Article / Report

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

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

Efficiency gains on operations or transactions either through cultural or technological shifts

Productivity

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

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)

Reduced use and withdrawal of water and rate of recycling and reuse of water

Save Water (SDG6)

Providing electricity and gas services, including traditional and renewable energy generation, natural and manufactured gas and operating gas networks

Energy Utilities and Independent Power Producers

Providing water and sewage services, including water collection and distribution, water treatment systems and sewage treatment facilities

Water and Sewage

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Replacing freshwater use with rainwater, fogwater, seawater, etc.

Alternative water use

Enacting measures that optimise water use

Water efficiency

Recovering and reusing waste heat, gas, etc. for energy

Recovery and reuse of waste energy

Engaging in discussions with government bodies and policymakers to push for regulations that support the circular economy

Advocacy for circular economy policy

Conduct research

Develop regenerative infrastructure

Develop infrastructure to support sustainable lifestyles

Monitoring & enforcement

Environmental assessment & permits

Site planning for circular material use

Develop infrastructure to support resource cycling

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 recently published report ‘Stip op de horizon Circulair Water 2050’ (‘Point on the Circular Water 2050 horizon’) formulates objectives and future perspectives for the water sector for the efficient recovery of raw materials and energy from (waste)water streams. Produced by KWR, STOWA, AquaMinerals and the Energy and Raw Materials Factory, the report is a product of the Circular Water 2050 project, which is part of the Water in the Circular Economy (WiCE) joint research programme. This project focused on concretising the possible circular water cycle in 2050, the so-called ‘Point on the horizon’. This clearly involves more than achieving higher raw material efficiency.
 The ‘Point on the Circular Water 2050 horizon’ report follows up on a previous publication: Operationalisering Circulaire Economie principe voor de waterketen (‘Operationalising the Circular Economy principle for the water cycle’), in which the concept was delineated for the WiCE Efficient with raw materials research theme. It also included a description of how to make the ‘Point on the horizon’ measurable on the basis of 16 characteristics, which are shown in a Score Card.
For the present publication, five workshops were organised with representatives from the water utilities, Water Authorities, municipalities, universities and the private sector. The Score Card, a list of possible (technological) innovations and a number of ‘what-if’ scenarios were used in the workshops to test the requirements for and the feasibility of the circular water cycle.
Circular water-cycle objectives
As a result of the above process, the water sector set itself a series of circular objectives which are outlined in the report. These objectives include:

a fully circular/renewable and safe use of feedstock;
100% reuse of components, feedstock and raw materials;
a climate- and environment-positive water cycle;
a minimal footprint;
an area water balance without net groundwater abstraction;
a significant improvement of surface water quality;
minimal drinking water waste.

In other words, a lot more than higher raw material efficiency alone.
Future circular water-cycle perspectives
Building on these circular objectives, the report also formulates an exhaustive series of 16 future perspectives. These range from wastewater treatment and raw material recovery mostly closer to the source, to the separate collection of grey, black and yellow water. It is expected that there will more customised systems tailored to the specific characteristics of a neighbourhood, a city and the environment. Multiple water-use and cascading will be more frequent, as will modular and climate-proof construction and design. Moreover, the use of the water system as a source of energy, and the deployment of sensors and artificial intelligence for asset and water-use optimisation are expected to become commonplace.
The Circular Water Cycle as a future vision for 2050.
Goed beeld van ‘volledig circulair in 2050’
Clear picture of ‘fully circular in 2050’
The reports offer a clear picture of what ‘fully circular in 2050’ is understood to mean in the water cycle, summed up in a visual ‘Point on the horizon’ (see illustration). In addition, the Score Card offers a practical tool to assess different designs of the physical/technical solutions for a circular water cycle. The next step involves developing a roadmap, which will clarify how the existing water cycle in a reference neighbourhood can be transformed into a fully circular water cycle in 2050. Besides no-regret measures and techniques, it will also define deadlines for making choices which require more knowledge, innovations or certainty.
‘Stip op de horizon Circulair Water 2050’ was funded by STOWA (Water Authorities) and WiCE (drinking water sector), and included in-kind contributions in the project by the collaboration partners AquaMinerals and the Energy and Raw Materials Factory. 

  Our society and economy are dependent on natural resources, such as raw materials, water and energy. Today, these resources are under severe pressure all over the world. This is not sustainable over the long-term: demand is exceeding the regenerative capacity of the Earth. To safeguard long-term welfare and liveability, we need another economic model; a model that differs from the current linear system, in which raw materials and water are discarded as waste following single use. The circular economy is a ‘different’ economy. It is an economy that is premised on the reusability of products and raw materials, and on the restorative capacity of natural resources. The transition to a circular economy is expected to involve a big shift in economic processes and in the roles and activities of organisations. The transition can also have a variety of impacts on the water sector and on the position of the water utilities in society.
 The collective research programme, ‘Water in the Circular Economy’ (WiCE), is an initiative of the Dutch and Flemish drinking water utilities and KWR. In WiCE, the water utilities, together with partners in and associated with the water cycle, conduct joint research aimed at contributing to meeting the societal challenges regarding the circular economy, climate adaptation and the sustainable energy transition. In doing so, they also contribute to realising the 2020 Climate Targets, the Circular Economy in the Netherlands by 2050 Programme, and the energy transition. The research is furthermore harmonised with, and responds to, local and regional loop-closure initiatives.
RESPONSIBLE WATER REUSE AND CLOSURE OF RAW MATERIAL LOOPS REQUIRE A COMBINATION OF EXPERTISES AND SOLUTIONS. WiCE CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE, FROM TECHNOLOGY TO GOVERNANCE, AND TO BRINGING TOGETHER AND CONNECTING STAKEHOLDERS.
Research themes
WiCE provides a platform for the conduct of joint research on ‘water in the circular economy’. To this end, the following research themes have been defined:

Resource Efficiency: focused on the recovery of raw materials and energy from water streams.
Water and Energy: focused on the development and implementation of water-related technologies that contribute to the energy transition – for example, the storage and recovery of heat in and from the subsurface.
Freshwater Resource Management: focused on the (re)use of water for a robust freshwater provision.
Quality in the Water Cycle: focused on water quality in the entire water cycle.
Climate Adaptation: mainly focused on climate adaptation in urban and surrounding areas.
Value in the Water Cycle: focused on the governance aspects of the circular economy, such as the value of water, the scale level and the transition over time.

Within the framework of the WiCE programme, collaborative work is carried out with partners from the entire water cycle in specific projects. Besides these WiCE projects, KWR is also involved in other projects and initiatives in the area of water and the circular economy. You will find a complete overview of these activities here.
The Circonomist
The Circonomist is an English-language online newspaper on the water, energy and food nexus, as part of the domain of the circular economy. The Circonomist is an initiative of WiCE and presents and comments on news and relevant developments, with regular sections linked to the themes of the WiCE research programme.
Read more at www.circonomist.com.
WiCE Roadshows
In collaboration with WiCE project partners, various roadshows are organised every year around a different research theme. The collaboration partners and interested parties from various sectors come together to share knowledge and learn from each other’s experience. Keep an eye on the KWR agenda for upcoming roadshows. 

Netherlands

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STOWA (Acronym for Foundation for Applied Water Research) is the centre of expertise of the regional water managers (the Dutch Water Authorities). Its mission is to develop, collect, distribute and implement applied knowledge, essential for an effective and efficient water management. Topics of expertise range from applied technical, scientific to administrative-legal, health and social science.


STOWA 

Bridging Science to Practice
‘Bridging Science to Practice’ is KWR’s motto. Their researchers work at the interface of science, business and society. Their strength lies in their translation of scientific knowledge into applicable, practical solutions for end-users in the Dutch and international water sector. They have built a solid reputation as top-level innovation accelerators and international network builders, and increasingly play a coordinating role in national and international collaborations.

Their global, European and national ambitions, which are further explained in our mission statement, have been translated into 5 KWR research programmes that make a concrete contribution to this:

Health
Sustainability
Society
Looking ahead
Enabling technologies

KWR 

The mission of AquaMinerals is to provide services to its participants for the purpose of creating economic and sustainability value from the current and expected future resources from the watercycle.




AquaMinerals 

Water authorities in the Netherlands no longer regard wastewater as merely a by-product to be treated and processed, but as a valuable source of renewable energy, raw materials, and clean water. This approach is appropriate to the wider societal transition to a circular economy. In order to contribute to this transition, the water boards have set up a collaborative network organization called Energy and Resources Factory (Energie- en Grondstoffenfabriek).

Energy and Raw Materials Factory

The collective research programme, ‘Water in the Circular Economy’ (WiCE), is an initiative of the Dutch and Flemish drinking water utilities and KWR. In WiCE, the water utilities, together with partners in and associated with the water cycle, conduct joint research aimed at contributing to meeting the societal challenges regarding the circular economy, climate adaptation and the sustainable energy transition.

WiCE

<p>The recently published report ‘Stip op de horizon Circulair Water 2050’ (‘Point on the Circular Water 2050 horizon’) formulates objectives and future perspectives for the water sector for the efficient recovery of raw materials and energy from (waste)water streams.&nbsp; &nbsp;This project focused on concretising the possible circular water cycle in 2050.</p>