Industrial symbiosis, a key part of the EU’s emerging Circular Economy policies
While the reuse of raw materials through industrial symbiosis can have economic and environmental benefits, there are still challenges to its uptake in Europe.
The concept of Circular Economy is now widely known in Europe. Still, there is still a lack of awareness of the potential industrial symbiosis can play in its development.
There are still too few market incentives for companies to invest in industrial symbiosis. Prices of primary raw materials, landfilling or incineration levies do not reflect the ecological impact of these practices. Waste prevention stage is also underrepresented in the EU waste hierarchy.
The lack of common standards to measure and report on symbiotic exchanges hinders the uptake of industrial symbiosis in Europe. The limited availability of evidence on the benefits can also make business reluctant to invest.
CircLean aims at mobilising industries and relevant stakeholders to overcome these challenges and to seize business opportunities through increased industrial symbiosis.
The CircLean Network
The CircLean project aims to set up a network of industries, public authorities and industry associations to reflect on:
Creating and piloting a common methodology to measure and report on resource exchange and benefits from symbiotic exchanges.
Developing an online tool for assessment, matchmaking and evidence gathering to support industrial symbiosis transactions.
Establishing the common methodology as a voluntary protocol and launching a CircLean Label to accredit members that comply with it.
Are you interested in building the future of industrial symbiosis in Europe?
Get in touchDo you want to know more about the CircLean project? Meet us for an online meeting on Thursday 10/09/2020 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. CEST. During this event you will have the opportunity to learn and discuss about the CircLean network, our monitoring and reporting approach, tool and label.
You will also learn :
CircLean is an initiative of the European Commission. It is implemented by a consortium including Technopolis Group, Trinomics, International Synergies LTD and Arctik.
CircLean is supported by key partners A’SPIRE, EIT Raw Materials and ACR+