Circular economy initiatives in Europe are still at an early stage, reveals the European Environment Agency (EEA) recently report. Circular resource use can minimise waste and resource extraction, improve resource efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to biodiversity conservation. Therefore, the circular economy can benefit from more investments in upscaling promising innovations and in monitoring progress towards circularity.
In its report titled ‘Paving the way for a circular economy: insights on status and potentials’ (published on 1 October 2019) the EEA takes stock of the initiatives for creating a circular economy that reduce the use of natural resources and minimise harmful emissions and waste.
European companies are increasingly adopting circular business models, focused mainly on operational efficiency and reducing waste, according to the report. Shifting from product-based to service-based business models is another promising development. EEA surveys indicate that 21 out of 32 responding EEA member countries already support circular economy initiatives. The EEA report also points out that circular economy policies and initiatives require better integration with bio-economy and climate policies.