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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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Business case

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

Engage with the government on circular policies and programmes

Government collaboration

Data, knowledge & information sharing

Matchmaking platforms

Public-private partnerships

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

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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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  Our Approach Using systems innovation to embed circularity in
Irish industry    How is CIRCULÉIRE different?There are several key characteristics of the programme that will foster collaboration to drive the transition to a zero-carbon circular economy, namely:1)	Industry-Led: We are co-creating innovative circular solutions which solve real industry challenges – working with MNCs, SMEs and their supply-chains targeting Scope 1,2 & 3 carbon emissions.
2)	Innovation Fund: We have a ring-fenced network innovation fund dedicated to funding large scale systems-level innovation.
3)	Nexus Approach: We are exploring circular innovation opportunities across the raw materials, water, and energy nexus.
4)	Systems Innovation: Systems thinking underpins CIRCULÉIRE’s theory of change and we believe that cross-sector collaboration is fundamental to accelerating the scale-up of circularity.
5)	Circularity Testbed for Economy: CIRCULÉIRE will contribute to Ireland’s ambition to become a leader in circularity by using manufacturing as a role model for the transition across the entire economy.    Our Activities Driving innovation through collaboration with manufacturing companies and their supply-chains to demonstrate the value of circular economy in Ireland           Our Network Unlocking cross-sectoral collaboration to scale circularity     CIRCULÉIRE is an industry-led public-private partnership launching with 25 Founding Industry Members (MNCs and SMEs alike) who aim to become circular economy exemplars in Ireland. CIRCULÉIRE is also actively engaging and collaborating with all stakeholders from the wider Irish innovation ecosystem (e.g. government departments and agencies, academia, third sector and solution providers) through our Associate Membership model.                 Director of Sustainable Manufacturing       Senior Circular Economy Programme Manager       Circular Economy Researcher       Circular Economy Researcher       Circular Economy Researcher       Sustainable Manufacturing Project Manager                 

Ireland

CIRCULÉIRE

CIRCULÉIRE is a €4.5m public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (Secretariat), and three Strategic Partners; the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and EIT Climate-KIC and 25 Founding Industry Members. CIRCULÉIRE’s overarching objective between 2020-2022 is to source, test, finance, and scale, circular manufacturing systems, supply chains and circular business models to deliver significant reductions in both CO2 emissions and waste across our Industry Membership over the programmes’ lifespan. [1]

CIRCULÉIRE: National Platform for Circular Manufacturing