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)

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)

Producing and providing leisure and personal products and services for consumers, such as cleaning products, sports equipment and toys, personal and beauty care products, as well as domestic and personal services such as caretaking, cleaning, hairdressing and other beauty treatment, funeral and related activities

Personal Products and Services

Utilise bio-based, reusable, non-toxic and non-critical materials

Regenerative materials

Designing products that can easily breakdown and degrade in the environment

Design for bio-degradability

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

Impacts

small_climate-4803653_640.jpg

thumbnail_climate-4803653_640.jpg

climate-4803653_640.jpg

Industries

small_coast-wind-turbine-sea-sky.jpg

thumbnail_coast-wind-turbine-sea-sky.jpg

coast-wind-turbine-sea-sky.jpg

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

large_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

medium_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

small_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

thumbnail_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

![Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Screen_Shot_2024_10_21_at_16_53_12_12858da6aa.png)

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

medium_Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

small_Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

thumbnail_Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

             8-12M tons of plastic pollution   make it into the world’s oceans.    Straws are one of the most widely reported plastic items found during beach clean-up.      has voted to ban disposable plastic products across EU by 2021   Starbucks has declared to ban plastic straws in all stores by 2020.               We can’t stop to enthuse about the versatile Luseke Grass ! It is growing all year long and can be harvested after short periods. Therefore, our farmers can sell several batches of Luseke every year, making it a very attractive crop for them. It is a plant endemic to our nature, which means that it belongs to the Ugandan ecosystem. But the best thing about Luseke Grass is that it is naturally hollow shaped, which makes it the best choice for our natural and compostable drinking straws!   •	Reusable drinking straws (3 pieces plus cleaning brush) at 6,000 UGX / 1.5 Euros  Made from locally grown Luseke Grass and reusable up to 25 times. Every pack of 3 pieces includes a cleaning brush. Ideal for the use at home. Every straw is handcrafted and carefully sanitized without chemicals, which makes them healthy for you and healthy for the planet, as they can be easily composted.  •	Reusable drinking straws (25 pieces plus cleaning brush) at 25,000 UGX / 6.5 Euros You can’t get enough of our straws – we have the solution! Buy our 25 pieces pack to save money and have a little stock at home to use any time. This can help for any surprise visits of your friends and family. Whatever the occasion, our 25 pieces pack is there to the rescue.  •	Disposable drinking straws (3 pieces) at 3,600 UGX / 1 Euro  Made from a different species of Luseke Grass, especially for the single use. The big advantage in comparison to single use plastic straws is that the Ouroots Africa disposable straw is compostable, therefore it can be disposed in the organic waste. An excellent opportunity for hotels and restaurants to reduce plastic waste!  •	Disposable drinking straws (25 pieces) at 12,500 UGX / 3.25 Euros Are you curious about our disposable straws? This pack is your chance to try them out – but believe us, once you go natural you will never want to go back. •	Stirrers for Cocktails/Coffee/Tea (50 pieces) at 12,500 UGX / 3.25 Euros Our Stirrers for your favorite beverage are crafted out of the cutoffs from our raw materials. Like this, we make sure that nothing goes to waste. This is a sustainable alternative for all your mixer/stirrer needs.      Plastic can be found everywhere, from the deepest ocean to the highest mountain, in the polar zones as well as in every desert and beach. Slowly, society starts to react: plastic bags get banned in cities or even whole countries like Rwanda, the European Union voted to abolish single use plastics until 2021 and from this year on, Starbucks won’t use any more plastic drinking straws.  We think that these measures are a step in the right direction, but also propose a more holistic approach as a prohibition without alternatives does not stop demand.   Ouroots Africa is a social enterprise working on making the world a better place by providing natural and sustainable alternatives to single use plastics. We are tackling the plastic challenge from the root of the problem: production. All our products are grown from local plants, harvested and crafted by local women farmers and compostable.  Our inspiration lies in the past as well as in the future – by coming back to the natural products our grandparents used, we can provide a brighter and cleaner future for our children. That’s why we go back to the roots!    The Luseke straw together with other grown products had been forgotten until now when we need them the most as the best alternatives to plastic .Since farmers have not been growing it, we are currently going to different bushes, farms and gardens scouting and collecting these magical plants. We can introduce new cash crops to rural farmers that take short harvest periods, grows all year around. The The Luseke straw is an entirely natural product and naturally hollow shaped, through its production process to after its use, it is a 100% biodegradable and compostable. The sanitizing process requires steaming of a 100°C and does not include any chemicals.          Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss          Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development            Women and girls, everywhere, must have equal rights and opportunity, and be able to live free of violence and discrimination.          Promote sustained economic growth, higher levels of productivity and technological innovation by encouraging entrepreneurship and job creation.            This goal is about promoting resource and energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services, green and decent jobs and a better quality of life for all.              Become one of our donors to support Our Roots Africa. Donate        You are welcome to visit us for your free sample of our products. Find Us         

Uganda

Ouroots Africa

<p>Ouroots grows 100% biodegradable &amp; compostable plant-based drinking straws. All&nbsp;their products are natural, hand-crafted, and harvested by locals in Uganda. Their inspiration is from coming back to the roots of how their ancestors' used to create natural drinking straws for centuries, from Luseke Grass, which is a wild grass found in Africa. </p>

Biodegradable straws created from grass in Uganda

thumbnail_download (3).png

download (3).png

This collection is part of Footprints Africa's work to build a comprehensive database of circular economy initiatives in Africa. 

This is a result of the collaboration with the <a href="https://www.acen.africa" target="_blank">African Circular Economy Network (ACEN)</a>, as part of the programme to support the circular economy transition in Africa. Footprints Africa's vision is that businesses can be a force for good at scale. Their mission is to advance sustainable, scalable and inclusive approaches to development of local African economies. Footprints Africa supports SMEs to adopt future-friendly practices, such as those inspired by the circular economy, to address the challenges of growth and create jobs. 

This open-source dataset features well over 500 cases and 200 examples of policies and laws and intent to collect inspiring examples of initiatives from across Africa, in order to inform the global dialogue, which is largely focused on the European and American context. 

To learn more about Africa's initiatives and content to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, visit https://www.footprintsafrica.co/



thumbnail_download.jpg

download.jpg

Footprints Africa

large_photo-1507576566681-1932a6a38099-1920w.webp

medium_photo-1507576566681-1932a6a38099-1920w.webp

small_photo-1507576566681-1932a6a38099-1920w.webp

thumbnail_photo-1507576566681-1932a6a38099-1920w.webp

photo-1507576566681-1932a6a38099-1920w.webp

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

Archetypes

CE Materials

Materials

Nace Sectors

Topics

Urban Opportunities

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)

thumbnail_bgsimage 14.png

bgsimage 14.png

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

Browse case studies by type of implementing stakeholder.

Implementing stakeholders

It is 2050.  Full systems change has taken place. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immediate action and radical steps taken from 2020 onwards. Many targets had to be identified in the early 2020s and achieved by 2030 to ensure that the 2050 goal happened in full. A sense of urgency, turbo stakeholder collaboration, supportive government regulation and clear, data driven targets enabled the mindsets and systems change needed to transform to a fully circular textiles ecosystem.

A circular economics model underpins what we have created. It reflects and supports a living organism made up of makers, users and restorers, interacting across vibrant and interconnected networks. Checks and balances, alongside transparency and accountability, ensure a healthy system. Financial, environmental, and social metrics have the purpose of serving communities and the planet. There is shared ownership of profit and loss – across all three metrics – throughout the value chain.

This is what we’ve achieved over the last 30 years:

WCTD Themes

thumbnail_wctd.jpg

wctd.jpg

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

large_Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

medium_Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

small_Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

thumbnail_Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

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

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

Test Framework

Challenges

Based on the ongoing ISO standardisation process, a taxonomy has been defined under which to cluster indicators to measure circularity. 

ISO Taxonomy

If managed well, the transition to the circular economy will have multiple benefits for the labour market, including the opening up of job opportunities, raising job standards and reducing inequalities through a global redistribution of value. But a positive transition to circularity for work and workers must be underpinned by three pillars: upskilling the workforce, quality of work and inclusive job opportunities. Find out more and explore cases that illustrate these pillars below.

Circular Jobs Initiative Pillars

large_61791a640bc7e355853af058_shutterstock_1135948928 (1)-min-p-1080.jpeg

medium_61791a640bc7e355853af058_shutterstock_1135948928 (1)-min-p-1080.jpeg

small_61791a640bc7e355853af058_shutterstock_1135948928 (1)-min-p-1080.jpeg

thumbnail_61791a640bc7e355853af058_shutterstock_1135948928 (1)-min-p-1080.jpeg

61791a640bc7e355853af058_shutterstock_1135948928 (1)-min-p-1080.jpeg

A positive transition to circularity for work and workers must be underpinned by three core pillars.

This is a survey that dives into understanding the policy environment around specific circular solutions. 

The survey is divided into five sections, based on the five key elements of the Circular Cities Action Framework. 
Each section asks 2-3 questions to explore which policies may or may not be present within your city to support a transition towards a circular economy. 

You are not alone! Each question provides some practical examples from cities around the world that have adopted a certain policy to support their transition. This can help to compare with your city - is your city doing something similar?

The survey answers should be based on your current knowledge, and not illicit additional research - ! Please make use of the Not sure option as appropriate.


Ganbatte Cities Policy Tracker [Food]

Ganbatte Cities - Policy tracker policy instruments

Policy Tracker - TEST

Africa

Footprints Africa supports SMEs to adopt future-friendly practices, address the challenges of growth and create jobs, using supply chains as a tool for development. 

medium_blob

small_blob

thumbnail_blob

blob

<p>Ouroots started by producing Luseke straws from Luseke grasses. Currently, they recruit other farmers and women to help them collect the luseke grasses from the bushes, they convert them into straws, sanitise and sell them for use. Their aim is to reduce the use of plastics in our daily lives. Eventually, they intend to grow plants to be them into useful products such as, straws, cups, plates, washing /bathing sponges and packaging materials.</p>