Inspiring circular economy solutions from around the globe

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Discover some of the most inspiring examples of circular economy innovations from around the world.

What’s up in the circular economy?

We need fresh examples of viable and inspirational circular economy solutions to showcase what is going on in the circular economy right now.

That is why in the lead up to the WCEFonline we set out to discover some of the most inspiring circular economy solutions on Earth.

The result is an extensive list containing 39 inspiring circular economy solutions. With examples from six continents, these solutions range from circular fashion to magnetic ink and from upcycling solar panel waste to podcasts and games demonstrating a circular economy in practice.

39 inspiring solutions from around the globe

Take a closer look!

What is it about?

To support the transition to a circular economy Sitra has compiled a list of inspirational solutions from all around the globe.

The solutions on the list have been sorted according to five different circular economy business models.

In addition, the list features solutions that focus on enabling others to transition to a circular economy.

Product as a service: providing services instead of products.
Renewability: using renewable and recyclable materials as well as renewable energy in product design and manufacturing.
Sharing platforms: maximising the use of goods and resources and extending their life cycles by using digital platforms for renting, selling, sharing and reuse, for instance.
Product-life extension: using products according to their original purpose for as long as possible or enabling multiple instances of reuse through means such as maintenance, repair and refurbishment.
Resource efficiency and recycling: material and energy-efficient solutions, and the collection and reuse of products and raw materials that have reached the end of their life cycle
Circular economy enablers: solutions that enable others to transition to a circular economy by developing circular data management and communicating the added value created by circular economy solutions.

How was the list compiled?

Identifying circular economy solutions with an open call and desktop research.
All solutions that answered the open call or were otherwise identified were invited to fill in a survey.
The submissions were carefully assessed by Sitra’s and Deloitte’s international teams to find the most relevant, inspiring and viable solutions with the most potential.
A shortlist was compiled and the selected solutions were interviewed.
Finally, the list of 39 inspiring and diverse solutions was compiled taking into account geographic diversity and representation of different circular economy business models and industries.

The project is supported by a steering committee that consists of Sitra’s international partners in the circular economy field.