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This collection comes from the <a href="https://www.circle-economy.com/circular-jobs-initiative/" target="_blank">Circular Jobs Initiative</a>, an initiative of Circle Economy.

The workforce is an essential lever for transforming our economy from linear to circular. The Circular Jobs Initiative aims to maximise the employment opportunities offered by the circular economy. It provides practical support and insights to businesses and governments that want to adopt circular strategies that have a positive social impact.The Circular Jobs Initiative works through three focus areas: 

- Upskilling the workforce

- Quality of work

- Inclusive job opportunities 

CJI has defined circular jobs as any occupation that directly involves or indirectly supports one of the strategies of the circular economy. It distinguishes between three types of circular jobs: core, enabling and indirectly circular jobs.

**Core circular jobs** are all jobs that ensure the closure of raw material cycles, including jobs in repair, renewable energy, waste and resource management. 

**‍Enabling circular jobs** are jobs that remove barriers for and enable the acceleration and upscaling of core circular activities, including jobs that arise in leasing, education, design and digital technology. 

**Indirectly circular jobs** are jobs that occur in other sectors that do not play a direct role in furthering the transition to the circular economy but can still adopt circular strategies. They include jobs that provide services to core circular strategies, including jobs in information services, logistics and the public sector.

The Knowledge Hub Collection includes examples of circular jobs, publications, reports, case studies and policies different organisations, governments and businesses are already using to advocate for a person-centred circular economy. 

Visit the <a href="https://www.circle-economy.com/circular-jobs-initiative/" target="_blank">Circular Jobs Initiative</a>

Visit the <a href="http://jobsmonitor.circle-economy.com/" target="_blank">Circular Jobs Monitor</a>

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Circular Jobs Initiative

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Business case

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

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)

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 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

While resources are in-use, maintain, repair and upgrade them to maximise their lifetime and give them a second life through take back strategies when applicable

Stretch the lifetime

Activities to clean, decorate, and restore products back to working condition for original or new purposes

Refurbishment, remanufacturing, renovation

Marketplaces or services that enable the second hand sale of products

Second-hand sale, distribution

Impacts

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Industries

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The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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                  Circular Economy    Waste Reduction         
posted by  open_resource  
on Feb 21, 2019   
     This report has been published by the Great Recovery following a design residency project organized with SUEZ in the UK. It focuses on the following question : how can we design better systems that will increase rates of re-use and reduce the quantity of bulky items reaching landfill and incineration? It provides insights into the design and operational barriers preventing greater re-use of furniture and how they can be overcome.         RearrangingTheFurnitureReport-1509-web  1MB | pdf          

                    Jul 18, 2019    Sustainable Business Waste Reduction    
  posted by Catherine Pradels    
    Jul 09, 2019    Circular Economy Waste Reduction    
  posted by Future of Waste    
   
      


Named from the acronym to Shift Old Furniture Around, ‘SOFA’ (as the charity is more usually known) collects good quality furniture and appliances from local households and businesses. The SOFA Project operates in the area formerly known as Avon, with headquarters in West St, Old Market, with an additional retail store on the well know independent retail area of Gloucester Road. We collect household furniture and appliances from households on a daily basis. The items are brought back to our premises, and in the case of electrical appliances fully refurbished, before being made available at a low a price as possible in our retail outlets. These can then be delivered to the new owners. ​ ​Working alongside this we have other activities including an electrical workshop and a flatpack workshop. ​ ​The electrical workshop has the potential to repair and refurbish up to 100 major appliances a week. This will be a mixture of items collected from households, items that are bought in from retail operations (the ones that are taken away when a new machine is purchased) and those that are purchased from manufacturers (graded) having been returned as a result of damage or failure under warranty. ​ ​We can also take on household clearances using our own staff and vehicles. We also operate a hire facility, which is used on a regular basis by TV and film companies for set design. ​ ​Online sales can be made using our eBay shop. For customers who prefer to shop in person our sales outlets are at our West Street and Gloucester Road premises. ​ ​By providing all these activities, we are able to provided support by working with other local organisations including the local open prison HMP Leyhill in providing work placements and work experience to those, who, for a number of reasons are currently excluded from the job market. ​ (SOFA Project is a registered charity no.287088) We divert items from landfill and unnecessary recycling by collecting unwanted furniture and electrical appliances from households and businesses and then extend their life through re-use. ​ Work Placements We offer work placements and volunteering opportunities to those currently excluded from employment. Working to refurbish the items that we collect provides good training and work experience opportunities. ​ Help those in need We help those in need by supplying low cost household items through our retail activities. In partnership with other charities, we supply items free to those most in need.

This report by the Circular Jobs Initiative finds that combining the social and the circular economy agendas can facilitate an inclusive, just and safe labour market. Based on case studies of social enterprises and cooperatives engaged in circular activities, the report explores how the circular economy can benefit from integrating and collaborating with social economy organisations. While the social aspects of the circular economy remain underexplored, the social economy holds vital expertise that is needed to create the conditions, frameworks, and protections to ensure a just transition to circularity. The report provides recommendations for entrepreneurs, local and national policymakers to help them understand how they can be part of an ethical and inclusive circular economy.

Bristol

SOFA Project is a Reuse & Recycling Charity & Social Enterprise, operating in Bristol since 1980.

SOFA Project

<p>Every year in the UK around 1.6 million tonnes of furniture and bulky waste are thrown away, most of which is&nbsp;buried in landfill or burnt in an incinerator. Re-using as opposed to recycling or incinerating can save valuable resources, create employment benefits and provide affordable items to local communities.&nbsp;The ‘SOFA’ Project is a reuse &amp; recycling charity &amp; social enterprise, operating in Bristol since 1980. The charity aims at conserving and re-using furniture and appliances in order to divert waste from landfill, create work placements to those currently excluded from employment, and help those in need by supplying low cost household items through their retail activities.</p>