Circular Economy for the Data Centre Industry (CEDaCI) initiative

Business case

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

Ecological Impact

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)

Extracting resources and processing them to produce materials for use bysociety

Materials and Fuels

Work together throughout the supply chain, internally within organisations and with the public sector and communities to increase transparency and create joint value

Team up to create joint value

Use digital, online platforms and technologies that provide insights to track and optimise resource use, strengthen connections between supply chain actors, and enable the implementation of circular models



Incorporate digital technology

Industry peers to industry peer collaboration to create joint value and identify synergies

Industry collaboration

Employ technologies to gather and analyse data to provide insights on resource use

Data and insights

'Inform' increases the overall levels of awareness and builds the necessary skills and knowledge around the circular economy to foster long-term change.

Inform

Solidify definitions and create frameworks to support the understanding of the circular economy across contexts and maintain cohesive systems of data sharing, processing and storing.


 Knowledge Management

Data, knowledge & information sharing

 Develop research, structure knowledge, encourage innovation networks and disseminate findings with integrity


Strengthen and advance knowledge

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

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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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The Circular Economy for the Data Centre Industry (CEDaCI) aims to enable trans-sectoral and transnational learning and develop circular economy solutions for the Data Centre Industry in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK by:
Building a transnational / trans-sectoral network and a co-creation platform for sharing knowledge and expertise
Establishing regional and transnational Working Groups
Utilising co-creation methodologies in 8 workshops
Jointly defining concrete circularity solutions to address the project pilot studies.
By joining this network you will receive innovative insights into circularity solutions and share ideas within a multi-professional network.
To become a member, you may apply by 30 September 2020.


   25-02-2021 - 25-02-2021, Online   CEDaCI Lead Deborah Andrews will lead the presentation and a panel to discuss when it's best to refurbish vs upgrade your equipment and the impact on the environment. Read More     14-01-2021 - 14-01-2021, Online   Dr Deborah Andrews will chair a session at Women in Engineering 100 at London South Bank University on the challenge of meeting 17 sustainable development goals and whether gender makes any difference in approaches to problem solving. Read More     03-12-2020 - 03-12-2020,   Carolina Szablewski Colli, Ph. D., WeLOOP will be featuring a presentation on CEDaCI within the Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Conference. Read More     18-11-2020 - 18-11-2020, Online   Astrid Wynne Rogers, Techbuyer is joining a webinar on ecodesign and circular electronics organised by RINA on November 18, 2020. Read More     17-11-2020 - 17-11-2020, Online   CEDaCI Research Assistant, Kristina Kerwin will speak at the LSBU 100 - Women in Engineering event on November 17, 2020. Read More     30-10-2020 - 30-10-2020, Online   Dr Deborah Andrews, LSBU and Beth Whitehead, OI will present the key findings of the CEDaCI project and how it helps build the circular solutions for the Data Centre Industry at Sustainable Places Conference. Read More     13-10-2020 - 13-10-2020, Online   With Europe being an increasingly digitised society and now hosting 60 000 data centres - a number expected to grow by 300% by 2025 - e-waste has become a pressing challenge. How can the data centre industry (DCI) minimise its environmental impact? Read More     23-09-2020 - 24-09-2020, Paris   Carolina Szablewski, WeLoop presented CEDaCI at Cloud Data Center Event in Paris on September 23-24, 2020. Read More     26-08-2020 - 26-08-2020, Online   The Life Cycle Innovation Conference (LCIC 2020) takes a systems perspective when discussing sustainable innovation. It will look at both, innovative approaches and methods to address sustainability challenges as well as innovative products and services that will help us transition towards a more sustainable world. Read More     25-06-2020 - 25-06-2020, Online   LSBU is dedicated to protecting our planet and society. To precede London Climate Action Week (27th June to 6th July 2020), the LSBU Group is hosting the first in a series of three Sustainability & Climate Action Events, titled Carbon, Climate, Energy and Resources. Read More   

Germany

France

Netherlands

United Kingdom

CEDaCI

<p>The Circular Economy for the Data Centre Industry (CEDaCI) was launched to facilitate learning across sectors and nations, and create circular solutions for the Data Centre Industry in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. The initiative aims to build a network for knowledge sharing and expertise, eventually establishing regional and transnational Working Groups on the circular economy, and collaborating on circular solutions. The CEDaCI project’s ultimate goal is to increase the reclamation and reuse of raw materials, extend product life through remanufacturing, reduce virgin material extraction and use, reduce waste output and develop a secure critical raw material supply chain for the data centre industry.&nbsp;</p>