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This collection was curated by the Circle Economy team from Knowledge Hub case studies for businesses, local and national governments around the world to find inspiration in practical examples of the circular economy. 

Visit the <a href="https://circle-economy.com" target="_blank">Circle Economy website</a> for more information and for more publications on the circular economy.

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Circle Economy

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CAT Africa

Business case

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

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

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

Engage with the government on circular policies and programmes

Government collaboration

Develop infrastructure to support sustainable lifestyles

Public-private partnerships

Grow countries globally account for 55% of all raw material extraction and 52% of the material footprint, while housing around 37% of the global population.

These are larger Southeast Asian countries and countries in Latin America and Northern Africa, as well as those with an economy in transition in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Examples include :
- China
- Indonesia
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Vietnam
- Myanmar
- Egypt, ...

Large contribution to the overshoot of planetary boundaries—largely due to the consumptions of local materials in higher-
income (Shift) countries: these countries contribute 50% of climate change, 62% of nitrogen, 60% of phosphorus, 53% of freshwater use and 42% of land use change.

To find out what country profile your country belongs to, explore [this interactive story](https://circularity-gap.world) and search for your country on the final map.

Grow

Business

Local government

Impacts

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Industries

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A framework of policy instruments that enabled and encourage the transition to the circular economy

Policy Instruments

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A framework of policy instruments that enable and stimulate the transition to the circular economy

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

Whilst no two countries are the same, there are still obvious similarities between some of them, with discernible development patterns and parallels in evidence. Common problems and shared solutions help place unique country identities and individual issues in context.

Whilst this classification is far from clear-cut and exhibits some overlap, it does underline how the discourse on transitioning to a circular economy needs to account for both differences and commonalities, if we are to arrive at a more strategic and instructive analysis. It also allows to highlight a set of key themes that are likely to be central to the countries that fall under the respective profiles. 

Country profiles (Build, Grow, Shift)

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A framework to distinguish between different country profiles and their circular transition needs.

Browse case studies by type of implementing stakeholder.

Implementing stakeholders

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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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Morocco

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Rabat

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OCP Policy Center

In 2007 the twin cities of Rabat and Salé in Morocco were connected with a tramline, which was operated by the Société du Tramway de Rabat Salé (STRS). The tram services about 110,000 passengers and provides more than 32 million trips a year. The tram operator employs 312 staff to run 22 trams. It recovers over 96% of the operational costs from ticket sales alone. The Rabat-Salé Tramway changed people's perception on public transport. According to a poll 77% of respondents reported that public transport is affordable. The tram is widely viewed as a success and was expanded to serve additional routes into the city and its surrounding areas The Rabat and Salé municipalities are struggling to densify the cities to lower transport requirements and allow for effective public transport. An unsatisfactory bus system in the past encouraged the growth of the informal transport sector, which will remain there until there is a successful modern transportation system. That requires more than a tramway. However, the tramway is a good example of public transport infrastructure which can exist and expand next to an informal transport system. Key enablers for the Rabat-Salé Tramway were a combination of political will, financing and operational tools such as public private partnerships which came together to create a viable opportunity for large-scale investment in transport. The financing for the tram is a fifty-fifty combination of government funding and international development loans. Repayment started five to seven years after the start of construction and the loans have a term of 20 to 25 years. Another success factor was the 30-years concession agreement with Transdev from France to operate the tram system. Enacted in 2011, the contract gave Transdev the responsibility to operate the tram, from ticket sales to wagon maintenance, but also required Transdev to provide training. Already in 2017 local engineers developed a strong sense of ownership over the tramline and the rolling stock, part of which is assembled in Morocco.

Rabat-Salé tramway: A public private partnership delivering a successful tramline in Morocco