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Europe's circular economy still in its infancy

News Published 01 Oct 2019 Last modified 10 Dec 2019
1 min read
Photo: © Donnie Rosie on Unsplash
Circular material use can minimise waste and resource extraction, improve resource efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to conserving biodiversity. However, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published today, circular economy initiatives in Europe are still at an early stage and would benefit from more investments in upscaling promising innovations and in monitoring progress towards circularity.

The EEA report ‘Paving the way for a circular economy: insights on status and potentials’ takes stock of the initiatives for creating a circular economy that reduce the use of natural resources and minimise harmful emissions and waste.

European companies are increasingly adopting circular business models, focused mainly on operational efficiency and reducing waste, according to the report. Shifting from product-based to service-based business models is another promising development. The biggest obstacles to greater uptake of such models appear to be corporate culture, market factors and system complexity.

EEA surveys indicate that 21 out of 32 responding EEA member countries already support circular economy initiatives. Countries use regulation and market-based instruments mainly for recycling, energy recovery and waste management, while eco-design, consumption and reuse are typically targeted with softer policy instruments such as information campaigns and labels.

The new report also notes that monitoring progress on circular economy needs further investment. Many relevant data — for example, on the production and consumption phase of product lifecycles — are not available in established information systems, including national statistics. The EEA report also points out that circular economy policies and initiatives require better integration with bio-economy and climate policies.

‘Circular economy in Europe: insights on progress and prospects’ is the fourth EEA report on the circular economy. The three previous reports were:

Related content

Related publications

Publication Paving the way for a circular economy: insights on status and potentials Fostering circular material use requires a broad system perspective and extensive stakeholder involvement. The entire product lifecycle — including the design, production, consumption and waste phases — needs to be addressed in a coherent way. The enablers of and barriers to circular business models need to be well understood and addressed before innovation and competitiveness can be enhanced.
Publication The circular economy and the bioeconomy — Partners in sustainability This is the third in a series of reports on the circular economy in support of the framing, implementation and evaluation of European circular economy policy from an environmental perspective. The two previous reports applied a systemic approach to framing a circular economy and to the products within it. This report on the bioeconomy addresses circularity aspects of bio-based products and the sustainable use of renewable natural resources.
Publication Circular by design - Products in the circular economy This report explores the circular economy from a product perspective, applying a systemic approach and transition theory. Drivers of product design and usage are discussed in the context of emerging consumption trends and business models. For governance to be effective, it has to address the product life-cycle and the societal context determining it. Indicators and assessment tools are proposed that can help fill the current data and knowledge gaps.
Publication Circular economy in Europe — Developing the knowledge base The report describes the concept of the circular economy and outlines its key characteristics. It draws attention to both the benefits and challenges in transitioning to such an economy and highlights possible ways to measure progress.

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For references, please go to https://eea.europa.eu./highlights/europes-circular-economy-still-in or scan the QR code.

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