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.
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Regional
12 Jun 2019 to 13 Jun 2019
The Forum will explore the strong linkage between the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea region and the growing challenges.
Di-Plast: developing digital quality control for recyclate PM material flow
Use of recycled plastic material (rPM) in North West Europe is homogeneously low. In packaging and building, the highest plastic-consuming sectors, only 8% of plastic employed is recyclate (Plastics Europe 2016). The Interreg NWE research project Di-Plast develops digital technology to enable complete documentation and quality assurance of recycled plastic material flows.
African Circular Economy Network - Connecting Europe to 'Circular Africa'
The African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) is a registered Non-Profit Organisation in South Africa (195-590 NPO).
Its vision is to build a restorative African economy that generates well-being and prosperity inclusive of all its people, through new forms of economic production and consumption which maintain and regenerate its environmental resources.
Research
The research activities of the ACEN will investigate issues, document findings relevant for the African context and its needs. Researchers will be drawn from ACEN members, academics and other stakeholder partners across Africa, but also Europe, Asia or America, where needed.
Training and Awareness
The priority of ACEN is to raise awareness and undertake training amongst key sectors of the African economy: public (government, educational institutions), private (corporates & SMEs), and civil society (non-governmental organisations) to promote the concept, benefits, principles and practice of the Circular Economy.
Networking and Events
ACEN believes that solutions to current challenges require inter-disciplinary skills, multiple stakeholder involvement and regional, African as well as international partnerships. It therefore aims to create platforms where specialists can collaborate to exchange ideas, experiences and solutions. ACEN has hosted several stakeholder engagements to date to enable a global reach. Members from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (UK), Pavia University (Italy), the South African/European Union Partnership (South Africa), the World Economic Forum (Switzerland) and Green Alliance (UK), to name a few, have joined the discussion.
Knowledge Sharing
ACEN currently disseminates and shares knowledge about the circular economy through LinkedIn and Facebook, and in the future, will also use other online channels to develop a strong base of knowledge and information and extend its reach throughout South Africa and Africa.
The network is active in over 24 countries. In 2017 it co-organised the first Circular Economy Conference in Africa with the European Union and the South African Government (World Economic Forum Africa, Durban). It is engaged with the EU to discuss approaches on ways to be inspired by the African continent and enable more circular strategies (less negative impact), and with training, research and knowledge sharing with corporate and universities.
AquaponieBxl - Laurence Vanneyre
AquaponieBXL: wasteless urban farming, where food grows on water using nutrients from fish waste
AquaponieBxl is introducing aquaponics across Brussels by building urban farms where vegetables grow on water using fish waste as fertiliser.
01 Feb 2019
L’Institut National de l’Économie Circulaire lance le 1er Février un programme annuel de Rendez-vous en Régions avec à ses côtés ses membres et partenaires FEDEREC, GRDF, le Groupe La Poste et CCI France.
09 Jan 2019 to 11 Jun 2019
Face aux enjeux environnementaux, économiques et sociaux auxquels est confrontée notre société actuelle, le Brabant wallon est déterminé à concilier de façon équilibrée les réflexions, les orientations et les décisions d’aujourd’hui pour préserver les générations de demain. Aux fins d’encourager des initiatives exemplaires au regard de ces thématiques, et par la même occasion de sensibiliser et d’inciter les citoyens à adopter de bonnes pratiques, le Brabant wallon organise les Trophées Incidences, à destination des entreprises, des agriculteurs, des associations, des particuliers et des services publics.
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.
11 Dec 2018
A workshop aimed at presenting how to finance circular business projects.
14 Dec 2018 to 15 Dec 2018
You are cordially invited to the "Let it Slow" Christmas market in Brussels 14-15 December 2018.
06 Nov 2018
The SCREEN Final Conference was held in Rome on 18 and 19 October 2018, during the two-day Forum CompraVerde (BuyGreen), in order to present the results of the SCREEN project.
13 Nov 2018
The BioRegions Forum 2018 will take place in Barcelona on 13 November 2018.
Maarit
06 Dec 2018 to 07 Dec 2018
In December 2018 DG ENV is organising a two-day workshop aimed at SMEs and regional authorities to join forces, boost the transition and bridge the gap in achieving a circular economy.
26 Oct 2018
The Be Circular Annual Meeting took place on 24 October 2018
Wiltz - a Circular Economy Hotspot in the heart of Ardennes
In October 2015 the Luxembourg government named the municipality of Wiltz a Circular Economy Hotspot. In February 2018 Wiltz renewed its political commitment with a Circular Economy Charter signed by its municipal council, by which it committed itself to mainstreaming circular economy in its future project and activities.
Extremadura 2030
The Regional Government of Extremadura is working on a 'Strategy for a Green and Circular Economy' titled "Extremadura 2030". The objective is to encourage the production of goods and services while reducing the consumption and waste of raw materials, water and energy sources, thus based on the principle of closing the lifecycle of production. By doing so the regional government of Extremadura has created an intrinsic link between its overarching regional economic policy goals, European priorities for a sustainable economic future and the global fight against climate change. This strategy calls for citizens, businesses, civil society, public administration and the scientific community to collaborate in realising the circular economy. Implementation is foreseen through 4 horizontal programmes across 7 thematic axes. - Massive citizen participation program; - Citizen training program in green leadership; - Green and bio-economy R&D support program; - Program for the identification and enhancement of the full potential of the green economy of Extremadura.
CEN Guidelines for integrated circular economy strategies at local and regional level
CEN Guidelines for integrated circular economy strategies at local and regional level
The present guidelines have been developed by ACR+ in the framework of its Circular Europe Network initiative (CEN: www.circular-europe-network.eu).
It aims at explaining the potential role of local and regional authorities, and at developing guidelines to help them draw up integrated and efficient circular economy plans. Even though acknowledging the broader concept, these guidelines focus mainly on materials, considering that it is difficult for local and regional authorities to encompass all topics at once and since material resources represent the core element of circular economy.
The guidelines clarify the circular economy concept from a local or regional authority's perspective (Part 1) and propose key steps and elements to include in a local or regional circular economy strategy (Part 2).
The present document should serve as a set of first guidelines in the subject, particularly for the members of the Circular Europe Network, and is intended to be completed with examples of best practices to set such strategies, as well as concrete cases of circular economy.
The document is also available in Catalan, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. For more information, please click here.
Making Things Last: a circular economy for Scotland
Making Things Last: a circular economy strategy for Scotland
This strategy sets out our priorities for moving towards a more circular economy - where products and materials are kept in high value use for as long as possible.
It builds on Scotland's progress in the zero waste and resource efficiency agendas. A more circular economy will benefit:
- the environment - cutting waste and carbon emissions and reducing reliance on scarce resources;
- the economy - improving productivity, opening up new markets and improving resilience; and
- communities - more, lower cost options to access the goods we need with opportunities for social enterprise.
Realising these benefits will mean rethinking our approach to how goods are supplied, how they are used, and what happens at the end of products' lifetimes. In this strategy, we are prioritising four areas, although we will also take action elsewhere:
- Food and drink, and the broader bio-economy: food waste is a significant source of carbon emissions; and a more circular approach to the beer, whisky and fish sectors, for example, could lead to potential savings of half a billion pounds per year;
- Remanufacture: remanufacture is already contributing £1.1 billion per year to Scotland's economy with potential to grow by a further £620 million by 2020;
- Construction and the built environment: construction accounts for about 50% of all waste in Scotland and is a major influence on efficient use of resources;
- Energy infrastructure: there are considerable opportunities such as the reuse of equipment from wind turbines and decommissioned oil and gas platforms. Our ambition for waste prevention and using resources more efficiently is fundamental to achieving a more circular economy.
Lieze Cloots
About this contact:
Lieze is head of the international policy unit at OVAM, the Public Waste Agency of Flanders, which ensures that Flanders deals with waste, materials and soil in a well thought out and environmentally sound manner. Since 1981, OVAM has been developing a balanced mix of economic and regulatory instruments on waste, materials and soil that has made the Region of Flanders one of the frontrunners in Europe in this field.
We are joining forces with our partners in business, civil society, research and government to develop a circular economy taking a multi-stakeholder participatory approach. Circular Flanders serves as hub, inspiration and matchmaker for the transition to a circular economy in Flanders. We take actions that go beyond sorting and recycling waste, to make a systemic shift from take-make-waste to a new economic model that allows for the scarcity of raw materials and the ecological limits of our planet.
Green and Circular Economy Strategy, Government of Catalonia
Strategy of the Government of Catalonia: Promoting Green and Circular Economy in Catalonia
The Strategy for Promoting Green and Circular Economy of the Government of Catalonia aims to foster sustainability as a strategic area to attain economic recovery, increase competitiveness, create jobs, and reduce environmental risks. This strategy is structured into key policies' areas for promoting green and circular economy: the generation of demand and creation of markets, the improvement of the access to funding, the stimulation of research, development and innovation, the boosting of internationalisation and the promotion of employment and entrepreneurship. This strategy therefore contextualises the concept of green and circular economy in Catalonia. At the same time, it is a strategic roadmap that establishes the main areas of work for the medium-term, which are essential to promote this model in Catalonia.
Oana Neagu
About this contact:
Oana Neagu is Director of the General Affairs team at Copa Cogeca. The team covers topics related to the circular and bio-economy, the environment and climate change, research and innovation, food waste, etc. Oana is an agricultural engineer and has a Master’s degree in business administration. She previously worked at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture as a policy officer, in charge of managing market measures. Prior to joining the Commission in 2006, she was the adviser on European integration at the Ministry of Agriculture in Romania, and was involved in preparing Romania’s accession to the European Union.
She is a member of the management committee of the multi-stakeholder platform on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the EU and actively involved in various expert groups on the bioeconomy, forestry and rural development.
Copa and Cogeca are the united voice of farmers and agri-cooperatives in the EU. Together, they ensure that EU agriculture is sustainable, innovative and competitive, guaranteeing food security for half a billion people throughout Europe. Copa represents over 23 million farmers and their families whilst Cogeca represents the interests of 22 000 agricultural cooperatives. They have 66 member organisations from the EU Member States https://copa-cogeca.eu/Menu.aspx Copa and Cogeca is one of the founding members of the European Bioeconomy Alliance - http://www.bioeconomyalliance.eu/
RCYCL
The LIFE project RCYCL (LIFE99 ENV/B/000640) set up a scheme for the collection and reuse of bulky waste in municipalities of Belgium’s German-speaking community and the region of Verviers, under the auspices of a social enterprise.
Laura Cutaia
About this contact:
Laura Cutaia, researcher at ENEA, is an Environmental Engineer (1996) with a PhD in raw materials engineering (2002). Her main research topics are:
- Industrial ecology and symbiosis,
- Technology for raw and secondary materials treatment,
- Resources management,
- Life Cycle Assessment,
- Environmental certification,
- End of life management.
Laura Cutaia is responsible for making the most of resources at ENEA , where she is working on the circular economy and resource efficiency, industrial ecology and symbiosis, LCA, environmental certification schemes, the REACH regulation and sustainable industrial areas (more information).
Laura Cutaia is also president of SUN - Symbiosis Users Network (Italian network for industrial symbiosis) and president of UNI CT 057 on the circular economy that works with ISO TC 323 on the circular economy. UNI is the Italian body responsible for standardisation.
Ladeja Godina Košir
About this contact:
Ladeja Godina Košir, Founder and Executive Director of Circular Change, is an internationally renowned expert on the circular economy, speaker, (co)author of several CE reports and articles, and co-creator of international circular economy events. Ladeja was the finalist for the Circular Leadership Award 2018 (Davos WEF) and named in "The #EUwomen4future campaign” featuring extraordinary women active in research, innovation, education, culture and sport by Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth in 2020. She is recognised as the regional "engine of circular economy transition". She is co-author of the first Roadmap towards the Circular Economy and creator and team leader of the annual international Circular Change Conference. Ladeja has consulted on the national circular economy roadmapping process based on stakeholder engagement for several countries and cities (Serbia, Montenegro, Norway, Israel, Chile, etc.).
Ladeja has several international roles: chair of the coordination group of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) in Brussels (2018/20), visiting professor at Doshisha University in Kyoto and co-leader of the Research Group Circular Economy Systems at the Bertalanfy Center for the Study of Systems Science (BCSSS) in Vienna.
Ladeja takes a transdisciplinary systemic approach and holistic view as an entrepreneur, communications professional, speaker, moderator, lecturer, mentor and passionate connector. She is empowering a new narrative and circular culture. She bridges the bioeconomy and the circular economy; one of the EU projects to which she contributes is Effective (Horizon 2020 & BBI JU), a multi-company collaboration to produce more sustainable, bio-based fibres and plastics for large consumer products using renewable feedstocks and innovative technologies. She also chairs the expert group for the BIOeast Foresight Exercise 2050. Ladeja works with governments, city authorities, companies, NGOs, media and universities, empowering true collaboration to enable circular change.
Philippe Micheaux Naudet
About this contact:
Philippe Micheaux Naudet is Director for Network and Members Development of ACR+, and as such is responsible for developing activities with ACR+ members, in particular regarding circular economy strategies and governance, as well as public procurement; bringing new members and partners to ACR+ and strengthening the network; and developing and participating in strategic initiatives and partnerships (European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, Urban Agenda Partnership on Circular Economy, etc.).
Philippe is also a Senior Project Manager at ACR+, specialising in the circular economy, waste prevention and recycling. He is in charge of several projects, including the Circular Europe Network on circular economy guidance and capacity building, the ProCirc project on circular procurement, and the FoodRUs project on food waste prevention.