Day: August 9, 2021

The motion, which passed with 574 votes in favour, 22 against and 95 abstentions, urges the European Commission to set binding 2030 targets for materials use and consumption footprint of all products placed on the EU market. It also calls on the EU executive to introduce product-specific standards for recycled materials to be incorporated into new products placed on the EU market. “If we continue to use all these natural resources at this speed by 2050, we won’t need one planet, we’ll need three,” said Jan Huitema, a Dutch liberal MEP who authored the Parliament’s report. “It’s much better to make sure that the waste we would otherwise burn or dump, that we use it as a valuable raw material to make new products,” he said.

The intersection of circular practices and supply chain in the built environment will be a ripe area for innovation as companies look to their real estate portfolios for opportunities to meet their ambitious sustainability commitments by 2030.
The current supply chain of the built environment is defined by raw material extraction and landfill disposal. Therefore, a transition from linear to circular practices must start with challenging this paradigm. If we are to achieve a circular economy in this sector, we must ask:
Where does the supply chain begin and end in terms of material input and output?
Who is responsible for upstream and downstream activities in the system of production?
What accountabilities are factored into the activities of suppliers, producers and consumers?
Read the full article at: sustainablebrands.com

Endesa has launched the first circular economy academy in Spain to prepare its workforce and operations with the changing economic models that are resulting from the incorporation of sustainability in business cases.
The utility has partnered with various universities including Zaragoza, Navarra, Lleida, and La Rioja at Iberus Campus to train its workforce on resource management, conservation, recycling, and sustainability and innovation.
Read the full article at: www.smart-energy.com

The crisis provoked by the coronavirus pandemic offers a chance to shift from a fossil-fuel based economy to a nature-based circular bioeconomy, said Britain’s heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles on Friday.
Speaking at the “Nature at the Heart of a Global Circular Economy” digital forum hosted by the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), Charles said the world should seize the opportunity provided by the global economic slowdown to adopt a renewable, regenerative and inclusive paradigm that supports biodiverse and resilient ecosystems.
Read the full article at: forestsnews.cifor.org

At Dow, we believe in a stronger, more circular future; and we are always looking to highlight the latest innovations and advancements that contribute to the elimination of plastic waste. Whether it’s rethinking packaging design for increased recyclability, expanding material lifecycles beyond end of life, or developing a totally new recycling technology, there are many ways we can all collaborate to help minimize the impact on the environment and contribute to a circular economy.
Listen to Jeff Wooster speak with sustainability thought leaders about the circular economy:
Read the full article at: sustainablebrands.com

New survey findings suggest local authorities and SMEs want the circular economy to be much more of a priority – both for their own organisations and for UK policymakers.  The research with 300 senior decision makers in local authorities and SMEs across England found that 77% believe accelerating a global circular economy should be a high priority for policymakers in the build up to COP26.
In addition, 74% of all respondents would like their own organisations to make more use of the circular economy. 28% are not convinced that circular economy practices are currently well embedded in their organisation.
Despite the appetite for change, the survey also shows the need for greater clarity on the circular economy. 23% of those polled weren’t sure of how a circular economy can help tackle the climate crisis, and over a quarter felt that they needed more help to understand how they and their organisations could benefit from it.
Read the full article at: www.circularonline.co.uk