The ideas behind the Circular Economy are not new but they are gaining traction as the costs of raw materials sky-rocket. It reframes the idea of waste as a resource to be utilized. This is a powerful idea which includes many key sustainability principles and with application in every environment and sector. New momentum is coming from industry, Governments and the EU; these four links reflect the current surge of activity. 

1.  Circular Economy – A toolkit for policymakers • New report announced • Complements Growth Within report – Practice – Examples from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation

Details of the ToolKit from the EMF.    http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/news/latest-research-reveals-more-growth-jobs-and-competitiveness-with-a-circular-economy 

2.  Circular economy, resource efficiency, waste management, product policy, markets for secondary raw materials, sustainable production and consumption

The Commission is aiming to present a new, more ambitious circular economy strategy late in 2015, to transform Europe into a more competitive resource-efficient economy, addressing a range of economic sectors, including waste. The strategy will be fully aligned with the priorities of the new Commission. It will comprise a revised legislative proposal on waste and a Communication setting out an action plan on the circular economy for the rest of this Commission’s term of office. The action plan will cover the whole value chain, and focus on concrete measures with clear EU added value, aiming at ‘closing the loop’ of the circular economy. The Commission is engaged in a thorough reflection on how the objective of circular economy can be reached in an efficient way that is fully compatible with the jobs and growth agenda.

A Roadmap for this initiative can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/smart-regulation/impact/planned_ia/docs/2015_env_065_env+_032_circular_economy_en.pdf

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/closing_the_loop_en.htm

3.  Rory Stewart Defra Minister – on waste, resources and the circular economy

http://www.ciwm-journal.co.uk/archives/14166