The World Circular Economy Forum 2025 summary is ready!

The forum reaffirmed the circular economy as a cornerstone of the regenerative economy and a vital strategy for decoupling well-being from resource use, placing the production sector at the centre of the transition. Read the summary to see what was discussed and shared there! 

Highlights of the EU Circular Talk on Mainstreaming Circularity: Empowering Citizens for the Transition

On 25 June, the Leadership Group on Citizen Engagement & Circular Behaviour hosted the EU Circular Talk Mainstreaming Circularity: Empowering Citizens for the Transition. This webinar examined practical pathways to build understanding, shift mindsets and accelerate citizen behaviour change towards the circular transition.

SOPHIA project: increasing the reuse, repair and recycling rates of end-of-life solar panels

SOPHIA is an EU-funded Horizon Europe project that aims to implement advanced digital solutions in end-of-life solar panels, involving the full value chain in order to increase their current reuse, repair and recycling rates. The end goal is to foster a more circular, innovative and competitive Europe.

STICA Climate Action Week 2025: podcasts now available!

STICA (Scandinavian Textile Initiative for Climate Action) Climate Action Week 2025 took place just last month - and the interviews with various stakeholders which were released during it are now available. From the impact of climate change on workers to circular textiles made from waste, you're sure to find some in line with your area of interest!

EU public consultation on Green-listing certain waste for the purposes of shipments to recovery between Member States: have your say!

The Commission has launched a consultation on harmonising the classification of certain waste types ('green-listed' waste) to facilitate their shipments across borders. It's open until 31 October and aims to gather input from a range of stakeholders on waste streams to be addressed. Let them know what you think!

MANTRA project - three open calls for SMEs

The MANTRA project, funded by the EU under Horizon Europe, aims to accelerate the green and digital transformation of manufacturing SMEs in Europe by promoting advanced technologies and social innovation. They have three open calls: for Manufacturing SMEs, Tech-savy SMEs and External Evaluators. 

Circular bioeconomy: a one-stop shop for learning how to farm black soldier flies

The ECESP website has a good selection of circular bioeconomy-themed content. This item looks at Insect Farm Hub, a one-stop shop for learning how to turn organic waste into animal feed and fertiliser by means of black soldier flies. 

Digital Product Passport implementation in Europe and beyond: challenges and opportunities

This event on 1 September will explore the role of Digital Product Passports (DPPs) in driving circularity across value chains. There will be a panel discussion addressing the global outlook on DPP adoption, regulatory alignment and the perspectives of both large corporations and SMEs. It's organised by the WEEE Forum. 

Circular Economy Hotspot Slovenia 2025

This event on 10-12 September aims to drive on the circular economy and basically make more people familiar with this concept. It will look at the circular economy from the perspective of both the competitiveness and resilience of the EU and Slovenia and the supply and demand system.

2nd International Conference on the Circular Economy - Pathway towards sustainable development

This event will take place on 17–19 September. It aims to promote the circular economy, raise awareness across all disciplines, fields and sectors and communicate the latest advances in this rapidly developing field.

Circular textile policies: implementation, challenges and the role of the Circular Economy Act

The ECESP Leadership Group on Textiles invites you to participate in this #EUCircularTalks event on 10 September. It aims to assess the state of play of circular textile policies in the EU, examining progress made, existing gaps and next steps. 

Circular Economy 2025 Key Insights Report

The annual Circular Economy Insights Series from the Rediscovery Centre and the Government of Ireland helps shape strategies and informs the development of support for communities of practice across Ireland. The 2025 report includes best practices, targeted market research, socio-demographic analyses and community initiatives to provide key insights and statistical evidence on the specific trends currently driving circular economy behaviour in Ireland. 

Green public procurement and the circular economy

This report from the CE Center highlights the role of green public procurement in the transition to a circular economy through an analysis of the European regulatory framework. It looks at both hard (e.g. Batteries Regulation) and soft law (European Commission working documents). Relevant European legislation that is still in the adoption phase (e.g. Construction Products Regulation) is also considered. 

Just transition to circular construction in Europe: measures for workers

While circular economy practices offer substantial environmental and economic benefits along with local job creation, their implementation requires significant adjustments in working conditions and practices. This briefing from Circle Economy dives into two of the circular building pathways identified as having high social impacts in the Circular Buildings Coalition's 2024 Four Pathways Report: build with the right materials and build nothing.

Transformative Circular Futures in the textiles and apparel value chain: Guiding policy and business recommendations in the Netherlands, Spain and India

Circular economy practices are gaining importance in the global textile and apparel value chain. However, the circular economy's social dimension is often overlooked. This study from Utrecht University's Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development recommends normalising living wages for direct, indirect and informal workers, implementing regulations challenging the patriarchy, eliminating gender pay and establishing permanent global committees of social actors.   

Italian National Strategy for Circular Economy

This strategy identifies the administrative and fiscal tools designed to strengthen the secondary raw materials market in terms of availability, performance and costs; contribute to the achievement of climate neutrality objectives; and implement a roadmap of actions and measurable targets up to 2035. It also sets out the legislative framework governing the objectives and the ways and means of achieving them.

German National Circular Economy Strategy

The strategy considers every stage of the cycle: product design, material selection, production, maximising the use phase and, finally, reuse and recycling. It aims to prevent waste from being created in the first place. This can be achieved through smart product design, efficient manufacturing, extended product lifespans, easier repairability and maximising the recycling of all materials. 

UtilDeco: combining circular textiles and direct social impact

UtilDeco Group SRL has become Romania's flagship work-integration social enterprise. In 2023, it linked its textiles and coffee operations in a circular-economy pilot scheme which upcycles fabric off-cuts and empty jute coffee sacks into the OPYA Fashion collection. The enterprise is now scaling circularity through two major projects, one on digital product passports in textile products and the other on hiring workwear. 

Automotive Circularity Platform: From Automotive to Automotive: an ecosystem approach for closed loop end-of-life vehicle recycling

The Automotive Circularity Platform (ACP) is a pilot open ecosystem linking collectors of end-of-life automotive materials with users of high-quality secondary materials. Set up by Novelis and Thyssenkrupp Materials Services, it enhances transparency, enables efficient material separation and supports open-market trading. As a technical enabler for automotive end-of-life recycling, it will support the implementation of the End-of-Life Regulation and drives recycling, regulatory compliance and supply chain resilience. 

Zirkularrak: Circular Basque Products Exhibition

The Basque Country feels very strongly about the circular economy. One initiative they've adopted to promote it is the Zirkularrak website promoting locally made circular products. 

RE-ZIP: reusable packaging for e-commerce

RE-ZIP is an innovative, circular packaging solution designed to reduce waste in e-commerce. It provides reusable packaging options that replace traditional single-use packaging, helping e-commerce businesses lower their environmental impact.

Revising the EU Bioeconomy Strategy - Aligning the Circular Economy and the Bioeconomy at EU and National Level 

As the EU seeks to advance its transition towards the circular economy, civil society organisations are calling for a bioeconomy strategy that attaches equal importance to sustainability, environmental resilience and social well-being. This paper, prepared by the ECESP Leadership Group on Bioeconomy, provides a multi-actor perspective focusing on sustainability, economic development and regulatory frameworks. It highlights gaps in the existing strategy and proposes policy recommendations.

DEFINITE-CCRI Circularity Tool

DEFINITE-CCRI is an innovative EU-funded project which supports the transition towards a circular economy in European cities and regions. It's come up with a tool designed to enable project leads to evaluate their own ventures, learn the necessary steps to bring it to bankability and understand how best to approach investors for capital deployment. 

A guide for developing a circular city strategy

This guide from The Circular City Centre - C3 looks at relevant good practices in Europe and considers common barriers and key factors for success in this process. 

Summer School on circular building and sustainable construction materials

Natura Mater are experts in low-impact construction materials. Their focus is sustainable materials, meaning circular and biobased. They encourage reusing materials over the automatic purchase of new ones, and opting for recycled, low-impact and regenerative materials. This July and August, they will be holding a Summer School for industry professionals about low-impact construction.

CIRC project: curriculum and hub for teaching disadvantaged adults about the circular economy

CIRC (CIRcular City through educational circular economy methods for social enterprises) is an Erasmus+ Cooperation partnership in adult education project. It aims to empower adults at risk of social exclusion by equipping them with circular economy knowledge and skills. It has now produced training material and the Circular City Hub Platform. 

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