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This collection features a selection of case studies, based on the global *Circularity Gap Reports*, that can mitigate climate breakdown by reducing virgin material consumption, waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The latest **[Circularity Gap Report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023#download)** reveals that the global economy is now only 7.2% circular and outlines how circular solutions across four sectors can bring global planetary boundaries back within safe limits. 

In the six years of the *Circularity Gap Report*, the global economy has extracted and used unprecedented amounts of materials. The first edition of the *Report *in 2018 found that global circularity was 9.1% and it has decreased every year since—leaving a Circularity Gap of over 90%. If this trend continues, we will have to find more and better solutions to combat the negative effects of climate change. This is why we have identified case studies from across the globe—based on the needs of society and planetary health—that serve as real-world examples of the circular economy in action.

Circle Economy is a not-for-profit organisation working to accelerate the circular transition. Through the *Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative*, our mission is to deliver an annual global Circularity Metric that measures the state of the world economy and identifies key levers to transition to global circularity. With nature as our guide, we work alongside cross-sector stakeholders from academia, businesses, NGOs and governments to provide a powerful combination of practical and scalable interventions that transform circular opportunities into realities. 


To learn more about these interventions to accelerate the circular transition, read the latest [Circularity Gap Report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023#download), as well as previous editions of the global [Circularity Gap Reports](https://www.circularity-gap.world/global).

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Global Circularity Gap Report 2023

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Article / Report

Providing healthcare services, such as hospitals, medical facilities and patient care services, medical research and clinical trial services, pharmaceuticals and drug development, and genetic engineering services

Healthcare Services

Other

With an expanding, aging and, on average, more prosperous population, healthcare services are increasing globally. Buildings aside, typical resource groups include use of capital equipment such as X-ray machines, pharmaceuticals, hospital outfittings (beds), disposables and home care equipment.


Healthcare

- Repair, maintenance, and durable design of medical equipment 
- Substitute single-use medical items for reusable alternatives
- Virtual health care (ex. Doctor's appointments over Skype etc.)
- Medical equipment cascading
- Medical waste recycling

👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ Circular healthcare 

Biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste can be used as an energy source for cooking, lighting and generate electricity, replacing thus other fuels. Moreover, the treatment of organic waste alleviates the solid waste crisis in urban and peri-urban area if the developing world.


Use biogas

Use waste heat

Rescue or mine materials or components from buildings for use in new buildings or for processing to be used in other industrial processes.

Salvage components

Change the system or the structure of an existing building to improve its performance. This often includes the addition of new technologies and/or new features to update or improve the performance of in-place systems in order to decrease energy demand, improve energy efficiency, improve water management or even increase adaptability of the space.

Retrofit Buildings

When designing and procuring for a new building, source recycled and secondary materials and parts. Prepare parts and materials from decommissioned buildings to be used again and release them into the market for re-use. 

Trade secondary materials

Make collected and sorted recyclables available for use by citizens, small businesses up to large scale industrial processes. 

Use recyclables

Implementation of strategies to collect recyclable waste in order to make it accessible and available to be used as an input in industrial processes (big or small). These are door-to-door collection (higher recovery rates but more costly intensive), drop-off schemes (cheaper but less effective, more common in cities with high housing density), or a combination of the two, and their corresponding incentive schemes. 

Collect recyclables

Infrastructure for citizens or cities to sort waste and extract recyclables, including incentives and pay-as-you-throw policies, as well as clear and targeted communications campaigns.

Sort recyclables

Collection of waste arising from commercial and industrial actors

Collect non residential

Collect organic waste generated by households and related businesses for use in, for example, composting and anaerobic digestion facilities.

Collect organic

Efficiency and effectiveness of water supply services must be secured by minimising the leaks, through a combination of leak detection techniques, pipes maintenance and reparation and water audits. Leak minimisation can be enhanced through the use of sensor technologies.

Minimise leaks

Wastewater (blackwater and water from industrial processes) can be treated and reclaimed for agricultural and industrial purposes. Moreover, depending on economic factors, wastewater treatments can be adopted for supplying domestic freshwater. 

Use wastewater

Measures to drain accumulating rainwater from rooftops, roads or other public surfaces and channel it into containers for multipurpose use. These include watering plants and crops, as an input into manufacturing processes, the establishment of public water features, or the introduction back into plumbing systems, Uses may include the application of filtration and treatment systems when needed. 

Manage rainwater

Greywater is drained water from bathing, laundering, washing dishes etc. and excludes sewage (black water). Greywater can be reused most commonly for irrigation and toilet flushing if the appropriate system to capture and distribute it is in place. To extend usage possibilities, filtration and treatment systems may be introduced. 

Use greywater

Locally produced food has to travel shorter, which means less fuel is consumed and less greenhouse gases are generated. Moreover, buying locally produced food helps local farmers and markets and creates more jobs in the local businesses. 


Produce locally

Recover and collect surplus food products that might otherwise be wasted for distribution to people.


Redistribute surplus 

In the context of cities, regenerating ecosystems refers to the active protection of native habitats or the conservation and restoration of natural habitat analogues. Examples: reforestation and afforestation in urban contexts, protection of birds and local wildlife, management of green spaces, and removal of waste and plastic (or other anti pollution measures).

Regenerate ecosystems

In some cases, animals can act as efficient bio-converters of organic waste or excess organic materials, especially when the waste or organic materials is superior (healthier and more appropriate) feedstock for the animals in question, and those animals in turn have a regenerative . Further the introduction of animals into production chains or park management can be implemented with the aim to increase biodiversity and regenerate local ecosystems. 

Involve other animals

Derive chemicals and fuels from organic waste matter, for example, wasted fats, grease and oils can be used for biodiesel production. Food waste such as corn starch and sugar cane can be used for PLA (Polylactic Acid) to replace plastic packaging, liquid fats and solid meat products can be used as raw materials in the rendering industry (animal food, cosmetics, soap, etc.).


Derive fuel and materials

Solutions at all stages of the textiles value chain.

Zero Waste Textiles

Solutions at all stages of the Electronics Value Chain

Zero Waste Electronics

The circulation of materials and products may result in an increased demand for energy usage overall, therefore it is especially important to provide energy from regenerative sources, and to utilise regenerative and cyclable materials in the production of parts and the required infrastructure.  Energy efficiency is an important step but does not bring about a fully circular economy at a bigger scale or in the longer term. 

ENERGY

Buildings are where we live, work and play, and also where we store machinery and goods for later consumption. Buildings are but one component of the greater built environment which includes urban infrastructure such as roads, bridges and utilities. 
Current construction techniques have buildings consuming the bulk of materials globally. With increasing urbanisation and therefore demand for buildings of every kind, we drastically need to re-imagine how we design, utilise and decommission buildings.

BUILDINGS

Waste is often the entry point for discussing a circular economy. However, in a fully circular economy, waste does not exist as it has  been designed out of the system from the outset, either through avoidance (reduction of materials) or because outputs are such that they can be re-used as inputs into other production and consumption processes. Studying existing waste streams allows us to trace the problem back to its source and design an appropriate intervention. 

WASTE

A circular water economy reduces water consumption, reuses and recycles water and wastewater, and recovers materials, including heat and minerals, from water and wastewater to not only mitigate greenhouse gas emissions but also enhance resilience to climate change. A circular water economy preserves the health of water ecosystems using context specific approaches. 



WATER

The organics opportunity space refers to biological systems, organic products and materials, and the processes that relate to conserving and circulating organic materials at all stages of the value chain. Organics form part of the biocycle (as opposed to the technical cycle which includes metals and other non biodegradable materials) and requires different solutions to preserve nutrients at their highest value for re-entry back into the system. 


ORGANICS

The Value Chain opportunity space covers the activities of businesses across the whole value chain in the creation of a circular city that aids circular consumption. Municipalities create enabling conditions for businesses to offer circular products and services, and can become familiar with the range of solutions available to businesses that will encourage circular consumption and production in their locale. 

VALUE CHAINS

Urban Opportunities

Producing agricultural products and processing them into food and beverageproducts for consumption

Agri/Food

Extracting resources and processing them to produce materials for use bysociety

Materials and Fuels

Producing electrical equipment and machinery for industrial use

Capital Equipment

Producing transporation equipment and providing services for thetransportation of goods and people

Transportation and Logistics

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

Providing specialist services to support consumers, businesses, andgovernments

Professional Services

Societal Services

Producing building materials and providing services to create residential and non-residential infrastructure and real estate


Construction and Infrastructure

Providing public and private education and support services at any level or for any profession, and governmental and public administration services, including judicial, regulatory, and legislative activities, taxation, defence, public order and safety, immigration services, foreign affairs and the administration of government programmes

Education and Government Services

Providing electricity and gas services, including traditional and renewable energy generation, natural and manufactured gas and operating gas networks

Energy Utilities and Independent Power Producers

Providing water and sewage services, including water collection and distribution, water treatment systems and sewage treatment facilities

Water and Sewage

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Providing commercial and consumer financial services, such as lending, credit, financing, banking, asset management, financial exchanges, ratings services, money services, insurance and pension services, etc.

Financial Services

Operating networks and software that enable the exchange and broadcasting of information, such as entertainment and internet software, television, cable, satellite or radio broadcasting systems, and cellular, wireless and/or fixed-line telecommunications services

Software and Communications

Producing and providing services that utilise the creative talent of individuals to generate intellectual property, including movies and television shows, music, live performances, advertising, marketing or public relations services, newspapers, magazines and books, and commercial printing services

Creative Services

Providing various support services for businesses and governments, such as research, testing, certification and consulting services, cleaning and maintenance services, security and protection services, legal, accounting and bookkeeping services, information management, data processing, and business process outsourcing services

Research & Commercial Services

Producing electronics products for businesses and consumers, including cellular phones, personal computers, printers, servers, electronic computer components and peripherals, TVs, audio equipment, as well as household appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, etc.

Electronics and Appliances

Producing indoor products for the home and office, such as furniture, including upholstery, carpets and wall-coverings, as well as cutlery, cookware, glassware, crystal, silverware, utensils, kitchenware and household specialties

Home and Office Furnishings

Producing and providing leisure and personal products and services for consumers, such as cleaning products, sports equipment and toys, personal and beauty care products, as well as domestic and personal services such as caretaking, cleaning, hairdressing and other beauty treatment, funeral and related activities

Personal Products and Services

Producing textile and leather products and processing them into apparel and accessories

Fashion and Textiles

Providing goods on the Internet, through mail order, or television, or providing goods in stores, including apparel, electronics, furniture, food and drug, etc.

Retail

Providing recreational and cultural services, including hotels, resorts, casinos, sport and fitness centers, stadiums, golf courses and amusement parks, restaurants, bars, pubs, fast-food or take-out facilities, as well as libraries and museums

Hospitality and Tourism

Providing air, water, rail, and land transportation for passengers, such as airlines, airports, ferries, cruise-ships, tour boat operators, marine ports, railways, train stations, tour bus operators, vehicle rental, and taxi companies, travel agencies and related services

Passenger Transport Services

Providing air, water, rail, and land transportation and related services for the distribution of goods, such as air freight, air courier and logistics services, maritime freight, marine courier and logistics services, rail freight, rail courier and logistics services, land freight, land courier and logistics services, including package and mail delivery and customs agents, as well as storage and warehouse facilities

Logistics Services

Producing transportation equipment for the movement of goods and people by air, rail, sea, and land, including airplanes, spacecraft and military equipment, ships, boats, rail locomotives and rolling stock, motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, and related equipment, as well as repair services for such equipment

Transportation Equipment

Producing machinery for mining, construction, industrial, and agricultural use, such as heavy duty trucks, rolling machinery, earth-moving and construction equipment, farm machinery, commercial printing and presses, machine tools, compressors, pollution control equipment, elevators, escalators, insulators, pumps, etc., including their related parts

Machinery

Producing electric cables and wires, power-generating equipment, including solar modules, motors, power turbines, as well as electronic equipment and instruments, including computer chips, communication equipment, analytical instruments, lasers, display screens, point-of-sales machines, security system equipment, and healthcare equipment

Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Providing residential and non-residential construction services, such as architectural, engineering, planning, real-estate, contracting, and inspection services

Construction and Real Estate Services

Producing building materials and finished and semi-finished building products for construction

Construction Materials and Products

Extracting resources and minerals from the earth, such as coal, oil, gas, iron, bauxite, sand, clay, etc.

Mining

Producing and refining oil, gas, and other consumable fuels related to the generation of energy

Consumable Fuels

Producing basic and specialty chemicals, inks, agricultural chemical such as fertilisers and pesticides, plastics including packaging, and rubber

Chemical and Plastic

Refining and processing ores and producing ferrous and non-ferrous metal and glass products, including packaging

Metal and Glass

Extracting and gathering wood through forestry and producing wood and paper products

Wood and Paper

Producing and gathering crop and animal products from land and water through farming, hunting, and fishing

Agriculture

Processing and producing food and beverages for consumption

Food and Beverage

Industries

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Switching Gear Enabling Network

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Hydrogen

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This collection features a selection of inspiring examples of the circular economy in Norway! 

Circular Norway is a driving force for the conversion of Norwegian companies and municipalities to a circular economy through practical tools, innovation, and business development. They collaborate with the leading environments on the circular economy in Europe, and together they contribute to Norway delivering on the sustainability goals and climate goals in the Paris Agreement.

At 2.4%, Norway's circularity rate is below the global average (8.6%). Norway consumes 235 million tonnes of materials—metals, fossil fuels, biomass, and minerals—to fuel its societal needs each year. 97.6% of these materials are never cycled back into the economy. But Norway has enormous potential: the country could see a 20-fold increase in its circularity by restructuring Norwegian business and industry.

To learn more about Norway's initiatives to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, visit www.circularnorway.no/ (content in Norwegian) 

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Circular Norway

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This collection is being created to regroup all case studies related to the packaging industry (CAT purpose)

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Packaging collection

The need that represents the largest resource footprint, with 42.4 billion tonnes, is for construction and maintenance of houses, offices, roads and other infrastructure, especially in the developing world.

Housing

The second biggest category in terms of resource use is the need for nutrition. Agricultural products such as crops and livestock require 21.8 billion tonnes yearly. Food products have short lifecycles in our economy, being consumed quickly after production.



Nutrition

A considerable resource footprint is taken up by our need for mobility. In particular, two resource types are used: the materials to build transport technologies and vehicles like cars, trains and airplanes; plus, predominantly, the fossil fuels burned to power them.



Mobility

Consumables are a diverse and complex group of products - such as mobile phones, refrigerators, clothing, cleaning agents, personal care products and paints - that generally have short to medium lifetimes in society. Textiles including clothing also consume many different kinds of resources such as cotton, synthetic materials like polyester, dye pigments, and chemicals.




Consumables

Communication and connectivity is becoming an ever-more important aspect of today’s society, provided by a mix of equipment and technology ranging from personal mobile devices, to data centres. Increased connectivity is also an enabler of the circular economy, where digitisation can make physical products obsolete, or enable far better use of existing assets, including consumables, building stock or infrastructure.


Communication

- Lightweighting, frugal design and lifetime extension of bearing elements
- Reduction in construction losses
- Local construction materials
- Energy-efficient appliances and use
- Lower room temperature and smart metering

Saving: 3.45 Gt emissions and 4.05 Gt material use 
 

🏠 Resource efficient construction

- Green roofs
- Passive houses
- Produce own renewable energy

Saving: 6.47 Gt emissions and 3.07 Gt material use 

🏠 Natural housing solutions

- Less living space
- Reduce the need for real estate activities by increasing occupancy of residential (Co-housing) and non-residential buildings (Multi-functional space)
- Limit residential stock expansion

Saving: 3.16 Gt emissions and 8.38 Gt material use 


🏠 Reducing floor space

- Refurbishment and renovation of residential and commercial buildings (e.g. passive house standard including reduction in overall energy demand). This could lead to displacement of new construction.

Saving: 2.15 Gt emissions and 5.28 Gt material use 

🏠 Increase housing durability

- Construction materials with recycled content
- Diversion of construction and demolition waste

Saving: 1.14 Gt emissions and 3.55 Gt material use 

🏠 Circular construction materials

- Hang-drying clothing
- Hot water saving
- Smart metering
- Better thermal insulation
- Lower room temperature

Saving: 1.96 Gt emissions and 0.79 material use

🏠 Resource efficient housing

Global Circularity Gap Report

<p>Circle Economy researched how the introduction of a circular product label can enable more high-quality recycling for the Nederland Circulair initiative's Healthcare Waste initiative. The report includes a proposal for criteria that a circular product must meet, following an approach similar to Rank a Brand and Lansink's Ladder. Read more at:</p>