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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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Policy case

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)

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

Producing electric cables and wires, power-generating equipment, including solar modules, motors, power turbines, as well as electronic equipment and instruments, including computer chips, communication equipment, analytical instruments, lasers, display screens, point-of-sales machines, security system equipment, and healthcare equipment

Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Reuse, repurpose, and recycle waste streams within other industries

Valorise waste streams - open loop

Using renewable energy like solar, wind, etc. or renewable fuels like biomass, etc.

Renewable energy, fuels

Review and update regulation

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


Design and regulate for separation and recovery

Cities consume about 75% of global energy and emit between 50% and 60% of global greenhouse gases (UN-Habitat). To reduce the negative impact of their energy consumption, cities need to shift away from fossil fuels and move towards renewable energy sources. Such a shift will help cities work towards their climate change mitigation and adaptation action plans. Renewable energy technologies such as wind, water, solar, and geothermal can also help improve access to energy in vulnerable and marginalised neighbourhoods through, for example, decentralised, off-grid solutions.

Renewable energy technologies can harvest the energy in nature’s processes, such as wind, and solar radiation and geothermal heat, that can be replenished within a human lifespan. In contrast, fossil fuels are materials that are not replenished within a human lifespan and are combusted for energy, losing the fuel material and resulting in emissions.

Local governments can develop sustainable energy plans, considering different energy resources and requirements, to develop a robust strategy for the development of renewable energy technologies and infrastructure throughout the city. They can also institute specific legislation and tax systems to regulate energy production and consumption, incentivise research and development of cleaner, more efficient technologies. Via Power Purchase Agreements cities can buy renewable energy from green energy providers and fix the price in order to provide security to financial institutions to finance renewable energy infrastructure. Furthermore, increasing awareness and facilitating capacity-building on planning urban sustainable energy projects can help the uptake of clean energy across the city by different stakeholders—from citizens to businesses and institutions. Facilitating collaboration, then, will be crucial, since private companies operate most of the world’s energy systems.


⚡ Energy Systems

Governments

Renewable energy already accounts for over 50% of the newly installed power generation capacity ([IRENA](https://www.irena.org/publications/2019/Apr/Global-energy-transformation-A-roadmap-to-2050-2019Edition)). As the power generation shifts towards renewables, oil and gas assets will need decommissioning and demand for materials will increase to meet the need for new energy infrastructure. However, secondary materials are rarely available. The majority of materials and equipment from old energy infrastructure is downcycled rather than reused or repurposed. Whereas recycling processes for renewable energy equipment are not widespread yet, mainly because until now, the issue of their disposal and recycling has not existed on a large scale. 

The circular economy could reduce virgin material extraction and offer high-value alternatives through recycling and decommissioning old energy infrastructure—from recycling glass in solar panels to repurposing wind turbines into bikeshed and bridges. The global market for disposal and recycling of solar and wind equipment could be worth upwards of $360 million by 2024, meaning great opportunities for green job and workforce development ([Better Energy](https://www.betterenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Waste-and-Recycling-Fact-Sheet.pdf)). Repurposing and recycling these assets can also reduce emissions associated with the disposal of their components and create revenue to finance decommissioning through the reselling of components at end-of-life.

Local governments can facilitate this transition by setting the right regulations that enable repurposing and recycling of these assets, offer upskilling and reskilling opportunities for workers that could focus on decommissioning and recycling assets as we move away from building new facilities, and require approved end-of-life management plans to be included in tenders for energy projects managed by the city. Governments can also support research on recycling technologies and ensure that financial resources are available for end of life handling of the equipment even if the original parties are unable to perform it (e.g. if they have gone out of business)—via a performance bond or other surety.


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⚡  Recycling and repurposing energy equipment

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

Thematic Areas

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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       This is the first rule in the country to identify solar panels as universal waste to reduce management burdens and facilitate recycling.  Special and Hazardous Waste Legislation and regulations    A new rule is set to take effect in California on Jan. 1, 2021 that will allow generators of decommissioned solar panels (photovoltaic or PV modules) to manage them more economically as universal waste as opposed to hazardous waste under current California law. This is the first rule in the country to identify solar panels as universal waste to reduce management burdens and facilitate recycling, according to JD Supra. Close to 100 percent of the materials in a solar panel are recyclable or reusable, but the panels often contain heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, lead, selenium and silver. The presence of those metals may cause discarded panels to exhibit the hazardous waste characteristic of toxicity, and thus be classified as hazardous waste under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and California’s more stringent Hazardous Waste Control Law.This classification makes it expensive and burdensome to store, handle and transport end-of-life panels for recycling or disposal under current regulations.Starting on January 1, 2021, decommissioned solar panels will be regulated like other universal wastes in California, which include batteries, electronic devices, mercury containing equipment, lamps, cathode ray tubes, and aerosol cans. The new rule will make it less expensive and burdensome to collect, process and recycle them, JD Supra says. Among other advantages provided by the new rule, storage of decommissioned panels will be allowed for up to one year and using hazardous waste manifests and hazardous waste transporters will not be required. There also will be no storage quantity limitations.Other key components of the regulations for handlers include notification and annual reporting to the CA Department of Toxic Substances Control, labeling (Universal Waste–PV Modules), employee training, handling to prevent breakage and releases, response to releases, containment and recordkeeping. Universal waste handlers are also granted authority to conduct certain treatment activities, including removal of user replaceable panel components and panel dismantling removing or physically segregating components (glass panels, metal framing, PV cells, and pockets).Physical treatment activities, including separation, cutting, sawing, breaking, shredding, crushing, screening, and compacting are also allowed. However, the rule prohibits universal waste handlers from using or applying chemicals, including water, and/or external heat to solar panels.            The new dealerships will be located in Mississippi, Alabama and Texas.  C&D Company news Equipment & Products    Equipment Inc., West Jackson, Mississippi, has expanded with three new dealer locations, giving its customers more access to Doosan machines, parts and service.The new Equipment Inc. dealerships add to the company’s existing locations that serve customers across Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.Equipment Inc. began its partnership with Suwanee, Georgia-based Doosan in 2015 at its location in Shreveport, Louisiana. In 2017, the company expanded to Jackson and has continued to grow since then. The company has added dealerships in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Theodore, Alabama; and Texarkana, Texas.In Mississippi, the Hattiesburg location will serve as a satellite location focused on parts and service. Scot Akins, owner of Equipment Inc., says this addition was a perfect fit since it sits about halfway between the company's Jackson and Mobile, Alabama, dealerships. The addition means the company will be able to service both markets to supplement its full-service dealerships. The location in Texarkana, which is also a parts and service location, serves a similar purpose.The Theodore dealership will function as a full-service location in the Mobile area. Customers will have access to Doosan machines, including articulated dump trucks; crawler, wheel and miniexcavators; material handlers; log loaders; and wheel loaders.“We’re excited to continue to grow with Doosan,” Akins says. “We feel like it’s going to be a very good partnership and we want to continue to look in other markets as they become available. And we’re excited to have a full offering for our customers across our existing footprint.”“We’re pleased with Equipment Incorporated and how the company has prospered in the South,” David Morice, Doosan regional director, says. “Whether it’s a full-service Doosan location or a parts and service satellite store, we’re growing the Doosan dealer network to provide unmatched service to our customers.”            Through grants funded by Every Bottle Back, the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio and The Recycling Partnership, two communities will be able to deploy recycling carts.  Financial Municipal Recycling    The American Beverage Association (ABA), Washington, in partnership with The Recycling Partnership and Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), has announced that Ohio’s Pleasant Township and the city of Whitehall are receiving an investment through the Every Bottle Back initiative. The two communities will receive grants totaling more than $250,000 from SWACO and The Recycling Partnership, including $116,800 from Every Bottle Back. That initiative is designed to reduce the industry’s use of new plastic and keep its bottles out of the environment, the ABA says. In addition to purchasing new carts, the investment will fund the delivery of recycling education materials to every home as part of SWACO’s ongoing “Recycle Right, Make a Difference” program. These educational materials include guidelines for what can and cannot be recycled to help residents recycle more conveniently and efficiently.“We are thrilled to support this effort to help more central Ohio residents take advantage of curbside recycling carts, which in turn means collecting more of our valuable, 100 percent recyclable bottles so they can be remade into new bottles, as intended,” says Katherine Lugar, president and chief executive officer of the ABA. “Our industry’s investment will help increase local recycling rates and further our industry’s commitment to supporting a circular economy.”Pleasant Township and Whitehall applied for and were selected to receive grant support because of their dedication to advancing recycling in the Columbus region, the ABA says in a news release about the investments. The grants will help the communities to pay for 7,300 new recycling carts, enough for every household in both communities, and fund technical program assistance, education and outreach about the new collection process.“This critical, regional investment will yield 15.1 million new pounds of materials collected over 10 years—including 592,000 pounds of fully recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic and 227,000 pounds of aluminum,” Kimberly McConville, executive director of the Columbus-based Ohio Beverage Association, says. “What’s more, the value of this investment extends beyond central Ohio. All materials that are collected through the new curbside carts within SWACO’s service area will be recycled and remade into a new product within 300 miles, promoting growth in our local circular economy.”Every Bottle Back is an initiative by The Coca-Cola Co., Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo designed to reduce the industry’s use of new plastic by making investments to improve the collection of plastic bottles so they can be remade into new ones. The investment in central Ohio is the fifth of 11 initial projects that the beverage industry has committed funding for this year under Every Bottle Back, the ABA says.“The Recycling Partnership, with support in part from the American Beverage Association and the Ohio Beverage Association, is proud to work with Whitehall and Pleasant Township to increase the amount of quality recyclables collected in the central Ohio region,” says Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit organization based in Falls Church, Virginia, that works with city governments to transform their recycling programs. She adds that SWACO is implementing protocols to address contamination prior to increasing recycling access, thereby “increasing the collection of valuable recycling tonnage in the region by equipping its communities with the tools residents need to recycle more and recycle better.”Whitehall is moving to a new standardized recycling cart program whereby each household will receive a 65-gallon cart and the ability to select one of three garbage cart sizes, ranging from 95 gallons (the default size) to 35 gallons. The two smaller cart options incur reduced fees. Distribution of trash and recycling carts began Dec. 7.Pleasant Township is a rural community transitioning residents to a cart-based recycling program. It is replacing its current 18-gallon bins with 65-gallon carts. The transition from bins to carts is expected to increase recycling tonnage by as much as 30 percent in the two communities for a projected total of 3.1 million new pounds of recyclables collected, the ABA says.“SWACO is committed to reaching our 75 percent recycling goal by 2032, and we can’t achieve this without great community partners like Whitehall and Pleasant Township,” says Ty Marsh, executive director of SWACO, Grove City, Ohio. “They are an example of two distinctly different communities that share a common goal of seeing increased recycling and improved services to their residents by taking advantage of the support provided by SWACO and The Recycling Partnership. It’s also an example of an important partnership that combines SWACO’s local expertise with The Recycling Partnership’s national reach to maximize the impact of our community recycling programs.”          Delta 9 Cannabis Inc. partners with Emterra Environmental and Canadian cannabis producers to create a recycling program for cannabis packaging and vape pens.    Delta 9 Cannabis Inc., Winnipeg, has announced that it has partnered with Ontario-based Emterra Environmental and Canadian cannabis producers to create a recycling program for cannabis packaging and disposable vape pens designed to help the Canadian cannabis industry transition to a circular economy.The new program will have two components. The first provides customers with a convenient option for the recycling of cannabis packaging similar to that used in Canada’s Blue Box Program. The second focuses on landfill diversion and uses technology to recycle disposable vape cartridges and vape pens. The program will accept cannabis packaging, disposable vape pens and vape cartridges from every licensed producer, regardless of brand.“At Delta 9 Cannabis we’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint,” Delta 9 CEO John Arbuthnot says. “Our employees have always been committed to producing the highest quality cannabis products for our customers, and we are proud to be a leader in setting the same high-quality standard for our recycling program. Some of Canada’s top licensed producers are partnering with us on this initiative including Tweed, 7ACRES, High Park, FIGR and Sundial.”Customers can bring their empty cannabis containers, packaging, disposable vapes and vape cartridges to any Delta 9 retail location and deposit these materials in boxes labeled “Flower—Recycling” or “Vapes—Landfill Diversion.” Both boxes will be easily recognizable and also will feature the logos of the partners and pioneers of the program. Customers are encouraged to place their vape cartridges into plastic bags before putting them into the landfill diversion box. Vape pens can be placed in the box as is.“In Canada, we have the tools and the knowledge to make a big change in the cannabis industry when it comes to dealing with packaging and vape products,” Paulina Leung, vice president of corporate strategy and business development at Emterra Group, says. “We are honored to partner with Delta 9 to create a Canadian solution to this growing, yet solvable, problem.”Once the “Flower—Recycling” box is filled, it will be picked up and delivered to ReVital Polymers’ plastics recycling facility in Ontario, where postconsumer plastics are processed into engineered resin products as part of the Canadian circular economy supply chain. All of the waste in the program will be processed within Canada.“We hold ourselves and our partners to a high standard,” Arbuthnot says. “It was important to us to know that all the materials are being recycled and processed in Canada.”The first step in the recycling process is to sort the plastics into individual types so they can be processed. They are then washed to remove any impurities, labels or adhesives, shredded into small pieces and extruded into pellets. These pellets are used to make a range of plastic products including automotive parts, consumer products packaging and future cannabis packaging.With regards to vape pens and cartridges, Delta says the best solution that currently exists is to ensure that the pen is recycled with other electrical and electronic equipment and cartridges are diverted from landfill. At present, there are no technologies that allow for the complete recycling of vape cartridges in North America. At Emterra Environmental’s partner electronics recycling facility, the vape pens will be separated from the cartridges for processing. The vape pens will then be processed to recover the battery, plastic and metal. The cartridges are managed as a special waste and are sent to a waste to energy facility for processing.“We’re looking forward to analyzing the different types of cannabis packaging found in this recycling program,” Leung says. “This will allow us to help licensed producers optimize their packaging design decisions and make their packaging more recyclable and sustainable.”“Ultimately, every Canadian cannabis company will choose to utilize packaging materials that are recyclable and participate in an industrywide solution to properly address the waste that we’re producing as a whole,” Marshall Posner, chief marketing officer at Delta 9, says. “Hopefully, this program will be the spark that ignites this responsible initiative across the country. If you’re a cannabis company producing any kind of waste packaging and products, when it comes to recycling and sustainability, you have an environmental and social responsibility to be part of the solution. We’re doing our best to make sure all our brand partners are part of this program. In the future, Delta 9 would love to have every Canadian cannabis company join us in this initiative.”            VAI is a regional provider of nonhazardous wastewater treatment services operating through centralized wastewater treatment facilities in Florida and Virginia.   CenterOak Partners LLC, a Dallas-based private equity firm, announced on Dec. 15 that its Browns Summit, North Carolina-based portfolio company, Shamrock Environmental, has acquired Virginia American Industries (VAI). VAI is a Richmond, Virginia-based regional provider of nonhazardous wastewater treatment services, operating through centralized wastewater treatment (CWT) facilities in Florida and Virginia under the Aqua Clean and Reco trade names, respectively. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.Shamrock, which was formed in 1994, provides nonhazardous wastewater treatment and related industrial services to customers in diverse end markets across the Southeast. The company is led by CEO Greg Kiser, who has over 20 years of service at Shamrock.  This transaction represents Shamrock’s first acquisition since CenterOak completed a majority investment in January. According to Shamrock, the deal approximately doubles the company’s regional presence. Following the acquisition, Shamrock will be one of the largest providers of nonhazardous wastewater treatment in the U.S. by volume processed, according to the company.  “CenterOak has a longstanding history of investing in closely held businesses,” Randall Fojtasek, CEO and managing partner at CenterOak, says. “As a first-time institutional capital provider for the company, we are well-suited to support Shamrock’s growth in the highly fragmented and attractive environmental services industry.” “We developed a thesis around the mission-critical role that CWT facilities play in the wastewater treatment process,” Jason Sutherland, managing partner at CenterOak, says. “The acquisition of VAI significantly expands Shamrock’s service footprint by adding permitted treatment capacity in the rapidly growing Southeast region.” “We are excited to welcome VAI employees and customers to the Shamrock family,” Kiser says. “This transformative acquisition is a great example of why we partnered with CenterOak. Their expertise and resources helped us to complete this transaction efficiently, and we look forward to further expanding our footprint and service offerings in existing and adjacent markets to better serve customers.”      

California

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Government of California

Although almost 100% of materials in solar panels are recyclable or reusable, the presence of heavy metals (e.g. cadmium, copper, lead, etc.) leads to this type of electrical equipment to be classified&nbsp;as hazardous waste at its end-of-life, under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and California’s more stringent Hazardous Waste Control Law. However, from January 1st 2021, decommissioned solar panels will be regulated like other universal wastes in California. Additionally, the new rule will allow generators of decommissioned solar panels (photovoltaic or PV modules) to reduce management burdens and facilitate recycling by allowing storage of decommissioned panels for up to one year and eliminating storage quantity limitations. Other key components of the regulations for handlers include notification and annual reporting to the CA Department of Toxic Substances Control, labeling (Universal Waste–PV Modules), employee training, handling to prevent breakage and releases, response to releases, containment and recordkeeping. Finally, treatment activities, including separation, cutting, sawing, breaking, shredding, crushing, screening, and compacting are also allowed. However, the rule prohibits universal waste handlers from using or applying chemicals, including water, and/or external heat to solar panels.

Changing legislation to facilitate the recycling of solar panels

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Starter Kit collection

Business case

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

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the financial condition of a company, as well as the the economicconditions of its stakeholders and on economic systems at local, national, andglobal levels.

Economic Impact

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

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

Innovation

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

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

Save Water (SDG6)

Reduced use of fossil fuel energy sources and/or increased use of renewable energy

Reduce Energy Consumption

Extracting resources and processing them to produce materials for use bysociety

Materials and Fuels

Producing transporation equipment and providing services for thetransportation of goods and people

Transportation and Logistics

Producing transportation equipment for the movement of goods and people by air, rail, sea, and land, including airplanes, spacecraft and military equipment, ships, boats, rail locomotives and rolling stock, motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, and related equipment, as well as repair services for such equipment

Transportation Equipment

Extracting resources and minerals from the earth, such as coal, oil, gas, iron, bauxite, sand, clay, etc.

Mining

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

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

Industry collaboration

Working together with industry peers to engage in business activities or exploratory projects that advance the circular economy

Joint industry ventures, projects, pilots

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

Inform

Data, knowledge & information sharing

Implement innovation programmes

'Mobilise' sets the direction of and builds momentum towards long-term change, while also determining how this direction is determined and governed.

Mobilise

 Convene Towards Action

Voluntary agreements around circular ambitions

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

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

The demand for transport is rising globally—but current modes are heavily material- and fossil-fuels-intensive. Emissions from the transport system could grow by 60% by 2050, and transport is the number-one user of oil worldwide. GHG emissions result not only in warming global temperatures, but also in ocean acidification, which has severe consequences for entire ecosystems and further destabilises our climate. The transport system also drives land-use change and biodiversity loss through the development of infrastructure—also releasing harmful pollutants into the ocean. Key circular solutions:

- Embrace and enable car-free lifestyles
- Invest in high-quality public transport
- Rethink unnecessary air travel
- Electrify remaining vehicles

🚌 Mobility Systems

Businesses

The most common and visible problems associated with vehicle use and transportation in cities are road accidents, air pollution, or traffic congestion. However, vehicles also present a problem at the end of their life. They continue to take up space in landfill (although sometimes in a compacted form), and even if fossil fuel vehicles are phased out, the shift to electric vehicles in the short term could lead to more internal combustion engine vehicles being scrapped, and to a mountain of battery waste in the longer term.

High-value reuse, and recycling of vehicles and their components, is key to a sustainable future of mobility. When reuse is not an option, advanced recycling technologies can extract valuable raw materials, such as lithium and cobalt, before batteries are disposed of. This would not only reduce the burden on incinerators and landfills, but could provide a new, local and circular source of critical materials for the automotive industry. 

Although only few initiatives exist at the municipal level to support high-value reuse and recycling of vehicle components, many initiatives are being supported at national level and businesses are taking the lead in implementing pilot projects across Europe. In the future, local governments could support the recycling of materials by implementing environmental standards for pollution reduction, dismantling, crushing and shredding of vehicles, as well as financial incentives (such as tax rebates and subsidies.) for remanufacturing of cars and part recovery. Alternatively, cities could ban the landfilling of scrap metals and batteries without any previous treatment. Collaboration and engagement with local businesses can help local governments to accelerate research and disseminate knowledge about circular economy approaches to end-of-life vehicle management. 


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🚌  Recycling of vehicle components

     TRUDEAU, FORD MAKE ANNOUNCEMENT AT HONDA PLANT IN ONT.   
                  The information you requested is not available at this time, please check back again soon.         Dana Hull, Bloomberg News        (Bloomberg) -- Redwood Materials Inc., the startup founded by former Tesla Inc. Chief Technical Officer J.B. Straubel, is launching its battery-recycling efforts in California. Ford Motor Co. and Volvo Group are the first automakers to join the program.California has led the transition to electric vehicles in the U.S. with plans to end the sales of new cars and trucks powered by gasoline or diesel by 2035. Last year, battery-electric and plug-in hybrids accounted for more than 12% of all light-duty vehicles sold in the state. As those cars age and are retired, Redwood will extract key metals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and copper so they can be used in new battery packs and drive down the costs for the industry.Redwood said its goal is to create a “sustainable closed-loop system” that will allow end-of-life battery packs to return to the U.S. supply chain. The company is working with state agencies, including the California Environmental Protection Agency, to look at how efforts can be further streamlined.“We’re jumping in with California and launching this recycling program,” Straubel said at a press conference on Thursday. “California is the oldest EV market, and batteries are already coming back.”Redwood formed a partnership with Ford in September, and Ford invested $50 million in the company, which is based in Carson City, Nevada.“This new program with Redwood Materials will help Ford lead America’s transition to sustainable and carbon-neutral EV manufacturing and ultimately help make electric vehicles more sustainable and affordable for our customers,” Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley said in a statement.©2022 Bloomberg L.P.        

Carson City

Redwood Materials

Municipality of Carson City

Ford Motor Co.

Volvo Group

Also causing environmental challenges, electric cars are starting to be integrated into circular approaches. Redwood Materials Inc., by partnering with car manufacturers, state agencies and cities, is for instance triggering the reutilisation of materials from famous car brands.

California kicks off electric-car battery recycling 

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This collection features case studies selected as part of the Circularity Gap Report Textiles research.

This first-of-its-kind [**Circularity Gap Report Textiles**](https://www.circularity-gap.world/textiles)—the pioneering global Circularity Gap Report for an industry—examines how materials flow throughout the entire textile value chain, from design to post-consumer management. It explores how materials are extracted, transformed and managed at their end-of-life—from cotton farming and petrochemical production to spinning, weaving and dyeing to product assembly and distribution—and delves into the resource and energy inputs of each stage. This report focuses on the textiles, clothing, leather and footwear (TLCF) industries, including those used for home furnishings and upholstery, but excludes technical textiles, such as those used by the medical and automotive industries. The findings emphasise the industry’s resource-intensive practices, its contribution to the overshoot of several planetary boundaries, and the necessary systemic changes required to transition to a more sustainable and circular model.

[**Circle Economy**](https://www.circle-economy.com/) is a global impact organisation with an international team of passionate experts based in Amsterdam. We empower industries, cities, and nations with practical and scalable solutions to put the circular economy into action. Our vision is an economic system that ensures the planet and all people can thrive. To avoid climate breakdown, our goal is to double global circularity by 2032. 

Through the *[**Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative**](https://www.circularity-gap.world/)*, our mission is to deliver an annual global Circularity Metric that measures the state of the world economy and identifies key levers to transition to global circularity. 

To learn more, read the latest [**Circularity Gap Report Textiles**](https://www.circularity-gap.world/textiles).

Circularity Gap Report Textiles

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Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

Producing textile and leather products and processing them into apparel and accessories

Fashion and Textiles

Engage with the government on circular policies and programmes

Government collaboration

Participating in government programmes that support and advance the circular economy

Government programmes

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

Incentivise

Economic Frameworks

Extended Producer Responsibility

**Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns**

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The world is seriously off track in its effort to halve per-capita food waste and losses by 2030.The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on consumption and production patterns, with disruptions to global supply chains and changes in consumer behaviour. 

Responsible consumption and production must be an integral part of the recovery from the pandemic. 
But the global economy also needs to speed up the decoupling of economic growth from resource use by maximizing the socio-economic benefits of resources while minimizing their negative impacts. 

Reporting on corporate sustainability has tripled since the beginning of the SDG period, but the private sector will need to significantly improve reporting on activities that contribute to the SDGs. 

This primarily entails environmentally sound management of "toxic chemicals" A substantial use of chemicals is essential to meet the social and economic goals of the world community, and these can be used with a high degree of safety when best practices are followed.  Gross chemical contamination, with grave damage to human health, genetic structures reproductive outcomes, and the environment, has been continuing within some of the world's most important industrial areas, and restoration will require major investment as well as the development of new techniques.
Effective control of the generation, storage, treatment, recycling and reuse, transport, recovery and disposal of hazardous wastes is another similar challenge. 
In addition,  solid wastes include all domestic refuse and non-hazardous wastes such as commercial and institutional wastes, street sweepings construction debris, and, in some countries, human wastes. As hazardous waste is frequently intermixed with other waste, this poses particular management challenges.
Finally, this target ensures that radioactive waste is safely managed, transported, stored and disposed of, with a view to protecting human health and the environment. 

To deliver SDG12, it is crucial to implement policies that support the shift to sustainable practices and decouple economic growth from resource use.

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste)

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12. Responsible consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

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**These 17 Goals recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.**

The SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, and especially on the Millennium Declaration adopted in September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York which let to the elaboration of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.

In 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed. A major blueprint came out of this: The Sustainable Development Goals: 17 overarching goals—and 169 targets—that governments are aiming to meet by 2030. Significant progress has been made in terms of poverty, health and inequality, but there's still a way to go. This is where the circular economy comes in: by circulating resources multiple times, the circular economy tackles issues of scarcity and allows all to access what they need—without overburdening the earth. If it's implemented in a holistic way—affording attention to social considerations and the fair distribution of resources— it also offers a pathway for achieving the SDGs; and the link between the two is ever-growing. To read more about the link between the SDGs and the circular economy, click [here](https://www.circle-economy.com/blogs/how-the-circular-economy-can-help-us-reach-the-sustainable-development-goals).

It is the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) which provides substantive support and capacity-building for the SDGs and their related thematic issues. TheDSDG plays a key role in the evaluation of UN systemwide implementation of the 2030 Agenda and in advocacy and outreach activities relating to the SDGs. In order to make the 2030 Agenda a reality, broad ownership of the SDGs must translate into a strong commitment by all stakeholders to implement the global goals. DSDG aims to help facilitate this engagement.
Alongside this, the annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development serves as the central UN platform for the follow-up and review of the SDGs.
In addition, the UN Secretary-General presents an annual SDG Progress report, which is developed in cooperation with the UN System, and based on the global indicator framework and data produced by national statistical systems and information collected at the regional level.

To read more information: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals](https://sdgs.un.org/goals)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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 Several extended producer responsibility bills in California are still in play after passing a key legislative deadline last week.
The crossover deadline is a significant date by which bills must pass out of their chamber of origin to proceed through the rest of the legislative session. California’s session ends August 31. A range of active EPR bills aim to update the state’s existing EPR for packaging law and adopt new EPR policies for items like textiles, household hazardous waste and marine flares.






Bill Number
Highlights
Bill Status


SB 1231
Packaging EPR updates
Passed Senate


SB 707
EPR for textiles
Passed Senate in 2023


SB 1143
EPR for household hazardous waste 
Passed Senate


SB 1066
EPR for marine flares
Passed Senate




Updating SB 54 with a new packaging eligibility process
SB 1231 would create a new process for producers to petition CalRecycle to approve certain packaging as meeting state recyclability standards. The bill would apply to certain producers covered under SB 54, California’s major EPR for packaging law established in 2022. Sen. Ben Allen SB 54’s sponsor, also sponsors SB 1231. If passed, SB 1231 would update the existing process CalRecycle uses to determine whether a product is “recyclable.” That process was established in 2021 with the passage of SB 343, known as the “truth in labeling” bill. The law prohibits the use of the “chasing arrows” symbol or any other recyclability claim on packaging unless it meets state thresholds for collection and processing for recycling.
A product is considered “recyclable” under SB 343 only if only if it is collected for recycling in programs that serve 60% of Californians, and data from a material characterization study helps make those determinations. CalRecycle has released the SB 343 preliminary findings report.
SB 343 was meant to align with SB 54 by allowing an “on-ramp” for certain materials covered under the EPR program to be labeled as recyclable, even if it didn’t initially meet recyclability standards, if producers could demonstrate they have improved the material’s recycling rate.
Bill sponsors say SB 1231 is needed to fix a language issue in SB 54 that “inadvertently precludes CalRecycle from identifying which material could qualify for this on-ramp” until after a key deadline for removing recyclability claims from packaging has passed, according to a Senate floor analysis. SB 1231 aims to fix the time gap by allowing producers to petition CalRecycle for the continued use of recycling claims.  
Supporters say the clean-up bill puts the onus on producers to make the case that their materials are “trending towards recyclability” instead of putting the responsibility on CalRecycle to make the decision based on updates to the material characterization study, which are due in 2027.  The National Stewardship Action Council, American Chemistry Council, The Recycling Partnership, Association of Plastic Recyclers, Consumer Brands Association and numerous major brands all support the legislation.
The bill has faced opposition from groups such as Beyond Plastics, the Last Beach Cleanup and the Plastic Pollution Coalition. The groups say SB 1231 would create “a huge new loophole” for the plastics industry to petition CalRecycle for an exception. The groups also oppose the way the bill would further delay implementation of SB 343 for six more months.
EPR for textiles
SB 707 would require producers of certain apparel and other textile products to establish a producer responsibility organization. The current version of the bill calls for CalRecycle to approve the PRO and adopt regulations to implement the program no earlier than Jan. 1, 2028. The PRO would need to submit a plan for collection, repair and recycling of such textiles by Jan. 1, 2030. 
The bill was first introduced during the 2023 legislative session, where it passed the Senate. However, it was converted into a two-year bill to update language and accommodate more stakeholder input, including from retailers and the apparel industry. As of April, the bill now awaits further discussion in an Assembly committee.
California Product Stewardship Council, the main sponsor, says the bill could be the first of its kind if it passes. The bill last summer had enjoyed support from Republic Services, National Stewardship Action Council, Californians Against Waste, Resource Recovery Coalition of California and a coalition of environmental groups, but several apparel companies had opposed elements of the bill. 
Household hazardous waste EPR
SB 1143, known as the Household Hazardous Waste Producer Responsibility Act, aims to provide a convenient and safe way to dispose of common items like cleaning products, pesticides, pool chemicals, fire extinguishers and some electronics and paint not already covered by other California programs.
The Department of Toxic Substances Control would need to adopt program implementation regulations by July 1, 2027, and the PRO would need to submit an EPR plan no later than a year after DTSC regulations go into effect.
Supporters such as the National Stewardship Action Council, a main author of the bill, say illegally or improperly disposed HHW can pollute the environment and expose waste workers to dangerous chemicals, which also increases health and insurance costs for recycling and landfill operators. Sen. Allen, who sponsored SB 54, also sponsors SB 1143. Other supporters include Republic Services’ Western Region, GreenWaste, RRCC and the Product Stewardship Institute.
Those that oppose the bill, including the American Chemistry Council and industry groups like the Household & Commercial Products Association, say an HHW EPR program is “premature” and the program could take away bandwidth from state implementation of other EPR programs, especially SB 54, according to a Senate bill analysis. Vermont is the only U.S. state with such a law so far.
EPR for marine flares
SB 1066 calls for requiring marine flare producers to establish an EPR program for “expired and unwanted” flares. Manufacturers would need to create a producer responsibility organization that would handle collection, transportation and management. The Department of Toxic Substances Control would need to approve the PRO by Jan. 1, 2027, and producers would need to register with the PRO no later than 90 days after DTSC approval. 
The PRO would need to offer free and convenient statewide collection, including permanent collection sites. The PRO also would be responsible for creating an education and outreach program and installing informational signs at marinas and places where flares are sold. 
DTSC classifies the flares as hazardous waste. Marine flares expire 42 months after manufacture, and state bill sponsor Sen. Catherine Blakespear says there are currently no permitted facilities in California that can treat or dispose of the flares. The bill is co-sponsored by the National Stewardship Action Council and Zero Waste Sonoma. 
Other supporters say the EPR program would help prevent expired flares from being disposed of in the ocean or stockpiled.
Several boating organizations and a flare manufacturer oppose the bill, saying the program is not likely to be successful due to regulatory hurdles. 

Correction: A prior version of this story misstated the status of the SB 343 preliminary findings comment period. The comment period is now closed.
 

United States

New York

The United States, a major importer of textiles, faces significant problems related to labour rights violations and environmental impact from consumption. Solutions such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes and sustainable innovations are beginning to reshape the industry's future.