09 Oct 2019
Join the Architects' Council of Europe for a workshop on the 'adaptive reuse of our built environment for a greener Europe' on 9 October 2019
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Municipality-led circular economy case studies
Municipality-led circular economy case studies
This publication, managed and delivered by C40 Cities, provides 40 thorough examples of practical circular economic initiatives from cities around the world, for inspiration and replications by other cities.
The Climate-KIC Circular Cities project is investigating how city governments can be transformational change agents and creators of smart and sustainable neighbourhoods.
The results are expected to improve how cities manage building, construction and utility waste and, through productively utilizing household and industrial waste streams, can increase the growing perception that what was once viewed as waste can now be viewed as resource streams.
Circular Economy in Cities - Factsheets - Urban Mobility System Summary
Circular economy in cities - Mobility factsheets
These factsheets outline circular economy opportunities to design out urban waste and pollution, ensure products and materials maintain their value, and regenerate the natural systems in our cities.
Easy-to-reference, the factsheets are a collation of research and case examples that answer some of the most prevalent questions around what circular economy can bring to cities:
- Why is change in cities needed?
- What circular economy opportunities address key urban system issues?
- What can urban policymakers do to harness circular economy opportunities?
- What are the potential economic, social, and environmental benefits of these opportunities?
The whole collection of factsheets, by system and phase, is available on the Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation website.
Circular Economy in Cities - Factsheets - Urban Building System Summary
Circular economy in cities - Buildings factsheets
These factsheets outline circular economy opportunities to design out urban waste and pollution, ensure products and materials maintain their value, and regenerate the natural systems in our cities.
Easy-to-reference, the factsheets are a collation of research and case examples that answer some of the most prevalent questions around what circular economy can bring to cities:
- Why is change in cities needed?
- What circular economy opportunities address key urban system issues?
- What can urban policymakers do to harness circular economy opportunities?
- What are the potential economic, social, and environmental benefits of these opportunities?
The whole collection of factsheets, by system and phase, is available on the Ellen Mac Arthur Foundation website.
Circular Prague
Circular Prague
The Circular Prague report is a visual roadmap that identifies the strategies that are best positioned to kick-start the Czech capital’s transition towards a circular economy.
The report marks the culmination of Prague’s Circle City Scan; a 12-month collaborative innovation process involving local government, research organisations and businesses. The ‘Scan’ process analysed both the economic and political landscape of the city, as well as uncovering the resource ‘metabolism’ of the city, in order to identify areas of the city with the greatest impact, benefits and momentum to kick-start the circular transition.
The collaborative Circle City Scan process has highlighted the potential to promote circular lifestyles in ReUse Hubs using public procurement, to boost the construction through circular procurement, and to use the city’s food waste as biomethane to power the city’s waste collection fleet.
To capitalise on the growing circular momentum, this report provides tangible steps to take these projects from concept to reality, and kickstart Prague’s circular transition.
Super Circular Estate: joining material and social circularity to respond to citizens' new demographics and needs
The Super Circular Estate project addresses the challenge of changing housing needs. The Parkstad Limburg region’s population, is estimated to shrink by 27% in the next 30 years, calling for a radical reorientation in housing facilities. The project aims at demolishing vacant outdated high-rise apartment buildings, and reuse their components to establish new social housing units.
Circular Economy in Cities - Project Guide
Circular Economy in Cities: a suite of easily accessible resources
Explore how city governments around the world are taking action to enable circular economy opportunities that deliver on a range of mayoral priorities, Sustainable Development Goals, and climate objectives.
In March 2019, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched Circular Economy in Cities, a suite of easily accessible resources which provide a global reference on the topic.
Its modules have been developed to respond to the growing interest in circular economy from city governments and mayors, and will offer insights to many other urban stakeholders, including the people who live in cities.
Circular Economy in Cities focuses on opportunities in three key urban systems - buildings, mobility, and products - and looks at how city governments can work to enable a circular economy transition.
The project addresses questions such as:
- Vision: What will the implementation of circular economy principles in cities look like?
- Factsheets: What benefits can a circular economy transition in key urban systems bring to cities?
- Policy levers: What can urban policymakers do to accelerate this transition?
- Case studies: What examples are there of urban policymakers already putting this into action?
- Other networks & resources: What are other organisations doing on the topic of circular economy and cities?
La Polveriera: recycling old military warehouses into a vibrant space for civic and social initiatives
The "Polveriera" is an urban regeneration project that converted an ancient military warehouse into a beautiful civic centre hosting several activities: learning and residential centre for disabled people, offices for cooperatives and NGOs, co-working space, auditorium, a shop and a restaurant-cafè.
11 Apr 2019
The ICLEI Europe Brussels Office organises the 29th Breakfast at Sustainability's entitled Fostering the circular food economy through stronger rural-urban linkages.
Futur-E: 23 Italian thermoelectric power plants will get a new life, in consultation with local stakeholders and communities
Enel is a prominent energy actor in Italy. As a result of its investment in renewable energy, 23 obsolete thermoelectric power plants and one mining area are to be decommissioned.
The Futur-E project aims to reconvert these outdated plants into local facilities satisfying criteria of innovation, social, environmental and economic sustainability.
Scaling the circular built environment
Scaling the Circular Built Environment: pathways for business and government
The built environment, consuming almost half of the world's resources extracted every year and responsible for a massive environmental footprint, is a fundamental sector in the circular transition.The circular economy has great potential to help meet global sustainability targets and the Paris Agreement's goals in particular.
Moving towards a circular built environment involves a shift in roles and business models for stakeholders active in this sector. However, barriers related to culture, regulations, market, technology and education are slowing down the transition.
The private and public sector need to create a level playing field in order for circular materials, products and services to become the new normal in the built environment. This requires bold leadership from both companies and policy-makers who have to transform the market (e.g. by introducing new valuation methods) and implement long-term policies that encourage the scaling of circular solutions (e.g. through circular procurement). Standardization, new forms of collaboration and co-creation processes are essential elements in the transition. Digital innovation, education and information sharing can further drive the change in mindset and culture that is needed to turn the circular built environment into reality.
03 Jun 2019 to 05 Jun 2019
The World Circular Economy Forum is a ground-breaking event that presents the best innovations for circular economy and gathers the most recognised experts and decision-makers in the field. Be at the epicentre of the circular economy in Helsinki, Finland, on 3 - 5 June 2019.
25 Mar 2019
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation will be holding a public webinar on its Circular Economy in Cities suite of online resources for urban authorities on the 25th of March 2019.
Cirkelstad
Cirkelstad is a national platform connecting private entrepreneurs and policy-makers who are delivering the transition to a circular economy in pioneering Dutch cities. By facilitating their networking, the platform enables greater impact by spreading best practice.
In addition to a comprehensive database of good practice, research and policy guidelines to inspire practicioners, the Cirkelstad Academie also provides occassional trainings and provides advisory services to aspiring circular projects in Utrecht and Amsterdam.
To learn more about this hands-on network and connect with the 'spinners' coordinating activities in each city, visit the platform here.
Idea Plast: decades of design and production experience bring playful new life to recycled plastics
Idea Plast is an Italian company specialising in the design of plastic parts since 1987. It aims at providing clients with a full service for new plastic manufactured goods, including design, prototyping, testing and best options for end-of-life recycling.
Roubaix's Circular Economy Route Map
After the 2014 elections, the new Roubaix municipality team wanted to change the image of its city and encourage a positive attitude towards both its inhabitants and France as a whole.
The roadmap aims at turning difficulties into advantages, generating a new dynamic. Based on the Sustainable development strategy (since 2003), a zero waste policy is progressively implemented with a focus on cooperation and awareness raising among the stakeholders.
The approach is global, even if some activities are implemented on a micro-scale (budget issue), mostly at the level of a city sub-district (Fresnoy-Mackellerie).
To enable the entire City of Roubaix to experience the transition to a zero waste economy, projects are open and accessible to all categories of population and businesses. This is reflected in the way the projects are designed and co-developed, and how the City communicates about them.
Some concrete solutions are tested on an everyday basis and feedback is already shared with others (zero waste family program, zero waste business label, zero waste festival…).
Generally speaking, the City of Roubaix wants :
- to have the largest possible audience sharing the zero waste concepts, to match activities that could bring new dynamics into this field and make it happen. The more people share the same values the better;
- to multiply the interaction at different levels (inhabitants, institutions, businesses) but also to keep a global coherent approach;
- to minimize the production of waste, by changing consumer’s behaviour, retailer distribution methods and the design and processing used by the companies;
- to make the remaining and really unavoidable waste enter a circular loop.
AquaponieBxl - Laurence Vanneyre
29 Nov 2018
The event will tackle the question of how to translate circular economy principles into day-to-day relations with suppliers and businesses.
Ballymun's boiler house is now a 3D textbook on reuse
When Dublin's Ballymun suburb was scheduled for regeneration, a local environmental project redeveloped the neighbourhood's heating plant into a 3D textbook on repair, reuse and refurbish. The Rediscovery Centre, housed in the old boiler house, is now a cutting-edge creative space connecting people, resources and ideas that includes four social enterprises.
Austria Glas Agenda 2030 - Future in Glass
Austria Glas Agenda 2030 - Future in Glass
Austria Glas Recycling Gmbh is setting the course for the future: the Austria Glas Agenda 2030, which it has developed together with stakeholders, experts and scholars, defines the orientation of the glass recycling system according to the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The Austria Glass Agenda 2030 is pioneering work setting new impulses for the implementation of the SDGs. As one of the first companies in Austria, Austria Glas Recycling Gmbh is facing the challenge to implement the SDGs in all its business processes. The Austria Glas Agenda 2030 is the basis for future project developments of the glass recycling system.
In addition, the Austria Glas Agenda 2030 should serve as a role model for other sectors and inspire them to take action for the SDGs.