IUCN is a union of government and civil society organisations working to advance sustainable development and create a just world that values and conserves nature.
Created in 1948, it is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of over 1 400 member organisations and 17000 experts. This makes it the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
The European Regional Office represents IUCN at EU level and works with Member States to help deliver EU goals.
IUCN brings expertise and convening power on biodiversity and nature-based solutions to the table, aiming to bridge the environmental priorities of nature conservation and the transition from a linear to a circular model.
The Circular Economy Platform was officially established in November 2018 in Hungary as an initiative of the Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology. So far, 101 companies and organisations have joined it.
The platform aims to accelerate the transition to a circular economy model by sharing knowledge and creating joint projects, with the involvement of businesses, government and science.
Korp is a B2B platform which enables companies to exchange goods and services for goods and services.
The idea is that businesses can expand without having to lay out the cash first, and unwanted items are circulated rather than being disposed of as waste. Purchases and sales are settled via the in-house "currency" Korp credits, where I Korp credit is equal to 1 euro. Only verified businesses can join the network.
Services include marketing, communication and printing, while goods would include wine, furniture and advertising items. There have been 37 million swaps so far...
Korp is also a way for businesses to find new clients and show off their expertise.
The Luxembourg Wood Cluster was set up in 2016 as a platform for discussion between all players in the wood value chain. One focus is establishing a closed loop for wood. It is managed by Luxinnovation, Luxembourg’s national innovation agency.
The Cluster is intended to be a place to get expert support and connect with key players in the wood processing domain, in order to become more sustainable and competitive through innovation.
It connects users with potential partners in the business and innovation ecosystem. The Cluster regularly organises information and networking events and thematic and technical workshops, and facilitates knowledge transfer and intersectoral R&D. It promotes pilot projects of interest to the wood processing industry and supports cooperation initiatives.
Madaster is an online registry which aims to enable and promote circularity in the construction industry and eliminate waste.
Data are recorded on all components used in a real estate or infrastructure project, such as buildings and bridges. This provides information on how an object can be dismantled and whether the resulting materials can be reused, along with details on embodied carbon and toxicity.
The site includes the Madaster Platform, where material passports can be created. The platform adds details on circularity, environmental impact and residual value. Users can search for specific materials within a set area and ensure that their project complies with regulations. Policymakers and anyone looking for data on the built environment can find relevant data.
Madeira Circular brings together key actors for the transition to the circular economy in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. This includes civil society, businesses, public administrations and the scientific and academic communities.
It looks at regulations and financing and explores sectors relevant to Madeira which can be shifted to a more circular approach, such as tourism, production of local products and civil engineering.
The platform looks at recycling and how to combat food waste and provides recommendations in the fields of water, waste and energy.
MarketPlace Circular Labs is an Interreg project in the north-west of the Iberian Peninsula (North and Central Portugal and Castilla y León and Galicia in Spain). It aims to give visibility to good practices and circular economy success stories developed by businesses and entrepreneurs in the region.
There is a private area where users can share products and services, along with ideas for projects and synergies. There is also a learning centre, and events and publications are listed in the News space.
The project is funded by the ERDF via the Cooperación Transfronteriza INTERREG V-A España Portugal programme. It aims to incorporate the circular economy into the business culture and to build new ideas into every stage of the value chain.
MaterialDistrict is a match-making platform in the field of innovative materials, connecting material manufacturers and distributors with creative professionals and providing designers with information about materials.
The categories of materials are:
Plastics
Other naturals
Wood
Metals
Glass
Coatings
Ceramics
Concretes
Natural stones
There are listings for each material, with tags such as "biobased" or "recycling", making it very easy to find a circular material. Manufacturers and suppliers can promote and sell their goods, and creative professionals can look for the material that is right for their project.
Mercado Organizado de Resíduos is a Portuguese online platform that can be used to trade different types of waste for recovery (with the exception of waste classified as hazardous by the general waste management scheme).
MOR provides the space for waste of all categories to be traded, whether for recovery or for disposal under the country's general waste management scheme. This includes transactions and exchange of by-products and recycled materials.
The Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (Portuguese Environment Agency) has licensed MOR Online as the first integrated management platform in the waste market.
