Europe must move from its current linear economic model towards a more circular one. That is exactly what the Green Week, held in Brussels earlier this month, discussed within the theme ‘Circular economy – saving resources, creating jobs ’.

According to Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik, Europe’s competitiveness will be determined by its ability to use resources efficiently. “We need to move away from our throwaway culture and switch to a more circular model, cutting waste and turning it into a resource.”

In his opening address, the commissioner acknowledged that although Europe is not standing still, it is heading steadily in the wrong direction. The economy and society in Europe continue to be based on incremental progress achieved since the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution.

“We are using 19th-century policies for 21st-century problems,” he said.

Thus, Europe’s industrial and economic model must change direction. There has to be a systemic change in technology, in organisation, in society, in finance and in politics. “This does not mean moving to a service economy, it does not mean undermining the regulations that protect our health and environment, it does not mean replacing men with machines.”

Europe can and should continue to achieve improvements in resource efficiency in the linear system: extracting more value per tonne or per hectare. Europe has proved its innovative capacity in terms of labour productivity in the past. Unlike human resources, material resources can be recycled and reused practically forever.

“It is through circular economy models that we have the greatest opportunity to revolutionise Europe’s resource efficiency and make Europe competitive for the future,” commissioner Potocnik insisted.

We are using 19th-centurypolicies for21st-century problems

Of course, in a circular economy there can be no place for waste. Thus, the European Commission will adopt a package in a few weeks’ time that will have at its core a push for higher recycling rates and for the elimination of landfill in waste legislation.

European waste legislation is already moving in the right direction. Indeed, some member states are already achieving 70 per cent recycling rates and virtually zero landfill. Others lag behind.

Thus, the aim is for all of Europe to attain the level of the best by 2030.

The circular economy will be the great innovation challenge of the next decades.

The commissioner noted when closing the conference that there was a clear consensus that binding waste targets set at EU level are necessary to drive the change from a linear to a circular eco-nomy. But he was quick to add that there was also need for political will, particularly at the municipal level, to move from targets to effective implementation.

“As humans we like to think that we are pretty smart. We think that we can make nature better, use it, manage it. But we should rather show some humility. As one participant stated, we should ‘learn from nature and make use of 3.8 billion years of successful natural design to turn our linear economy into a circular one’. Nature as a perfect circular system is an important inspiration for the circular economy.

“We really show our arrogance when we talk about saving the planet. The planet doesn’t need us to do that. Life will go on here on earth after we humans are gone. What we are doing by trying to live within the boundaries of this planet, we do for humanity. I hope that we can not only live but live well within those boundaries,” he said.

Source: European Commission

Circular economy

The green – or circular – economy is about how we produce, buy and consume.

The aim is to eliminate waste and get the most out of the precious raw materials that we extract.

Instead of using short-lived items that get thrown away when we no longer need them, or when they break, a green economy will favour products that can be easily repaired, reused, dismantled, recycled or composted, keeping waste to a minimum and treating limited natural resources with respect.

The three Rs

Reduce – always use recyclable bags for shopping, cut down on food waste and choose product refills if you can, avoiding single-use containers.

Reuse – reusing objects cuts demand for natural resources, saves energy, reduces waste and saves you money.

Recycle – recycling is the next best option after reuse. It converts used items into new products, helping to save finite resources and protect natural habitats.