Circular material use can minimise waste and resource extraction, improve resource efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to conserving biodiversity. However, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published this week, circular economy initiatives in Europe are still at an early stage and would benefit from more investments in upscaling promising innovations and … Continue reading New report from the European Environment Agency on the circular economy →

Sometimes it is good to look back to see how other civilisations dealt with issues that we are struggling with.  Such is the case with the circular economy, as Maikel Kuijpers, Assistant Professor at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science explains in an article on The Conversation website.   Circular economy: ancient … Continue reading Coming back full circle: the idea of a circular economy goes back to ancient times →

It is encouraging to see Australia link its waste policy with the circular economy.  However, Jenni Downes, Senior Research Consultant, Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney writes on The Conversation website that the policy simply will not achieve a “truly circular economy.” Is the waste policy in your country aiming at … Continue reading Australia’s waste policy embraces circular economy principles →

Food waste is an issue that has to be better addressed. Larissa Zimberoff writes in the New York Times about one example of how waste grain from the brewing process is now being converted into flour that is used by sustainable bakeries.   From Brewery to Bakery: A Flour That Fights Waste For some people, … Continue reading Waste grain from breweries used by sustainable bakeries →

Johanna Lehne writes on the Herald website in Zimbabwe about a new Chatham House briefing paper that addresses many of the circular economy concerns. A new Chatham House briefing paper addresses this gap.   China and the global circular economy Shifting towards a more circular economy focused on reuse, remanufacturing and recycling may provide an … Continue reading Turning the circular economy into a development opportunity →

The wind industry has rapidly expanded and as it has evolved, often wind turbines are replaced by larger ones. George Marsh writes on the Renewable Energy Focus website about what happens with turbine blades that are replaced. Given that there are already an estimated 345,000 utility scale wind turbines installed around the world (based on … Continue reading The circular economy comes to the wind industry →

Hans Bruyninckx, Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, makes a strong argument on the EEA website that we need to take a much more integrated approach for us to be truly sustainable. Circular economy in Europe: we all have a role to play Our current resource use is unsustainable. We are consuming and extracting … Continue reading Greater changes are needed for our societies to be sustainable →