Policy case

Extracting resources and processing them to produce materials for use bysociety

Materials and Fuels

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

Societal Services

Producing building materials and providing services to create residential and non-residential infrastructure and real estate


Construction and Infrastructure

Biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic solid waste can be used as an energy source for cooking, lighting and generate electricity, replacing thus other fuels. Moreover, the treatment of organic waste alleviates the solid waste crisis in urban and peri-urban area if the developing world.


Use biogas

Locally produced food has to travel shorter, which means less fuel is consumed and less greenhouse gases are generated. Moreover, buying locally produced food helps local farmers and markets and creates more jobs in the local businesses. 


Produce locally

Other

Develop infrastructure to support sustainable lifestyles

Institutional design to enable circularity

Site planning for circular material use

Efficiency and effectiveness of water supply services must be secured by minimising the leaks, through a combination of leak detection techniques, pipes maintenance and reparation and water audits. Leak minimisation can be enhanced through the use of sensor technologies.

Minimise leaks

Recover and collect surplus food products that might otherwise be wasted for distribution to people.


Redistribute surplus 

Derive chemicals and fuels from organic waste matter, for example, wasted fats, grease and oils can be used for biodiesel production. Food waste such as corn starch and sugar cane can be used for PLA (Polylactic Acid) to replace plastic packaging, liquid fats and solid meat products can be used as raw materials in the rendering industry (animal food, cosmetics, soap, etc.).


Derive fuel and materials

A circular water economy reduces water consumption, reuses and recycles water and wastewater, and recovers materials, including heat and minerals, from water and wastewater to not only mitigate greenhouse gas emissions but also enhance resilience to climate change. A circular water economy preserves the health of water ecosystems using context specific approaches. 



WATER

The circulation of materials and products may result in an increased demand for energy usage overall, therefore it is especially important to provide energy from regenerative sources, and to utilise regenerative and cyclable materials in the production of parts and the required infrastructure.  Energy efficiency is an important step but does not bring about a fully circular economy at a bigger scale or in the longer term. 

ENERGY

In the context of cities, regenerating ecosystems refers to the active protection of native habitats or the conservation and restoration of natural habitat analogues. Examples: reforestation and afforestation in urban contexts, protection of birds and local wildlife, management of green spaces, and removal of waste and plastic (or other anti pollution measures).

Regenerate ecosystems

Greywater is drained water from bathing, laundering, washing dishes etc. and excludes sewage (black water). Greywater can be reused most commonly for irrigation and toilet flushing if the appropriate system to capture and distribute it is in place. To extend usage possibilities, filtration and treatment systems may be introduced. 

Use greywater

Use waste heat

Implementation of strategies to collect recyclable waste in order to make it accessible and available to be used as an input in industrial processes (big or small). These are door-to-door collection (higher recovery rates but more costly intensive), drop-off schemes (cheaper but less effective, more common in cities with high housing density), or a combination of the two, and their corresponding incentive schemes. 

Collect recyclables

When designing and procuring for a new building, source recycled and secondary materials and parts. Prepare parts and materials from decommissioned buildings to be used again and release them into the market for re-use. 

Trade secondary materials

Solutions at all stages of the Electronics Value Chain

Zero Waste Electronics

Measures to drain accumulating rainwater from rooftops, roads or other public surfaces and channel it into containers for multipurpose use. These include watering plants and crops, as an input into manufacturing processes, the establishment of public water features, or the introduction back into plumbing systems, Uses may include the application of filtration and treatment systems when needed. 

Manage rainwater

The organics opportunity space refers to biological systems, organic products and materials, and the processes that relate to conserving and circulating organic materials at all stages of the value chain. Organics form part of the biocycle (as opposed to the technical cycle which includes metals and other non biodegradable materials) and requires different solutions to preserve nutrients at their highest value for re-entry back into the system. 


ORGANICS

Change the system or the structure of an existing building to improve its performance. This often includes the addition of new technologies and/or new features to update or improve the performance of in-place systems in order to decrease energy demand, improve energy efficiency, improve water management or even increase adaptability of the space.

Retrofit Buildings

Buildings are where we live, work and play, and also where we store machinery and goods for later consumption. Buildings are but one component of the greater built environment which includes urban infrastructure such as roads, bridges and utilities. 
Current construction techniques have buildings consuming the bulk of materials globally. With increasing urbanisation and therefore demand for buildings of every kind, we drastically need to re-imagine how we design, utilise and decommission buildings.

BUILDINGS

Rescue or mine materials or components from buildings for use in new buildings or for processing to be used in other industrial processes.

Salvage components

Collect organic waste generated by households and related businesses for use in, for example, composting and anaerobic digestion facilities.

Collect organic

Make collected and sorted recyclables available for use by citizens, small businesses up to large scale industrial processes. 

Use recyclables

Wastewater (blackwater and water from industrial processes) can be treated and reclaimed for agricultural and industrial purposes. Moreover, depending on economic factors, wastewater treatments can be adopted for supplying domestic freshwater. 

Use wastewater

Infrastructure for citizens or cities to sort waste and extract recyclables, including incentives and pay-as-you-throw policies, as well as clear and targeted communications campaigns.

Sort recyclables

Solutions at all stages of the textiles value chain.

Zero Waste Textiles

Collection of waste arising from commercial and industrial actors

Collect non residential

The Value Chain opportunity space covers the activities of businesses across the whole value chain in the creation of a circular city that aids circular consumption. Municipalities create enabling conditions for businesses to offer circular products and services, and can become familiar with the range of solutions available to businesses that will encourage circular consumption and production in their locale. 

VALUE CHAINS

Waste is often the entry point for discussing a circular economy. However, in a fully circular economy, waste does not exist as it has  been designed out of the system from the outset, either through avoidance (reduction of materials) or because outputs are such that they can be re-used as inputs into other production and consumption processes. Studying existing waste streams allows us to trace the problem back to its source and design an appropriate intervention. 

WASTE

In some cases, animals can act as efficient bio-converters of organic waste or excess organic materials, especially when the waste or organic materials is superior (healthier and more appropriate) feedstock for the animals in question, and those animals in turn have a regenerative . Further the introduction of animals into production chains or park management can be implemented with the aim to increase biodiversity and regenerate local ecosystems. 

Involve other animals

Urban Opportunities

 Direct Financial Support

Crowdsourcing and challenge mechanisms

Grant funding

Innovation-oriented public procurement

Labelling

 Spatial Planning

Environmental assessment & permits

Develop circular criteria for public procurement of assets

Public-civil partnerships

Roadmaps and strategies and targets

Legislation

Subsidies

Information campaigns

Voluntary agreements around circular ambitions

Develop infrastructure to support resource cycling

Other legislation

Visions and Ambitions

Data, knowledge & information sharing

Review and update regulation

'Incentivise' sends market signals and support to businesses, citizens and governments to promote certain activities.

Incentivise

Participatory governance mechanisms

Matchmaking platforms

Bans

'Mobilise' sets the direction of and builds momentum towards long-term change, while also determining how this direction is determined and governed.

Mobilise

Fines

Tax breaks

Develop regenerative infrastructure

Increase standardised data collection

Performance standards

Awareness raising events

Maintenance to extend useful life

'Inform' increases the overall levels of awareness and builds the necessary skills and knowledge around the circular economy to foster long-term change.

Inform

Conduct research

Extended Producer Responsibility

Incubator and investment programmes

'Manage' influences the use and function of physical and material elements within the urban environment. 

Manage

 Regulation

Debt financing

Compact city development

Circular use of public-owned assets (land, buildings and equipment)

 Public Procurement

Extra-curricular education

Living labs

Monitoring & enforcement

Circular Economy in school programmes

Cross-departmental collaboration and engagement

Infrastructure

Technology standards

Charges and tariffs

 Fiscal Frameworks

'Regulate' changes the rules of the systems to achieve compliance through enforcement. 


Regulate

Govern the Transition

Public-private partnerships

Economic Frameworks

Tradable permits

 Convene Towards Action

Metrics and indicators to measure progress

Advocate for circular change

Encourage workplace training

Implement innovation programmes

Asset Management

Policies

Providing air, water, rail, and land transportation and related services for the distribution of goods, such as air freight, air courier and logistics services, maritime freight, marine courier and logistics services, rail freight, rail courier and logistics services, land freight, land courier and logistics services, including package and mail delivery and customs agents, as well as storage and warehouse facilities

Logistics Services

Producing basic and specialty chemicals, inks, agricultural chemical such as fertilisers and pesticides, plastics including packaging, and rubber

Chemical and Plastic

Providing specialist services to support consumers, businesses, andgovernments

Professional Services

Providing public and private education and support services at any level or for any profession, and governmental and public administration services, including judicial, regulatory, and legislative activities, taxation, defence, public order and safety, immigration services, foreign affairs and the administration of government programmes

Education and Government Services

Producing electric cables and wires, power-generating equipment, including solar modules, motors, power turbines, as well as electronic equipment and instruments, including computer chips, communication equipment, analytical instruments, lasers, display screens, point-of-sales machines, security system equipment, and healthcare equipment

Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Providing various support services for businesses and governments, such as research, testing, certification and consulting services, cleaning and maintenance services, security and protection services, legal, accounting and bookkeeping services, information management, data processing, and business process outsourcing services

Research & Commercial Services

Producing building materials and finished and semi-finished building products for construction

Construction Materials and Products

Providing water and sewage services, including water collection and distribution, water treatment systems and sewage treatment facilities

Water and Sewage

Producing agricultural products and processing them into food and beverageproducts for consumption

Agri/Food

Producing and refining oil, gas, and other consumable fuels related to the generation of energy

Consumable Fuels

Operating networks and software that enable the exchange and broadcasting of information, such as entertainment and internet software, television, cable, satellite or radio broadcasting systems, and cellular, wireless and/or fixed-line telecommunications services

Software and Communications

Producing textile and leather products and processing them into apparel and accessories

Fashion and Textiles

Processing and producing food and beverages for consumption

Food and Beverage

Producing transporation equipment and providing services for thetransportation of goods and people

Transportation and Logistics

Providing recreational and cultural services, including hotels, resorts, casinos, sport and fitness centers, stadiums, golf courses and amusement parks, restaurants, bars, pubs, fast-food or take-out facilities, as well as libraries and museums

Hospitality and Tourism

Producing electronics products for businesses and consumers, including cellular phones, personal computers, printers, servers, electronic computer components and peripherals, TVs, audio equipment, as well as household appliances, such as refrigerators, washing machines, etc.

Electronics and Appliances

Producing and providing leisure and personal products and services for consumers, such as cleaning products, sports equipment and toys, personal and beauty care products, as well as domestic and personal services such as caretaking, cleaning, hairdressing and other beauty treatment, funeral and related activities

Personal Products and Services

Producing indoor products for the home and office, such as furniture, including upholstery, carpets and wall-coverings, as well as cutlery, cookware, glassware, crystal, silverware, utensils, kitchenware and household specialties

Home and Office Furnishings

Refining and processing ores and producing ferrous and non-ferrous metal and glass products, including packaging

Metal and Glass

Producing and gathering crop and animal products from land and water through farming, hunting, and fishing

Agriculture

Providing healthcare services, such as hospitals, medical facilities and patient care services, medical research and clinical trial services, pharmaceuticals and drug development, and genetic engineering services

Healthcare Services

Extracting and gathering wood through forestry and producing wood and paper products

Wood and Paper

Producing machinery for mining, construction, industrial, and agricultural use, such as heavy duty trucks, rolling machinery, earth-moving and construction equipment, farm machinery, commercial printing and presses, machine tools, compressors, pollution control equipment, elevators, escalators, insulators, pumps, etc., including their related parts

Machinery

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Extracting resources and minerals from the earth, such as coal, oil, gas, iron, bauxite, sand, clay, etc.

Mining

Producing electrical equipment and machinery for industrial use

Capital Equipment

Providing commercial and consumer financial services, such as lending, credit, financing, banking, asset management, financial exchanges, ratings services, money services, insurance and pension services, etc.

Financial Services

Providing electricity and gas services, including traditional and renewable energy generation, natural and manufactured gas and operating gas networks

Energy Utilities and Independent Power Producers

Producing and providing services that utilise the creative talent of individuals to generate intellectual property, including movies and television shows, music, live performances, advertising, marketing or public relations services, newspapers, magazines and books, and commercial printing services

Creative Services

Providing air, water, rail, and land transportation for passengers, such as airlines, airports, ferries, cruise-ships, tour boat operators, marine ports, railways, train stations, tour bus operators, vehicle rental, and taxi companies, travel agencies and related services

Passenger Transport Services

Providing residential and non-residential construction services, such as architectural, engineering, planning, real-estate, contracting, and inspection services

Construction and Real Estate Services

Providing goods on the Internet, through mail order, or television, or providing goods in stores, including apparel, electronics, furniture, food and drug, etc.

Retail

Producing transportation equipment for the movement of goods and people by air, rail, sea, and land, including airplanes, spacecraft and military equipment, ships, boats, rail locomotives and rolling stock, motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, and related equipment, as well as repair services for such equipment

Transportation Equipment

Industries

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Switching Gear Enabling Network

The City of Oslo gives priority to the following areas to achieve its vision
of environmentally sound and sustainable urban development: (1)Reduction of
noise levels, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; (2) An eco-efficient
transport system; (3) Environmentally sustainable urban development, with an
environmentally sound built environment and urban spaces; (4) Waste management
based on a life-cycle approach; (5) Blue-green structure; (6) Eco-efficient
city administration; (7) Collaboration with the inhabitants, business sector
and central government to improve the city’s environment; and (8) Regional,
national and global cooperation to improve the environment.

