Circle Economy

We're excited to share our latest report delivered for the Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains programme! (#SWITCH2CE) This report dives into key global value chains in #Morocco, #Bangladesh, and #Egypt, focusing on opportunities in the plastic packaging, textiles, and ICT sectors. It suggests actionable solutions—like adopting bioplastics and enhancing recycling—to reduce environmental impact and boost innovation, particularly for producers in developing countries linked to major EU manufacturers. Check out the full report! Do you know a case study related to global value chains in Morocco, Bangladesh or Egypt? Share it in the comments! The global SWITCH2CE project, is co-funded by the European Union/ European Commission and the Government of Finland/ Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, led by UNIDO, in collaboration with Chatham House Environment and Society, Circle Economy, and European Investment Bank (EIB). UNIDO Circular Resource Efficiency Unit UNIDO Bangladesh UNIDO Egypt ONUDI Maroc

Sparking circular innovation in Finland: meet the Circular Economy Incubator Hub! We’re excited to share the first in a series of interviews with the inspiring minds behind projects selected for the advanced stages of DEFINITE-CCRI support! Our first spotlight is the Circular Economy Incubator Hub located in Nokia, Finland. For this interview, we sat down with Fuad Ashraf Moghal, COO of Cireco Finland Oy. Fuad and his team are transforming a historic industrial site into a vibrant centre for sustainable development, fostering collaboration and creating closed-loop systems. Read this interview to learn: 👉 How a former Nokia production site transformed into a hub for circular innovation 👉 How DEFINITE-CCRI has supported the project’s development 👉 What Fuad and his team would achieve with unlimited funding Discover the full interview: https://lnkd.in/eZH-e9HU #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #CircularEconomyHub

How the Belgian city of Leuven (stad Leuven) is leading the circular economy transition by scaling up its circular projects. This UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) #UrbanOctober, we're sharing insights from the Circular City Advisory (CCA) pilot programme by The Circular City Centre – C3. During this programme, Circle Economy’s experts supported several European cities in their circular transitions, including Leuven. The CCA programme helped Leuven strengthen and prepare its circular projects for financing. Following the programme, the city is now well-positioned to secure the loans needed to implement these projects. The European Investment Bank (EIB), which advised Leuven during the programme, is currently reviewing a financing request for the city's climate and circular projects. Ready to secure financing for your city's circular projects? Explore CCA’s free training programmes and apply now! Find out more about the CCA programmes here: https://lnkd.in/e5e2wExz

From idea to impact: how Turku, Finland, took its circular economy strategy off the ground. This UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)'s #UrbanOctober, we're sharing insights from the Circular City Advisory (CCA) pilot programme by The Circular City Centre – C3. As part of the programme, Circle Economy’s experts contributed their expertise in guiding several European cities through their circular transitions. Turku, Finland, used the CCA pilot programme to create a structured pipeline for circular projects in the built environment. Over four workshops, city representatives worked with experts to tackle challenges, assess impact, and explore new project ideas. One of the key projects was the Linnanniemi area, where circular economy and nature-based solutions will help control stormwater. They also discussed nearby areas like the Forum Marinum Centre and explored financing options for these initiatives. Turku now plans to apply this knowledge to other sectors, including food systems and manufacturing. Inspired by Turku’s progress? Join the next phase of CCA. Find out more about the CCA programmes here: https://lnkd.in/e5e2wExz Apply today to receive free consultancy for your city: https://lnkd.in/eSbm4HiU

Latest news from the DEFINITE-CCRI — Deal Engine with Finance, Investment and Technical Expertise! Four projects were selected to receive additional Project Development Assistance (PDA), including technical and financial services, further strengthening the projects towards investments. Let’s congratulate them! 👏👇 🇫🇮 Circular Economy Incubator Hub (Nokia, Finland): Transforming a former industrial site into a hub for sustainable innovation and collaboration. 🇮🇸 Circular Library Network (Reykjavik, Iceland): Establishing a decentralised borrowing system across Europe to reduce waste and promote community sharing. 🇧🇪 Rewrap (Ghent, Belgium): Introducing a reusable pallet wrap made from repurposed big bags, providing a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. 🇫🇷 Tissel (Roubaix, France): Revitalising an old factory into a hub for circular economy SMEs, fostering business and community growth. These projects are also given the opportunity to pitch their initiatives to investors at the CCRI conference in Brussels on November 13th! 👉 Learn more about each initiative on the DEFINITE-CCRI website and stay tuned for further updates: https://lnkd.in/e2Sc4gHk

The circular economy is helping Porto tackle water scarcity! This UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)'s #UrbanOctober, we're sharing insights from the Circular City Advisory (CCA) pilot programme by The Circular City Centre – C3. As part of the programme, Circle Economy’s experts contributed their expertise in guiding several European cities through their circular transitions. Already having a circular economy strategy in place, the Portuguese city of Porto prioritised water systems, focusing on its largest project—a wastewater treatment plant. The goal was to leverage the circular economy to address water scarcity. Workshops explored strategies to enhance the project's investment readiness and access to finance. Inspired by Porto's experience, C3 developed a programme to support cities with existing circular strategies and project pipelines, helping them advance strategic projects toward securing financing. You can benefit from one of the CCA programmes, too! Find out more: https://lnkd.in/e5e2wExz

🌍 We're proud to be part of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI), advancing the municipal circular economy across Canada! 🇨🇦 It’s been just three years since the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) was launched—but it’s already had a significant impact on Canada’s net-zero transition.   In collaboration with CCRI, Circle Economy played a key role in delivering bilingual capacity-building workshops—empowering over 600 local government representatives from 25+ communities. Our workshops have provided municipalities with the tools and knowledge to drive circular economy initiatives at both beginner and intermediate levels. Today, the CCRI has become a known name in the circular economy space, earning recognition as Canada's Clean50 Top Project winner. Additionally, Circle Economy contributed to building an evidence base for circular decision-making in local governments, delivering reports for Toronto, Montreal and Richmond (coming soon!). CCRI's Resources page contains all our three years' worth of insights. Discover circular economy resources for Canada here: https://lnkd.in/erXetZXc The CCRI, developed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Green Municipal Fund, the National Zero Waste Council (NZWC)/Metro Vancouver, the Recycling Council of Alberta, and RECYC-QUÉBEC, is dedicated to advancing circular economy knowledge-sharing and capacity-building across Canadian communities of all sizes. #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #CommunityLeadership #CCRI #ResilientCommunities #Innovation

Exciting announcement! Ashoka, #IKEASocialEntrepreneurship, the UNDP Accelerator Labs and Circle Economy teamed up to dive into key considerations for informal employment in the circular economy. Here are key takeaways from our generative conversations: 📌’Informality’ is a label imposed on workers, who regard their work as simply a way of life and means of livelihood rather than part of an ‘informal’ economy. 📌The stigma attached to informal labour hinders recognition of the significant economic and circular contributions these actors make to local and global circularity. 📌Informal settings are rich with circular economy knowledge and ingenuity but often overshadowed by dominant views shaped by technology and other innovations in the formal sector. 📌 Formalisation of employment in the circular economy can offer significant benefits, but it may also create unintended negative consequences if not managed carefully. Our findings aim to inspire concrete actions among the actors working at the intersection of circularity and informality, including promoting policies for informal workers, developing circular programs that include these workers, redirecting finance and rethinking engagement with informal labour and supply chains. Discover more insights on informality in the circular economy here: https://lnkd.in/eudQZjHC What do you think? How can we empower informal workers in a way that supports their livelihoods? Post a comment and share your thoughts with us. #CircularEconomy #JustTransition #InformalWorkers #SocialEntrepreneurship

The meaning of ‘just transition’ has broadened in recent years to include those most affected by—but least responsible for—the climate crisis, including women, communities of colour, and Indigenous people.  As the energy transition picks up speed—and with it demand for materials to drive it—we must be clear on how circular economy strategies can be used to create a balanced, coordinated and just transition. Find out more in a recent blog article by Esther Goodwin Brown and Jana Rué Glutting.

How did Vienna kickstart its circular transition? This UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme) #UrbanOctober, we're highlighting insights from the Circular City Advisory (CCA) pilot programme by The Circular City Centre – C3. As part of this programme, Circle Economy’s experts supported several European cities, including Vienna, in their circular transitions. The Austrian capital Vienna (City of Vienna) used the CCA to develop a circular economy strategy focused on the built environment, a priority sector for the city. Over four workshops across six months, city representatives and experts refined existing goals and initiatives while defining key actions to drive progress. Vienna had already launched several circular initiatives, giving it a strong foundation. The workshops also helped the city secure funding for future projects and align its efforts with the international expertise provided by the programme. Thanks to CCA, Vienna was able to further develop the measures outlined in its 'DoTank Circular City Wien 2020-2030' plan and integrate them into a comprehensive transformation process, showcased on a dedicated website for the city's circular construction initiatives. Find out more about the CCA programmes here: https://lnkd.in/e5e2wExz Apply to participate here: https://lnkd.in/eSbm4HiU