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Circle Economy and ICLEI have partnered up to initiate the go to knowledge hub of case studies about the circular economy in cities. The Cities Collection is a repository of case studies that demonstrate the role of cities in the circular transition, and includes policies, business cases and research articles. Cases in the Collection flow into an ecosystem of digital products which support users in transitioning cities to circularity, for example [Ganbatte](https://ganbatte.world/cities/) and <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/" target="_blank">ICLEI Circulars</a>, both part of the <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/circle-lab-for-cities/" target = _blank">Circle Lab for Cities Programme.</a>




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Circular Cities

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Business case

Impact on increased knowledge and understanding as a result of the case study

Increase Awareness

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

Impact on the ease of innovation, and facilitating uptake of innovations

Innovation

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)

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

Utilise waste streams as a source of secondary resources and recover waste for reuse and recycling

Use waste as a resource

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

Reuse, repurpose, and recycle waste streams within the same industry

Valorise waste streams - closed loop

Engage with the government on circular policies and programmes

Government collaboration

Collection programmes that process products and parts for reuse or recycling within the same industry

Closed loop collection

Research and facilitate new technological developments to aid the transition to a circular economy.

Research and Development

'Incentivise' sends market signals and support to businesses, citizens and governments to promote certain activities.

Incentivise

Public-private partnerships

Economic Frameworks

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


Strengthen and advance knowledge

Do better with less by using and supporting infrastructure, processes and products that are designed to minimize material, water and energy use and waste generation from production to end of use


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Reduce

Eliminate waste by maximizing the recovery of resources at the end of the use phase so that they can be reintroduced into production processes


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Recover

Incorporate extended use in project planning phases; create or update city policies to allow for extended use.


Design and regulate for separation and recovery

Ensure that household and business waste is collected and appropriately sorted (by type, label, etc.) to allow for maximum recovery of value.


Collect and sort waste to facilitate recovery

Process waste into valuable industrial inputs or consumer products; distribute processed waste to users.

Process waste and ensure its re-entry into industry at its highest value

Businesses

Communities

Governments

Cycle strategies aim to cycle and reuse materials at their highest value: they maximise the volume of secondary materials re-entering the economy, ultimately minimising the need for virgin material inputs and therefore also narrowing flows. Of course, virgin materials will always be needed to a degree: all materials degrade and can’t be cycled infinitely, use energy, and require blending with virgin materials to maintain strength and functionality.

Cycle

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

The Circular City Actions Framework provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete strategic directions and showcase the desired outcomes of each strategy. 
The framework consists of five complementary **strategies**, under which **sub-strategies** provide further detail. Finally, each sub-strategy consists of a diversity of tangible **solutions** which are framed in relation to key thematic areas. 

Note: solutions are currently focused on:
- 🍏 **Food systems**
- 🏢  **Built environment**
- 👕📱  **Consumer goods**
- ⚡ **Energy Systems**
- 🚌 **Mobility Systems**
- 💧 **Water Systems**

More thematic areas are coming soon...

'Click through each of the five strategy cards below to explore the framework and circular economy case studies in more depth!'



This framework was developed in collaboration with ICLEI, Metabolic and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the MAVA Foundation. Read more about it [here]( https://circulars.iclei.org/action-framework/). 



Circular City Actions Framework

An action-based framework for local governments working towards circular cities

City 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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      Circular city initiative  Circular Categories material recycling waste management  The European city with the lowest amount of residual waste per capita is Treviso. This Italian city produces only 59 kg of residual waste per capita annually, which is very low compared to the European average of 285 kg per inhabitant. The organisation responsible for waste management in Treviso is Contarina SpA . The company is publicly-owned by the Consignlio di Bacino Priua, which, represents 49 municipalities.
Contarina SpA has been successful in implementing a very effective separate collection system in Treviso. Their ambitions go beyond good collection and the company is actively involved in innovative circular projects to valorise different waste fractions.
    Good separate waste collection depends on participation from citizens. Contarina combines intensive curb side collection with a pay-as-you-throw system (PAYT). The system provides convenience to the citizens as well as incentives to reduce waste generation (e.g. by home composting) and to source separation. Transitioning towards a circular economy, however, also requires a change in mind-set. Contarina emphasises the importance of educating all actors involved in the waste system. Education makes people aware of the tools that are available to citizens and municipalities for an efficient circular management of waste and materials.
To keep the waste management system affordable, Contarina emphasises that it is necessary to analyse whether all waste fractions are optimally used and valorised. Non-recyclable materials are destined to be incinerated, which in a circular economy leads to loss of materials at comparably high costs. The increasing separation of recyclable materials, on the other hand, creates revenue streams that can lower the costs for both cities and citizens. With most of the waste and material streams already optimised to current recycling technologies, Contarina invests in R&D projects to find new techniques and approaches to reduce the amount of residual waste. A good example of Contarina’s approach is the development of an Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHPs) recycling system.

Recycling nappies
Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHPs) – commonly known as ‘nappies’ – are currently considered a non-recyclable waste fraction. Sorting analyses show that 2-4% of European municipal solid waste consist of this fraction. Removing and recycling this waste would be a major step towards a more circular material management. AHPs, however, are complex products consisting of plastics, fluff pulp, and superabsorbent polymer.
Tackling this recycling challenge required cross-sectoral research. Contarina joined a consortium of companies and researchers to develop and implement a new AHP recycling approach. Led by the Italian company Fater, which has patented an innovative solution. The consortium is currently up-scaling towards a first-of-its-kind demonstration plant of an integrated bio-refinery. The bio-refinery is valorising the cellulosic fraction of post-consumer AHP waste towards the production of bio-based building blocks, polymers and fertilizers.
The development of the recycling solution shows the importance of partnerships, but also the importance of public funding for innovative circular solutions. The consortium has successfully applied for funding to develop and take their innovation closer to market introduction. This started with early phase development  funded via Europe’s Eco-innovation instrument , followed by a pilot project  funded via the LIFE instrument. These successful applications of the consortium resulted in the current demonstration project  funded by the Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking .
Lessons learnt
Contarina is developing its waste and material management system for a more circular economy. They have been successful in implementing change as well as in obtaining funding to tackle R&D challenges. Some general lessons from Contarina that could be useful for other urban actors:
It is important to understand the costs of linear waste management and to find ways to turn waste fractions into materials with revenue potential. Circular R&D projects are necessary to reduce the number of fractions that are now considered ‘non-recyclable’ waste.
Closing-the-loop requires partnerships being created throughout the value-chain. Although collaboration can be difficult, especially in the private sector, it might be also very helpful in securing funding for new projects.
Circular projects can be large and complex. It can be helpful to divide the full project into separate building blocks and identify funding sources for each building block separately.
Applying for funding can be time-consuming and complicated. Consultation with the fund providers and external experts can be a good way to reduce the internal workload and increase chances of success.
Contarina believes that the circular economy is not only about the local, but also about the global remits. Contarina has already started projects in Africa and will soon start projects in Central America to support local stakeholders to close the loop of recyclable materials. In addition, the projects expand and improve separate collection of organic waste that can be digested into biogas to produce electricity for the grids.
More information
Contarina SpA’s website 
Contacts
Marco Mattiello 

Italy

Treviso

Contarina SpA

<p>Treviso, in Italy, is the European city with the lowest amount of residual waste per capita, and the company in charge of waste management and its success in the city is Contarina SpA. They combine intense road side collection with a pay-as-you-throw system, along with a focus on waste system education for residents and businesses. To make this model financially viable, the company recognises the importance of extracting as much value as possible from waste and optimising every step of the process.&nbsp;With most of the waste and material streams already optimised to current recycling technologies, Contarina invests in R&amp;D projects to discover new methods and approaches to minimise the amount of residual waste.</p>