aiming to gather the lessons of these experiences and offer it particularly to low and middle income countries as an option to improve approaches to waste management. Since then, waste management has earned a much more prominent place on the political agenda.
This revised edition of the guidelines updates technical, institutional, legal and social aspects of the original document as well as incorporate new ideas and information.
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.
So far, the debate on material use and recycling has primarily been held in terms of tonnes, cubic metres, and environmental impact. This is all highly relevant, but a focus on volumes and flows also leaves important questions unanswered.
The report takes a step towards painting a more complete picture, taking an economic value perspective on material flows, and it assesses Europe’s use of steel, plastics and aluminium in terms of Euros instead of tonnes. Its objective is to answer the following questions:
When 100 Euros worth of raw materials enter the European economy, how much economic value is retained after one cycle of use?
What are the main reasons for loss of material value?
The study sheds light on the background of the prevention of plastic waste from packaging and disposable products by explaining the need for action, the environmental impacts and risks to human health.
Experiences of the members of the PREVENT Waste Alliance and their partners in the prevention of plastic waste by multi-actor partnerships are presented by means of 17 best practice examples.
Finally, the study gives recommendations for the reduction of plastic waste and the further work of the PREVENT Waste Alliance. These include success factors for waste prevention, necessary next steps and conclusions regarding the necessary political framework conditions.
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.
This report follows on from the publication Circular Czechia from July 2018, exploring the circular economy in the Czech Republic.
The report explains how innovation has developed in this field since 2018, and aims to be an inspiration for firms, organisations and authorities on how to implement circular principles. It sets out a wide selection of good practices from the Czech Republic, and includes the retail, wastewater treatment, transport, construction and furniture sectors.
The report analyses the relationship between resilience and the circular economy.
It presents socio-ecological resilience mechanisms, with particular reference to the impacts of COVID-19.
It explores various relevant topics such as resource efficiency, shared resources, regenerative resources, decentralisation, skills transferability, lifelong learning, flexible labour contracts and the strengthening of the sociological foundation.
It also presents three case studies from the Netherlands, Ecuador and India, showing how local companies enhance resilience and reduce vulnerability in various sectors.
Lastly, it gives recommendations for educating stakeholders in how to improve and implement stronger circular economy strategies.
This report, drawn up by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, describes innovation competition as a method of tackling major environmental challenges, specifically how to provide food sustainably and resource-efficiently in the future.
Two teams with expertise in plastics, logistics and sustainability developed solutions focused on a more regional food supply enabling us to reduce the amount of plastic, packaging and transport used. The winning submission is a conversion tool describing the principles of sustainable production and consumption of food.
The Circusol workshop on 29 September 2022 seeks to bring together policy makers, industry representatives, experts and other stakeholders to discuss pathways forward towards a circular and resource-efficient solar power sector in Europe.
Looking for a place to settle or expand a startup in the heart of Europe? As part of the Circular Economy Hotspot event in Bottrop, on 13 September 2022 participants will be taken on an excursion in the Ruhr region to discover what this region can offer to international circular economy start-ups. In Essen, a talk with sponsors, investors and funds will take place. In Bochum, a FabLab, incubators and spaces will be available. In Duisburg, Co-Working Spaces & Networks will be presented.
There has been relatively little focus on the role of consumers in the circular economy but ultimately, the decision on how a product will be recycled, repaired or reused lies with the end users. This EU Circular Talk will share insights into enabling circular behaviour through digitalisation, learn about experiences across the EU, and discuss implications for the future with European stakeholders.
INNOWO invites stakeholders to take part and present their companies at the online roundtable session on 6 October 2022 during Circular Week 2022. Six thematic in-depth virtual discussions will take place with entrepreneurs representing companies developing innovative and sustainable solutions from a particular branch of the circular economy: Waste Management, Textiles, Food & Bioeconomy, Packaging, Construction and Online Platforms & Sharing Economy.
Construction materials and products represent about 50% of all raw materials extracted from the earth's crust. Construction and demolition activities represent 50% of all waste generated.
The ECESP Leadership Group on Buildings and Infrastructure invites you to attend this #EUCircularTalks on 20 October from 10:00 to noon CEST. Join the expert panel to find out just how effective the construction system is in using secondary materials from the supply chain and the advantages of that in terms of CO2 emissions and embodied energy using secondary materials.
Re-think - Circular Economy Forum | Taranto 2022 sets out a vision of macro-trends, possible evolutionary paths and key projects concerning the circular economy at both Italian and international level.
Mazovia Circular Congress is the closing day of Circular Week 2022 and will take place in Warsaw on 7 October 2022. This international hybrid event will involve the participation of small and large firms, start-ups, investors, representatives of public administrations and local governments, enterprises, managers dealing with sustainable development and corporate social responsibility, and the media.
From 12 to 14 September, the PREVENT Waste Alliance will share tried and tested solutions and successful circular economy approaches that can be scaled and adapted to other contexts or regions.
The EPA’s national Circular Economy Conference will be held at the Aviva Stadium on 22 September (from 9:30 to 17:00 Dublin time). The event will also be live-streamed via a web-based app.
This cross-border event on 15 September organised by Holland Circular Hotspot will focus on chemical recycling, a topic that is likely to play a crucial role in making the chemical industry both circular and climate neutral. There will be opportunities for business collaboration and matchmaking between all relevant German (North Rhine-Westphalia) and Dutch stakeholders in the chemical recycling value chain.
The European Commission's DG GROW is calling for applicants to select new members for the High-Level Steering Group (and its Sherpa sub-group) and the Operational Group of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Raw Materials.
Major Cities in Europe - like Budapest, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Ljubljana, Oslo, Prague and Tirana - have signed the European Circular Cities Declaration inviting peers to join them! The have committed themselves to leading the circular transition and to new models of production and consumption, whilst improving human wellbeing and reducing emissions.
The European Commission has decided to launch a €1 billion call for research and innovation projects that respond to the climate crisis and help protect Europe’s unique ecosystems and biodiversity. The Horizon 2020-funded European Green Deal Call is open for registration. It will spur Europe’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis by turning green challenges into innovation opportunities.
On 16 September 2020, the President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula von der Leyen, gave her first State of the European Union address. President von der Leyen presented the priorities of the Commission for the coming year where the green transition of the economy and the circular economy hold prominent places.
Until 30 September 2020, the University of Helsinki is seeking contributions for a planned edited volume, exploring the various social and cultural aspects of the shift from the current take-make-waste extractive industrial model to the restorative circular economy concept.
The Sustainable products initiative, which will revise the Ecodesign Directive and propose additional legislative measures as appropriate, aims to make products placed on the EU market more sustainable. You are welcome to give your feedback on it until 2 November 2020.
The EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste publishes a monthly newsletter to help Platform members stay connected, inform all interested stakeholders about Platform members’ activities and inspire further action in food loss and waste prevention.
The 5th Circular Change Conference, one of key European meeting points of circular economy changemakers, was transformed this year into a “virtual roadshow” consisting of 5 events based on 5 partnerships
We are launching a Call for Expression of Interest for the new mandate of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform Conference (ECESP), that will run from November 2020 to May 2022, open to stakeholders who wish to take part in this unique European initiative.
A new project addressing the systemic complexities of the Circular Economy is being submitted as a Marie Curie (MSCA) post doc proposal. As these aspects build upon multi-stakeholder knowledge and insights, you are kindly invited to join the project community and collaborate.
