The Danish company GHform produces outdoor furniture and inventory, such as benches, waste bins and street lights. The company is now also offering municipalities the chance to lease its cast iron lamp posts.
The FORCE project is an EU-funded project seeking to promote the shift towards the circular economy. Running from September 2016 to January 2021, the project identified four main focus areas: plastic waste, wood waste, used electronic and electrical equipment, and food and biowaste.
Grown is a biotechnology company that has developed an innovative use for mycelium - the network of mushroom roots - as binding agent for agricultural waste to create fully biodegradable and toxic-free packaging or insulation material.
The Ljubljana Regional Centre for Waste Management (RCERO Ljubljana) is a national centre for environmentally-friendly waste management in Slovenia.
The Interreg North-West Europe project SeRaMCo (Secondary Raw Material for Concrete Precast Products) focused on researching and promoting the use of secondary raw materials from construction and demolition waste (CDW).
MIWA designs and produces genuinely circular packaging for the whole supply chain. It supplies brand owners/producers with smart capsules and retailers with smart dispensers using the service as a product model.
Coolrec, an electronics goods recycling company, extracts cast iron counterweights from old Miele washing machines to be returned to the factory for recycling.
In Latvia, a project developed by the Ministry of Agriculture (in cooperation with private investment) seeks to improve biomass production in the country’s forests.
In Sweden, there is an initiative from the coffee roasting sector which aims to eliminate all waste related to coffee cultivation, processing and consumption by the year 2030.
Liegi Bolt is a packaging-free grocery shop in Budapest. The shop does not sell any products in plastic wrapping or packaging and so customers buy exactly the amount they need.
The Nordic working group on Circular Economy and Nordic Swan Ecolabel have investigated the potential for developing ecolabels for the growing sharing economy. Their findings are set out in a Study into the Potential Framework for Ecolabelling of Sharing Based Services in a Circular Economy Perspective.
The study examines sharing economy sectors and gives some recommendations:
The circular economy has become a priority policy topic in Europe (EC, 2015, 2020) and is a key objective of the European Green Deal. There is increasing interest in the potential for altering traditional business models to enable materials and products to be reused and remain in the economy for as long as possible — as opposed to being used once and then discarded.
This briefing presents an analytical framework, identifying actions that can be taken to implement circular business models effectively.
CICERONE is a group of European programme owners, researchers and businesses seeking to build a platform for an efficient circular economy. Its report Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) on Circular Economy aims to help owners and funders of European circular economy programmes adopt a systemic approach to circular economy transition.
The SRIA was developed based on eight priority themes (biomass and biotechnologies, chemicals, construction and demolition, food, plastic, raw materials, waste and water) and builds on four societal areas that face sustainability challenges (urban areas, industrial systems, value chains and territory and sea) to identify priority areas to tackle EU region-wide issues and facilitate the circular economy transition.
Plastic-based — or ‘synthetic’— textiles are woven into our daily lives in Europe. They are in the clothes we wear, the towels we use and the bed sheets we sleep in. They are in the carpets, curtains and cushions we decorate our homes and offices with. And they are in safety belts, car tyres, workwear and sportswear. Synthetic textile fibres are produced from fossil fuel resources, such as oil and natural gas. Their production and consumption and handling the related waste generate greenhouse gas emissions, use non-renewable resources and can release microplastics.
This briefing provides an overview of the synthetic textile economy in Europe, analyses environmental and climate impacts, and highlights the potential for developing a circular economy value chain.
Plastics play an essential role in modern society, but they also lead to significant impacts on the environment and climate. Reducing such impacts while retaining the usefulness of plastics requires a shift towards a more circular and sustainable plastics system.
This report tells the story of plastics and their effect on the environment and climate, and looks at their place in a European circular economy.
Data palms are becoming ever more important globally and in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). The Khalifa Award Report, inspired by 46 contributors in 21 countries, focuses on the 5 Ps - People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnerships - which shape the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The bio-circular economic potential of the date palm industry has yet to be explored. In some cases, it is a necessity that can save lives in oases prone to fire hazards caused by climate change; it can also provide new green jobs in the sustainable economy transition. The European circular economy transition can serve as a model for adaptation in the MENA region.
More info on date palm recycling on pages 162-3 of the report.
The GLOPACK (Granting society with LOw environmental impact innovative PACKaging) project aims to come up with food packaging which has no environmental footprint and can extend the shelf life of food products.
This paper explores the applications of Radio frequency identification (RFID), a promising technology that can identify articles much more efficiently than barcodes. One of the project's areas of interest is RFID-enabled wireless food spoilage indicators linked to food date labels.
RFID technology can help reduce waste (consumers can use it to check the quality of the food in their fridge) and increase recycling (it is good for mass identifying items quickly, which is helpful in a recycling facility).
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has identified five universal circular economy policy goals that provide a framework for national governments, cities and businesses to create a transition that fosters innovation and decouples growth from finite resource consumption and environmental degradation.
As governments and industries around the globe move towards a circular economy, it is key to align ambitions and collaborate effectively. The five goals provide a blueprint for cooperation and the private and public sectors need to pull together to achieve them. The goals acknowledge that the relevant policies are interconnected, which will help avoid creating a patchwork of solutions.
As part of its work on the environmental footprint, the European Commission organised a webinar for SMEs on 10 December 2020 providing an introduction to the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method.
The event focussed on the following questions:
The presentation, recording and a summary of the Q&A session are available for further information.
The Netherlands faces major challenges in the domain of sustainability. Its ambition is to create a circular economy and ultimately eliminate CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases altogether. What does that mean for Rijkswaterstaat?
This report contains a selection of sustainability highlights by Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management). Inspiring tales of what can be achieved by making full use of everyone’s knowledge and experience, but also a fascinating description of how Rijkswaterstaat has evolved into a sustainable executive organisation for the entire national government.
Chemical Recycling Europe is a platform that encourages its members to unite for the common goal of closing the loop for the plastics industry through technological innovation and participation within chemical recycling. The platform encourages the goal of recycling all plastic waste into its original components or as value-added materials.
The association was established in 2019 for the European chemical recycling industry to make a difference towards the public and European institutions.
Its members offer technologies to transform unrecyclable plastic waste into new raw materials. In this way, the transformation to reuse ensures the reduction of CO2 emissions and combat global warming and increased CO2 footprint of plastic products.
Turuta is a project of mutual exchange and enrichment. Starting in 2010 as an experimental project of a new microeconomy, it gave birth to the "turuta market", based on a social currency called turuta (a traditional military march played during Carnival parades). This is used to pay for local goods and services, promoting local production and interchange. Each partner in the turuta market has an online account.
It is a living project being developed by the members of the association ECOL3VNG (local ecological economic ecosystem at Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona). The collective history of this ecosystem is being written through minute-taking (agreements of Board, commissions and assemblies, i.e. the "legislation") and account-taking of the exchanges between partners.
The EU-funded DigiCirc project aims at enabling the digitalisation of the Circular Economy by building upon the innovation potential of SMEs. It accelerates innovation by identifying cutting-edge circular economy solutions and by promoting business development and start-up growth.
DigiCirc will build and coordinate an innovative network of stakeholders that will set the foundation for an open space for innovation performed through the DigiCirc accelerators.
45 circular innovations, addressing sectoral challenges and generating new value chain, will be selected through open calls in three domains:
For more information on open calls (the first on Circular cities to be launched in November) and the accelerator programme click here.
The Nordic Circular Hotspot aims to be the leading resource and collaborative learning hub on circular economy in the Nordics.
This Hotspot works to connect stakeholders in the Nordic region, such as local and regional governments, business, communities, knowledge institutions and academia, to (co-)develop and initiate practical circular solutions, business models, projects and initiatives. The aim is to be the go-to place in the region for everything circular in the region to faster accelerate the transition to a circular economy.
The CirQuality OWL project is funded by the EU (ERDF) and the Federal State North-Rhine Westfalia (NRW) with the aim of fostering the circular economy in the area.
Seven regional partners from the different fields (from energy to technologies to food to universities and associations) teamed up to use the circular economy to get the region off the ground in an innovative, crisis-proof, resilient and sustainable way. Together they are jointly striving for the following goals:
Circular Economy Forum Austria is a learning and dialog platform, initiating and promoting the exchange and further development of knowledge, ideas and implementations and identifies potential synergies among companies, politics, science, research and design.
The Forum:
Launched in November 2019, Sporos aims to become the first platform for impact investment and collaboration that adds value to SMEs in Greece and Southeastern Europe, on the basis of the Circular Economy.
Sporos utilises mezzanine sustainable financing tools, combined with consultancy services and environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainable development goal (SDG) metrics.
CIRCLE is a transnational cooperation project aimed at promoting circular economy solutions in SMEs in rural areas.
The project comes under the EU's LEADER programme and its objectives are as follows:
The project partners have agreed to organise one programme in each country with visits to enterprises, farms and organisations implementing circular economy or innovative environment-friendly solutions.
The Circular Economy for the Data Centre Industry (CEDaCI) aims to enable trans-sectoral and transnational learning and develop circular economy solutions for the Data Centre Industry in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK by:
By joining this network you will receive innovative insights into circularity solutions and share ideas within a multi-professional network.
To become a member, you may apply by 30 September 2020.
The textile industry needs to innovate for the sake of the industry and its people, the healthcare sector and the environment.
It can create clothes that monitor health conditions and measure body movements, as well as technologies that recycle/reuse textile fibres.
Since its creation in 2006, Smart Textiles has developed over 500 research/business projects. Visit its Showroom to find out about new materials/prototypes/products, or its Technology Lab at the University of Borås, where technological advances are achieved thanks to inter-disciplinary cooperation.
The circular project Re:textile has launched the F/ACT Movement, focusing on new sustainable choices without sacrificing the passion for clothing and fashion.
Circular Week, an international campaign consisting of a series of events and initiatives devoted to circular economy and sustainable development, will take place on 12-18 October 2021 throughout Europe. Its goal is to promote the idea of a circular economy, support sustainable business models and establish cooperation between interested stakeholders.
The Market-driven Circular & Bioeconomy EU Green Week Partner Event on 8 June 2021 brings together representatives of European projects based on industry-academic partnerships in the fields of biodiversity, forestry, engineering, chemistry, agriculture, and transport.
Recycling plastic is a good thing, but stopping the cycle and the plastic waste before it starts, is better. To cut down the use of single-use items, the current standards need to be disrupted when it comes to our throwaway culture. Join a Loop seminar on Reusable solutions to single-use culture on 25 May 2021, from 16:30 to 17:30 CEST.
The building and construction sector consumes around 10 million tonnes of plastics in Europe each year, which accounts for 20% of all plastics consumption. LOOP's idea was to find out what concrete ways there are both to reduce the use of plastics and to increase circularity of plastics in residential construction.
If you want to learn more about Green Economy investment in the Mediterranean, join this experience-sharing webinar organised as part of the Interreg MED Green Growth Community project. The session will take place online on 20 May 2021. Don't miss it!
The Interreg MED Green Growth Community (GGC) will take part in EU Green Week, organising a partner event to present best practices on moving towards zero pollution in the agri-food sector, with a focus on the Mediterranean region. Join the webinar on 1 June! It aims to showcase how to make the agri-food value chain more sustainable by applying circular economy approaches.
The new Circular Economy Action Plan identifies textiles as a key product value chain with potential to boost the EU market for sustainable and circular textiles. The European Commission is organising a series of targeted stakeholder workshops to gather input on challenges and gaps as well as opportunities for the sector towards sustainability. Join the second workshop on 2 June 2021!
Join this event to explore how the circular economy will change our consumption patterns. This change has already started but is expected to drastically increase. This webinar on 2 June will look into how this transformation will affect both businesses and purchasers.
Young people have an important role to play in the transition to a circular economy, both acting as a representative of consumers with different and higher expectations than the generations before them regarding sustainability, and as the face of innovative entrepreneurs aware of the limit of the current economic model and ready to rethink production and consumption habits as they enter the professional world.
As the Horizon 2020 research programme becomes Horizon Europe, what better time to witness how great ideas turned into real projects? LOOPS is the opportunity to show what cutting-edge research has been produced, and which changes it can bring to our communities. The topic of this episode on 13 May will orbit around the concepts of circularity and digital technologies in the agriculture sector.
Have your say on industry’s role in supporting the circular economy and improving the EU’s environment! Take part in the public consultation on the revision of the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register. The feedback period closes on 23 March 2021.
Have your say on industry’s role in supporting the circular economy and improving the EU’s environment! Take part in the public consultation on the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive. The feedback period closes on 23 March 2021.
The call for tender ‘Operation of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative’s Coordination & Support Office (CCRI-CSO)’ is now open for submission with deadline 1 March 2021.
Catalonia's Ministry of Territory and Sustainability is organising the 2021 Catalonia Eco-Design Award. This recognises products already in the market or under development or strategies designed to improve the environmental performance of products and services and so contribute to the circular economy. Deadline for applications: 15 February.
Ecorys is looking to develop a roster of experts / business advisors / consultants on the topics of sustainability and resource efficiency, to provide support to the European Cluster Collaboration Platform. Both individuals and organisations are eligible, and the call will remain open until 16 February at 6 p.m. CET.
It is possible to make products safer and more sustainable by assessing their performance at the design stage of product development, according to the EEA. This approach would reduce risks from chemical pollution and support Europe’s transition to a circular and low-carbon economy.
The RECITURF project is developing new methods for recycling artificial turf so that it does not end up in landfills. New artificial turf can be manufactured using the different plastics recovered from waste turf.
Circularity can reduce the land consumption footprint and contribute to ecosystem restoration. Safe, sustainable and circular use of excavated soils can reduce pressures on biodiversity. The European Commission has therefore launched an online public consultation on the development of a new EU Soil Strategy.
The transition from a linear to a circular economy is one of the most important imperatives of our time: it requires a fundamental change in the way we produce and consume. A circular approach to production and consumption reduces emissions and pollution, increases competitiveness, and boosts innovation.
From goods as simple as office supplies to services as complex as energy systems – everything has to go through procurement. Green Public Procurement is not only closely tied to key EU Green Deal targets, but also to the indispensable principle of a just and inclusive transition to the Circular Economy.
