Business case

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

Increase Awareness

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

Contribution to social parity, or impact on social disparity

Equality

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

Innovation

Reduced use of virgin materials and/or an increase of the use of secondary and bio-based materials

Reduce Material Consumption (SDG12)

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Extracting resources and processing them to produce materials for use bysociety

Materials and Fuels

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

Producing electronics products for businesses and consumers, including cellular phones, personal computers, printers, servers, electronic computer components and peripherals, TVs, audio equipment, as well as household appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, etc.

Electronics and Appliances

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

Producing basic and specialty chemicals, inks, agricultural chemical such as fertilisers and pesticides, plastics including packaging, and rubber

Chemical and Plastic

Designing to reduce waste during production and use

Design out waste

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

Archetypes

CE Materials

Impacts

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Industries

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Materials

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

Nace Sectors

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

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)

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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

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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

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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

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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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WE AIM TO ACHIEVE INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE VILLAGES, TOWNS AND CITIES.       
BY IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE -DRIVEN AND PARTNERSHIPS-ENABLED SYSTEMIC SOLUTIONS  TO PERVASIVE CIVIC CHALLENGES.           Our focus areas that align with the world we want to see.       We focus on data driven and research based methodologies to focus on systemic overhaul of solid waste management processes of cities, towns and villages. We work with Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats to optimize the use of existing resources to provide effective solid waste management services.
Click here to know more  
      Our cities towns and villages are reeling under the effects of climate change. A direct consequence of the lack of trees and green cover in human habitats, is the heat island effect, as well as a lack of recreational spaces for children, youth and the elderly. We build and deliver solutions to address this problem.
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      We realize the importance water to support our green cover projects and to sustain green cover of any urban forest. However, since inception we have been focused on treating waste water or reusing water to support our projects. To be able to do so we have worked on Nala cleaning and setting up of Eco STP projects.
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 All our services are aligned to the following Sustainable Development Goals charted by the United Nation  

               
     ×  Chintan impacts more than a 100 million people every year through our work in waste management for households, bulk generators, and the New Delhi railway station. This also includes the volunteers, interns and allies Chintan works with for a clean, green and waste-conscious environment.    ×      2012: U.S. Innovation Award by Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton       2013: UN-BMW Intercultural Innovation Award       2013: Google’s Global Impact Award       2014: French Republic’s Human Rights Award       2014: Deutsche Bank Urban Age Award       2014: ASSOCHAM Ladies League Award – All Grassroots Woman of the Decade Award       2015: United Nations Climate Solutions Award at COP21       2018: FICCI Women Icon Award by President of India      
    

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Delhi

The Incubation Network sources, supports and scales innovative solutions that tackle plastic pollution. Together with their diverse network of key partners, they work to optimize land-based plastic waste management, and advance a circular economy in South and Southeast Asia.

The network is an initiative by The Circulate Initiative and SecondMuse.

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The Incubation Network

A New Delhi-based non-profit organization, working to
reduce waste and consumption, collect and
manage solid and electronic waste, and advocate
around materials, waste, and consumption, as well
as for waste pickers. 

Chintan Environmental Research & Action Group

<p>A New Delhi-based non-profit organization, Chintan Environmental Research &amp; Action Group works to reduce waste and consumption, collect and manage solid and electronic waste, and advocate around materials, waste, and consumption, as well as for waste pickers. By adopting an action research approach, their project aims to identify and achieve conditions for better social, economic, and political integration of women waste pickers.</p><p>The program establishes four decentralized plastic waste collection facilities on land owned by municipality or residents’ associations, with two being led by women waste pickers and the other two being led by men waste pickers. It identifies the optimal working conditions for women waste pickers to manage plastic waste and the differences in strategies deployed by men and women in running waste collection facilities. It conducts policy advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns on gender inequality in local waste management and recycling systems with with policymakers, municipalities, and waste pickers’ organizations. Finally, the project carries out capacity-building training for waste pickers on topics such as material handling, safety, and financial management.</p>