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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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This collection features a selection of the initiatives listed on the Québec Circulaire platform.

Québec Circulaire is one of the flagship measures of the Pôle québécois de concertation sur l’économie circulaire (Quebec centre for consultation on the circular economy), a voluntary grouping of leaders from various backgrounds to accelerate the transition to the circular economy in Quebec. The information that emerges about circular economy is often fragmented by types of strategies, regions, people involved and sectors of activity. For a real change in the economic model to take place, it seemed essential to create a convergence forum for the exchange of information. Therefore, Québec Circulaire's mission is to bring together the variety of initiatives, tools, and expertise related to circular economy in Québec that are currently dispersed and will be multiplying in the coming years. 

Having begun its transition to circular economy in 2014, Québec serves as a pioneer in North America. By shining a light on the collective impact of individual and targeted initiatives, the circular economy can constitute a powerful lever for change.

This collection of case studies aims to bring together Quebec people involved in this transition, alongside facilitating access to initiatives and knowledge developed elsewhere in the world, and disseminating Quebec best practices internationally.

To learn more about Québec's initiatives to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, visit www.quebeccirculaire.org.

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Québec Circulaire

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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

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 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 agricultural products and processing them into food and beverageproducts for consumption

Agri/Food

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

Processing and producing food and beverages for consumption

Food and Beverage

While resources are in-use, maintain, repair and upgrade them to maximise their lifetime and give them a second life through take back strategies when applicable

Stretch the lifetime

Give products and parts another life after their end-of-use

Maximise lifetime of products after use

Extraction and reuse of parts from end-of-life products for use in new products

Part recovery

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

Incentivise

 Direct Financial Support

Grant funding

**Harmonize with nature** by promoting infrastructure, production systems and sourcing that allows natural ecosystems to thrive




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Regenerate

Includes measures that protect and enhance ecosystems and biodiversity both within and beyond city boundaries, as well as actions to restore degraded ecosystems.


Protect and restore local ecosystems

A key source of waste generated by urban residents stems from single-use plastics, such as plastic bags and packaging, and other fast moving consumer goods that are produced to be cheap and disposable. If this waste is not disposed of correctly, then such residual materials can pollute the environment. Waste that is generated in cities can also find its way outside of the city, for example, being carried in water ways to pollute other water bodies. 

Systems, initiatives and infrastructure can focus on preventing these types of waste from polluting the local environment. For example, infrastructure placed in local waterways can protect natural systems by diverting plastic pollution. Furthermore, other initiatives could clean up (plastic) waste directly to restore natural systems in a safe and effective way. 

Local governments can support the implementation of solutions by establishing partnerships with and promoting existing initiatives, as well as developing and financing the infrastructures that could reduce the pollution in the local environment.  

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👕📱  Clean up pollution of fast moving consumer goods

Slow strategies aim to keep materials in use for as long as possible, for example through design for durability and repairability. A more circular economy is also a slower one: materials, components, and products—and even buildings and infrastructure—that we lock in stocks are made to last. This will lower material demand in the long run, in essence also serving to narrow resource flows.

Slow

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

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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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 Voici les étapes de mise en oeuvre du projet : 1. Passer de l'idée à l'action en créant l'entreprise le 3 mars 2021 au registre des entreprises du Québec. 2. Étude de marchés 3. Impact Gap Canva pour bien maîtriser la problématique 4. Réalisation du Business Model Canva 5. Échange avec les clients potentiels sur leurs besoins 6. Écoconception des sacs en fonction des besoins des clients 7. Livraison des premiers prototypes et facturation en fonction du prix de revient et des marges 8. Tests thermiques et d'utilisation 9. Questionnaires commentaires acheteurs, préparateurs des commandes. livreurs et clients 10. Itérations sur le produits si requis 11. Valorisation des résidus de découpe en sacs pour itinérants (développement d'un prototype) 12. Rédaction du plan d'affaires et de commercialisation. 13. Recherche de financement 14. Embauche de ressources en couture, comptabilité, RH, R&D, livraison, gestion, marketing, informatique et emballage et livraison. Défis Les principaux défis sont d'assurer l'inventaire annuel en matières premières recyclables en ayant une exclusivité avec nos fournisseurs de bâches. En ce moment potentiel de 8000 bâches par an sur une possibilités de 24 000.  Ensuite avoir un fond de roulement pour la production et l'embauche des ressources. Possibilité de sous-traiter nos premières commandes au niveau de la couture à travers notre réseau d'affaires. Gérer une croissance rapide avec de l'équipement additionnels et la standardisation des gabarits des produits développés Leviers Les principaux leviers sont : - Incubateur avec Fondatrices Mtl Inc. et Continuums - La force de notre réseau d'affaires en design, génie et commercialisation. - La visibilité de nos actions dans la Presse et avec les différents concours comme Défi Start-up de la Banque Nationale, Fondatrices Mtl Inc., l'Odre des Ingénieures du Québec, le Réseau des femmes d'affaires du Québec, Femmessor et Entreprendre ici. - Notre notoriété en affaire via nos 20 ans d'expérience en développement durable et nos 14 prix en engagement et innovations durables. Outils et méthodologies utilisés  Les outils utilisés sont : - Lean Startu-up - Impact Gap Canvas - Mind Map - Business Model Canva - Minimal Value Product - Design UX - Écoconception La méthodologie est basée sur une approche: - Inclusive (MDO immigrante et ayant des limitations fonctionnelles) - Valorisation de la diversité des talents - R&D respectueuse de l'environnement - Impact économique, environnement et social fort par le développement de l'indicateur Iso-Protek en écoleadership - Management responsable - Obtention furure de la certification B-CORP et écoresponsable Sources de financement de l'initiative Nos sources de financement visées et en cours : 1) Bourse de 5 000$ de Fondatrices Mtl Inc. 2) Fond Ecoleader de 60 000$ 3) Subvention de 50 000 $ avec la ville de Montréal 4) Bourse Entreprendre Ici de 25 000$ 5) Après 250 000$ de vente, obtention du fond de 2M$ en économie circulaire via Fondaction 6) BDC et furtur preneur pour 60 000$ 7) Femmessor avec 50 000$ de prêt 8) Marge de crédit de 100 000$ 9) Subvention de 200 000$ avec MÉI et Investissement Québec 10) Subvention de 50 000$ avec Compétivert 11) Subvention de 7000$ pour un stagiaire en technologie via Programme AIT 

Montreal

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Municipality of Montreal

Iso-Protek

<p>To tackle the huge amount of waste produced by the food delivery system, Iso-protek, a Montreal-based company is recovering insulating tarpaulins from maritime containers, to create reusable insulating bags, with a much lower carbon footprint.</p>