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France has become the first country in the world to fully ban single-use plastic items, with a sweeping measure on disposable cutlery, tableware and plastic bags. While other countries have some measures in place, none are as extensive as France’s new law, which was fully enacted in 2020. Lawmakers aim to instil values of the circular economy in all facets of the value chain—from product design, to use, to recycling. In doing so, President François Hollande hopes to make France ‘an exemplary nation in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, diversifying its energy model and increasing the deployment of renewable energy sources.’

French government programme to ban single-use plastic

The French anti-waste law for a circular economy was launched in late 2017—resulting from broad political consensus throughout parliament. In its development, broad consultations took place with stakeholders ranging from local authorities to businesses to NGOs. The law establishes fifty measures that can be ascribed to the following three categories: obligations for producers to include new products groups in the circular economy, further prohibitions on single-use items, unnecessary food waste and unsold non-food items, new tools to control and punish environmental offenses as well as tools to support corporations in eco-design and assist citizens in changing consumption behaviours. The law sets out bold ambitions—such as achieving zero disposable plastic by 2020—and outlines measures for how to meet such goals.&nbsp;

A French act of law against waste and for a circular economy

Responsible bodies for Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 are the three associations Swiss and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) provide strategic support in the steering committe and the office is run by the sustainability firm ecos.As a multi-stakeholder program, STS 2030 supports key actors in the Swiss textile and clothing sector to act in a socially and environmentally responsible manner and to implement transparent sustainability measures in their organizations. With a large part of textile production taking place outside of Switzerland, the program will at the same time be internationally coordinated and specifically tailored to the requirements of the Swiss context. In the long term, the multi-stakeholder program thereby contributes to the sustainable development as well as the competitiveness of the sector along the entire value chain.After an initial mapping, these targets and clear measures how to reach them were defined (Mai 2021). This approach provided a roadmap on how to implement international targets in the Swiss context and how to communicate transparently on their progress. In order to achieve the greatest possible impact, the activities of Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 are aligned with similar national and international initiatives. Additionally, Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 stimulates sustainable supply and demand by transferring knowledge on sustainable textile production and consumption.

Sustainable Textiles Switzerland (STS) is contributing in achieving the SDGs in the Swiss textile and clothing sector

Managing businesses can have high costs. To tackle this issue, some businesses rethought their business models to offer farmers a rental service for tractors, and also provide skillful labour when necessary, by using digital technology.

Digital technology enabling new business models

France launches a repairability rating for consumer electronics.

France repairability rating: A new tool to extend product lifetimes

To prepare for the transition towards a regenerative circular economy, the company has an array of plans to develop a holistic value chain.

IKEA commits to transforming its entire value-chain

Vattenfall, an energy company has been assisting industries through electrification and exploring innovative and sustainable ways of producing plastics.

From Fossil Fuels to Renewables: Vattenfall's Innovative Approach to Plastic Packaging

Plastic Energy is a company that has developed a patented process for transforming plastic waste into high-quality, valuable products. By utilizing a chemical recycling process, the company is able to convert plastic waste into materials that can be used for a variety of applications, reducing waste and promoting a circular economy.

Plastic Energy's Waste Transformation Process: A Solution for Plastic Packaging

TerraCycle's Zero Waste Boxes provide a sustainable solution for hard-to-recycle waste, diverting it from landfills and incinerators. The company partners with individuals, businesses, and organizations to collect and recycle waste streams that are not accepted in traditional recycling programs.

TerraCycle's Zero Waste Boxes: A Solution for Hard-to-Recycle Waste

HP is a multinational technology company that aims to reduce its environmental impact through sustainable packaging design. One of the ways they achieve this is by designing packaging that is made for disassembly, making it easier to recycle or reuse the materials. HP is committed to achieving a circular economy by using recycled content, reducing packaging waste, and designing products that can be disassembled.

How HP works on climate pledges through its ink cartridges

This case study illustrates how Tetra Pak is collaborating with local communities to foster sustainable development and engage them in the company's operations.

Tetra Pak: Engaging Communities to Foster Sustainable Development

Emrgy is a woman-led clean tech company that is redefining waterpower to be as local, rapidly deployable, and cost-eﬀective as solar power.

Transforming global water infrastructure into sources of distributed renewable energy

Policy—such as the EU’s Right to Repair legislation—can be leveraged to make repair the new normal.

EU's Right to Repair Legislation and Member States' Initiatives to Make Repair the New Norm

Rwanda’s Circular Economy Action Plan embeds circular principles into the construction sector.

Circular Horizon: Transforming Rwanda's Construction Sector with Circular Economy Principles

The Rehafutur project transformed a historic 1920 mining engineer’s home in a UNESCO World Heritage mining area in Northern France into an energy-efficient building that meets passive house standards. The project preserved cultural heritage while reducing environmental impact by integrating eco-materials and circular construction strategies.

Rehafutur Engineer's House: Renovation and conversion of a historical residential building

Official website of the government of France