Article / Report

Reduced use and withdrawal of water and rate of recycling and reuse of water

Save Water (SDG6)

Replacing freshwater use with rainwater, fogwater, seawater, etc.

Alternative water use

Working together with stakeholders and parties in other unrelated industries to implement circular economy strategies and opportunities

Cross-industry projects, pilots

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

Other

Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the social fabric of the community and well-being of the individuals and families.

Social Impact

Impacts on the financial condition of a company, as well as the the economicconditions of its stakeholders and on economic systems at local, national, andglobal levels.

Economic Impact

Impact on increased knowledge and understanding as a result of the case study

Increase Awareness

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

Contribution to social parity, or impact on social disparity

Equality

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

Direct and indirect effects that increase revenues or the potential for new revenues, for example from new products, customer segments, partnerships or business models

Revenue Potential

Efficiency gains on operations or transactions either through cultural or technological shifts

Productivity

Impact on the ease of innovation, and facilitating uptake of innovations

Innovation

Scalability

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

Reduced use of virgin materials and/or an increase of the use of secondary and bio-based materials

Reduce Material Consumption (SDG12)

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Reduced use of fossil fuel energy sources and/or increased use of renewable energy

Reduce Energy Consumption

Contributing to the improvement of biodiversity including species diversity, total number of protected species, and ecosystem health

Biodiversity

Impacts

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Switching Gear Enabling Network

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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 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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       The International Water Association           Water underpins every aspect of human and environmental existence. The severe water challenges facing the world today require an unprecedented global response. IWA members are situated in 140 countries worldwide, forming the largest international network of water professionals working towards a water wise world.
Innovative, solutions- and service- oriented, we work across a range of areas that contribute to the progression of water management worldwide. Transformation cannot take place on its own in a vacuum. Rather the ideas for solutions to these challenges will be fomented and rigorously debated among the IWA’s institutions and membership.
The International Water Association is an open, yet ordered platform in which both innovators and adopters of new technologies and approaches can generate creative friction. It is a place for diffusion, benchmarking and evidence.
Our programmes develop research and projects focused on solutions for water and wastewater management; we organise world-class events that bring the latest science, technology and best practice to the water sector at large; we work to place water on the global political agenda and to influence best practice in regulation and policy making; and we do this via the IWA’s global membership.
Learn more about the IWA Strategic Plan 2019-2024 (available for download in English, French, Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese) to understand how we will achieve a stronger culture of service, and a unique value proposition  for our members through:

Professional Development programs
Leadership Development, inside and outside the association
Agenda setting programmatic work to generate pride in our membership
Global networking opportunities for members to connect with people and ideas.
 .                     IWA
Alliance House
12 Caxton Street
London SW1H 0QS
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 207 654 5500
Fax: +44 207 654 5555 Email: water@iwahq.org     IWA Global Office
Leeghwaterplein 45
2521 DB Den Haag
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 703 150 792 IWA Global Office
Technology Innovation Center
No. 1 Xiankun Road
Jianye District
Nanjing 210019
China
Phone: +86 (0) 25 8222 6217       IWA India
Ashtalakshmi Apartments
Flat No.8, No.12/67, Teachers Colony, Adyar
Chennai, 600020
Tamil Nadu
India
Phone: +91 637 473 89 31               Our Vision Towards a world in which water is wisely managed to satisfy the needs of human activities  and ecosystems in an equitable and sustainable way.                     Our Mission  To inspire change and service IWA members, the community of professionals concerned with water, external organisation and opinion leaders in being the international reference and global source of knowledge, experience and leadership for sustainable urban and basin-related water solutions.             Our Strategy  Connecting People: We bring people of the highest caliber together to share knowledge, experience and know- how about the most pressing water challenges and innovative solutions.  Pioneering Science: We contribute to water science and technology by stimulating leading edge science and inventions, and helping scientists connect to their peers, publish their latest findings and help others learn with them.  Innovating Technology: We offer support and recognition to innovators in the world of water as technological innovations are key to changing the future of water.  Leading Practice: We develop and promote best practices and international frameworks and standards, supporting transitions to sustainable practices.                   Our Values Inclusive: we are inclusive and embrace the diversity of our membership and participants, bringing together people from around the world and from a wide range of professions who are concerned with the future of water. Science & Practice-Based: we are scienceand practice-based, exploring the frontiers of science, technology and practice and bringing to life leadingedge, pragmatic and innovative solutions for urban and basin-wide water and sanitation challenges. Service Oriented: we provide outstanding services that support and inspire our members, participants, partners and others and help them to be successful in realizing our common goals.  Excellence: we look for and promote excellence and leadership in all aspects of water management, in conducting our activities and delivering results.                     Inspiring Change This is how we inspire change to achieve our common vision.  Our  Strategic Plan  sets out the objectives that we have set out for the coming few years.                                          

International Water Association (IWA)

<p>The IWA (International Water Association) maintains an international network of professionals to develop research and projects that are focused on overcoming the challenges of water consumption and waste management.</p>