The Circular Facade.pdf

Business case

Facilitate cross-collaboration by engaging city departments, industries and businesses on ambitious, closed-loop circular projects.

Support closed-loop systems and cross-sectoral synergies

What is it?
 
Fossil energy carriers are non-renewable materials, which include coal, oil, and natural gas. These fossil carriers contain energy that can be later converted to other forms such as mechanical work or heat or to operate chemical or physical processes.
 
How is it produced? 
 
Domestic extraction of fossil energy carriers (solid, liquid and gaseous) takes place through underground or open-cast mining, and the operation of crude oil and natural gas fields.
 
Where/how is it used in our economy (main sectors, main products, ingredients)?
 
Fossil fuel carriers are primarily used to provide electricity, heat, and transportation. They supply about 80 percent of the world’s energy and also feed the processes used to produce a wide range of products, from steel to plastics. 
 
Why should we care from a circular economy perspective? (How is it un-circular?)
 
Carbon dioxide emissions from burning coal are the biggest single source of global temperature increase above pre-industrial levels, and account for 44% of the world's total emissions. Governments around the world are now engaged in efforts to ramp down greenhouse gas emissions generated from fossil fuels. These efforts generally focus on replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, increasing energy efficiency, and electrifying sectors such as transportation and buildings. However, many city governments lack the ability to directly control the energy mix of their electricity, as policies are often set at state or national levels. Despite such challenges, some major cities are showing that it is possible to reduce fossil fuel usage. This year, over 300 cities joined in CDP’s cities programme, sharing information on how they are taking actions to reduce carbon emissions and managing climate risks (1).
 
(1) https://www.cdp.net/en/cities

fossils.svg

Fossil carriers

Non ferrous metals do not contain iron. Some examples of non-ferrous metals are aluminum, aluminum alloys, and copper, which are often used in industrial applications such as gutters, roofing, pipes, and electrical. Non-ferrous metals also include brass, gold, nickel, silver, tin, lead, and zinc.

Non ferrous metals

Solid fuel refers to various forms of solid material that can be burnt to release energy, providing heat and light through the process of combustion. This includes lignite, hard coal, tar sands, and peat.

Coal and solids 

What is it?
 
Metals are chemical elements that are extracted and processed from mineral ores. Metals, such as aluminum, iron, zinc, gold, silver, tin, and mercury represent a significant fraction of total material flows in the economy.
 
How is it produced? 
 
Metals are elementary substances extracted from mineral ores. Ores are extracted from the environment through mining and quarrying activities. Metlas can be extracted from the ore by three main methods: reduction of the ore with carbon, reduction of the molten ore by electrolysis, and reduction of the ore with a more reactive metal (1). The process of refining uses a significant amount of energy, and consequently produces a large carbon footprint. 
 
Where/how is it used in our economy (main sectors, main products, ingredients)?
 
Metals are omnipresent in common products across industries due to their wide range of functionalities and performance characteristics. Metals are essential for many of our product production processes. Over the 20th century demand has risen steeply, and this is expected to continue over the next decades. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) calculated that low-carbon technologies would need over 600 million tonnes (Mt) more metal resources up to 2050 (2). Alongside the usual suspects of cobalt, lithium and rare-earth-metals, this includes aluminium, silver, steel, nickel, lead and zinc.
 
Why should we care from a circular economy perspective? (How is it un-circular?)
 
- Mining is energy and carbon intensive (3)
- Scarce metals are mismanaged and are associated with social impacts (conflict minerals)
- Given their recyclability and durability, circular economy solutions are a top priority. 
 

(1) https://revisionscience.com/a2-level-level-revision/chemistry-level-revision/bonding-and-structure/reduction-metals-extraction-ore#:~:targetText=There%20are%203%20main%20methods,with%20a%20more%20reactive%20metal.
 
(2) https://www.carbonbrief.org/explainer-these-six-metals-are-key-to-a-low-carbon-future
 
(3) Tost, M., Bayer, B., Hitch, M., Lutter, S., Moser, P., & Feiel, S. (2018). Metal Mining’s Environmental Pressures: A Review and Updated Estimates on CO2 Emissions, Water Use, and Land Requirements. Sustainability, 10(8), 2881.

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Metal & ores

Industrial and agricultural minerals are non-metallic minerals that are primarily used in chemical, industrial, or agricultural processes. Chemical minerals are used in chemical processes such as the production of detergents, animal feedstock, and many other minor applications. They also contain some applications of salt, which may be produced from rock salt, brine or seawater; it is used for human consumption, in the chemical industry, or to ‘grit’ roads to prevent the formation of ice. Fertiliser minerals are nitrogen, potassium and phosphate, the three most common nutrients used in agriculture. Nitrogen (N), phosphate (P), and potassium (K) are also combined to form NPK compound fertilisers, which provides crops with these nutrients at the same time. 
Finally, there are a number of minerals used as inputs for specific processes: Graphite, a stable form of pure carbon, is mainly used in refractories; Quartz and quartzite are special qualities of silicon used e.g. in the optical industry or in metal manufacturing; Siliceous fossil meals such as Kieselgur, Tripolite, Diatomite and other siliceous earths, used e.g. as absorption agent or material for heat insulation; Steatite and talc are magnesium silicate minerals, used for several industrial purposes; Feldspar is an essential component of glass and ceramic manufacture.


Industrial / Agricultural Dominant

Refers to 1) crude oils, 2) gas and 3) fuels. They are liquid and gaseous energy materials/carriers. 1) Crude oil is a naturally occurring, unrefined petroleum product composed of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic materials. Crude oil can be refined to produce usable products such as gasoline, diesel and various forms of petrochemicals. 2) Natural gas (also called fossil gas) is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly including varying amounts of other higher alkanes, and sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or helium. Gas is a non-renewable hydrocarbon used as a source of energy for heating, cooking, electricity generation and as a fuel for vehicles. 3) A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as heat energy or to be used for work, which can be crude oils and gas products, but could for example also be nuclear energy.  

Liquids and gases 

What is it?
 
Biomass is the biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues of biological origin from agriculture (including vegetal and animal substances), forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste. Includes bioliquids and biofuels. (1)
 
How is it produced? 
 
Biomass is generated through the biocycle. (2) The cycling of nutrients is critical for the growth of all plant and animal life on the planet. At its most basic level, the natural cycle sees nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium absorbed from the soil by plants, which are then consumed by animals (including humans). These nutrients are subsequently excreted and returned to the soil, where plants can take them in again. Throughout the biocycle, biomass absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere while growing. This effect can be magnified when these materials are subsequently reused or recycled. (3)
 
Where/how is it used in our economy (main sectors, main products, ingredients)?
 
Every year, people harvest roughly 13 billion tonnes of biomass globally to use as food, energy and materials. Biomass accounts for roughly 9% of world total primary energy supply today. (4) 
Additionally, cities produce about 650 million tonnes of solid organic waste per year. (5)
 
Why should we care from a circular economy perspective?
 
Biomass use is confronted with some dilemmas, such as the use of biomass as an energy source by means of combustion or fermentation, versus a more high-value application (e.g. the processing of residual wood for furniture). For every application, the highest value must be recovered. A general rule of thumb is that the fewer process steps a material has to go through for reuse, the higher the quality of the material it can contain. This means that it is important to direct the use of renewable materials to applications where they contribute the most to sustainability.
 
(1) Source: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/Urban-Biocycles_Ellen-MacArthurFoundation_30-3-2017.pdf
 
(2) Source: https://stats.oecd.org/glossary/detail.asp?ID=201
 
(3) Source: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/galleries/ce100/CE100-Renewables_Co.Project_Report.pdf
 
(4) Source: https://www.iea.org/topics/renewables/bioenergy/
 
(5) Source: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/Urban-Biocycles_Ellen-MacArthurFoundation_30-3-2017.pdf

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Biomass

This category consists of a number of minerals that are primarily used in construction, and make up the majority of non-metallic minerals extracted today. They contain sand, gravel, and structural clay, which are used in load-bearing structural components, and are often locally sourced and of low economic value. Sand and gravel consist of an unconsolidated accumulation of rounded or semi-rounded rock fragments that result from the natural disintegration of rock; clay is a finely-grained natural rock or soil material that combines one or more clay minerals with possible traces of quartz, metal oxides and organic matter. They also contain limestone and gypsum. Limestone is a carbonate sedimentary rock whose major materials are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate. It is widely mined and used as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard/sidewalk chalk, and drywall. Finally, they contain a number of ornamental and building stones, which can be a variety of minerals that are used for direct building use, rather than as an input for a construction material (e.g. limestone blocks used to make a wall). 


Construction Dominant

Ferrous metals contain iron, whereas non-ferrous metals do not. Ferrous metals are easily identified by their magnetic properties, as well as their poor resistance to corrosion and rust. Typical examples include engineered materials such as steel and cast iron, combining an iron base with small amounts of other metals or elements added in.  (1)


(1) https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/ferrous-metal

Ferrous metals

The residual biomass that is discarded during production, such as straw and leaves, are not included in annual crop statistics. Nevertheless, those crop residues are often subject to further economic use. For example, a large fraction of crop residues is used as bedding material in livestock husbandry; crop residues may also be used as feed, for energy production, or as industrial raw material.

Crop Residues

What is it?
 
A mineral is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound that occurs naturally in pure form. Minerals are most commonly associated with rocks due to the presence of minerals within rocks. These rocks may consist of one type of mineral, or may be an aggregate of two or more different types of minerals. Non-metallic minerals are those which do not yield new products on melting. The materials include minerals that do not contain metals or fossil energy carriers. Examples of non-metallic minerals are; stone, sand, clay, and salt. 
 
How is it produced? 
 
Non-metallic minerals are extracted from the environment through mining and quarrying activities, or via dredging of alluvial deposits, rock crushing and the use of salt marshes. 
 
Where/how is it used in our economy (main sectors, main products, ingredients)?
 
Non-metallic minerals (2) are used most notably in construction (e.g. sands, gravel, stones etc.), manufacture of mineral products (e.g. glass, cement etc.), or manufacture of chemicals (e.g. mineral fertilisers). 
 
Why should we care from a circular economy perspective? (How is it un-circular?)
 
Mineral mining and processing activities can be highly destructive to local ecosystems. 
Mining of non-metallic minerals can have negative environmental impacts on air, water, and soil. Stone dust produced from crusher units can also be damaging for human health (3). Mitigating the environmental impacts of industrial mineral mines could be improved by changes to existing regulations and by implementing circular approaches such as lifetime extension, remanufacturing, and reuse. 
 
(1) https://www.slideshare.net/hzharraz/nonmetallic-mineral-deposits#:~:targetText=Non%2Dmetallic%20minerals%20are%20those,associated%20with%20igneous%2Fmetamorphic%20rocks.
 
(2) MF.3
 
(3) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10106049.2019.1597390?journalCode=tgei20

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Minerals & chemicals

Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic material - a natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin, which resists compression.


Wood

Animal products refers to wild fish catch, aquatic plants/animals, hunting and gathering, live animals, animal products and food products like meat, fibre, milk, eggs, or other products. 



Animal Products

A crop is a plant or animal product that can be grown and harvested extensively for profit or subsistence. Crop may refer either to the harvested parts or to the harvest in a more refined state. Most crops are cultivated in agriculture or aquaculture. Some examples are: cereals, dry pulses, protein crops, root crops, industrial crops, fresh vegetables and permanent crops.

Crops

Materials

This collection is being created to regroup all case studies related to the packaging industry (CAT purpose)

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Packaging collection

The food system nourishes populations and employs 50% of the global workforce, but:
- it currently drives a quarter of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its greenhouse gas (GHG) production, 
- animal farming alone uses over one-quarter of all land, equivalent to the size of the Americas,
- nearly a quarter of freshwater resources are lost due to rampant food waste, and
- it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss.

A circular food system must address the whole value chain, from production to consumption to waste management. The four key solutions for the food system are:
- Put healthier, satiating foods first: Prioritise satiating and healthy foods with a lower environmental impact—ideally shifting calories from meat, fish, and dairy towards cereals, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
- Go local, seasonal, and organic: Prioritise the production and consumption of local, seasonal, and organic produce (sometimes in combination with GMO to reduce pests and disease loss on crops), which can lead to a significantly reduced need for chemical inputs, fuels, and processing services that contribute to environmental impacts.
- Mainstream regenerative agriculture: Scale up agricultural practices that regenerate ecosystems, recirculate nutrients and sequester carbon by design. 
- End avoidable food waste: Minimise food loss and valorise waste following the food waste hierarchy along the supply chain and at the consumer level through better management of transport and storage, more refrigeration and smart planning, and technology at the consumer and food service levels.



🍏 Food Systems

Manufactured goods, such as vehicles, textiles, appliances and equipment and their associated production processes are big employers but:
- production processes often rely on fossil fuels and currently drive one-third of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its GHG production, 
- material- and energy-intensive industrial activities are linked to deforestation and drive 15% on both the land use and freshwater planetary boundaries, 
- manufacturing goods results in substantial amounts of hazardous industrial waste and leaks chemicals into the environment.

Here, circular solutions must tackle the full value chain, but material demand must also shrink: this will necessitate a societal shift to favouring sufficiency over excess and reducing consumption to sustainable levels. Our four key solutions for manufactured goods are:
- Mainstream industrial symbiosis and efficiency : Achieve process improvements, scrap diversion and reduction in yield losses through greater industrial symbiosis and efficiency. Foster tighter collaboration within and between industries to deliver powerful material and emissions savings.
- Extend the lifetime of machinery, equipment, and goods: Maximise the lifetime of goods that serve our daily needs to bring a number of environmental benefits. 
- Buy what's needed: Reduce the number of purchases of common electronic goods, appliances, and other equipment to sufficiency levels. 
- Eschew fast fashion in favour of sustainable textiles: Drastically reduce new clothing purchases. All used clothing should go on to be repaired, reused or, if needed, recycled appropriately. Prioritise natural and local textile manufacturing, as well as higher-quality and more durable garments. 



👕📱 Consumer goods

Build countries consume 13% of the global material footprint, while they account for almost 50% of the population. 

Examples include countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia such as: 
- Bangladesh
- Ethiopia
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- The Philippines
- Some small island states, ...

Minimal contribution to the overshoot of planetary boundaries: these countries contribute 20% of land use change, 30% of
freshwater use, 23% of phosphorus emissions to soil, and 11% of nitrogen emissions.

To find out what country profile your country belongs to, explore [this interactive story](https://circularity-gap.world) and search for your country on the final map.

Build

The built environment, including housing, commercial buildings, and the necessary infrastructure for mobility, is essential for our livelihoods, but:
- the extraction of minerals used to produce construction materials is responsible for a quarter of global land use change,
- approximately 40% of global GHG emissions can be attributed to buildings’ construction, use and demolition, and
- construction and demolition processes drive nearly one-third of all material consumption. 

Making the built environment more circular must prioritise a heavy reduction in material use—while also closing the loop on materials and bringing secondary and renewable material choices to the fore. Our four key solutions for the built environment are:
- Make the most of what already exists: Make the most of existing materials by reusing, repurposing, upgrading and renovating following circular approaches. Where new builds are needed, use secondary materials and be as efficient as possible with urban planning solutions that follow circular design principles so that buildings can be reused, repurposed, and easily disassembled in the future.
- Be as energy efficient as possible: From the design phase, utilise circular strategies to create material- and energy efficient buildings. Couple these designs with a rollout of clean energy solutions, and prioritise energy-efficient appliances and retrofitting. 
- Utilise secondary materials: Maximise the high-value reuse of buildings and components where possible. Ideally, enable the utilisation of construction and demolition outputs and ensure that as much of it as possible is recycled to avoid the need for virgin materials, such as sand and gravel.
- Prioritise circular materials and approaches: Transition to using renewable wood, timber or cross-laminated timber instead of steel and concrete, or move to other locally available materials. Utilise mainstream modular construction and prioritise lightweight frames and structures to reduce cement and steel use, as well as green roofs where possible.


🏢 Built environment

The food system nourishes populations and employs 50% of the global workforce, but:
- it currently drives a quarter of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its greenhouse gas (GHG) production, 
- animal farming alone uses over one-quarter of all land, equivalent to the size of the Americas,
- nearly a quarter of freshwater resources are lost due to rampant food waste, and
- it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss.

A circular food system must address the whole value chain, from production to consumption to waste management. The four key solutions for the food system are:
- Put healthier, satiating foods first: Prioritise satiating and healthy foods with a lower environmental impact—ideally shifting calories from meat, fish, and dairy towards cereals, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.
- Go local, seasonal, and organic: Prioritise the production and consumption of local, seasonal, and organic produce (sometimes in combination with GMO to reduce pests and disease loss on crops), which can lead to a significantly reduced need for chemical inputs, fuels, and processing services that contribute to environmental impacts.
- Mainstream regenerative agriculture: Scale up agricultural practices that regenerate ecosystems, recirculate nutrients and sequester carbon by design. 
- End avoidable food waste: Minimise food loss and valorise waste following the food waste hierarchy along the supply chain and at the consumer level through better management of transport and storage, more refrigeration and smart planning, and technology at the consumer and food service levels.


🍏 Food systems

These countries are home to around a quarter of the global population, yet consume over one-third (34%) of raw materials. Shift countries’ material footprint per capita is 4.6 times that of Build countries (largely due to the overconsumption of consumer goods imported from Grow counties) and 1.6 times that of Grow countries.

These are high-income countries in the Global North, as well as in the Gulf, Australia, and Oceania. Examples include:
- Member States of the EU
- the US
- Japan
- the UK
- Canada
- Argentina, ...

While much of their infrastructure is already built, they still contribute heavily to the overshoot of planetary boundaries: they contribute 42% of climate change, 27% of nitrogen, 18% of phosphorus, 16% of freshwater use and 38% of land use change.

To find out what country profile your country belongs to, explore [this interactive story](https://circularity-gap.world) and search for your country on the final map.  


Shift

Grow countries globally account for 55% of all raw material extraction and 52% of the material footprint, while housing around 37% of the global population.

These are larger Southeast Asian countries and countries in Latin America and Northern Africa, as well as those with an economy in transition in Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Examples include :
- China
- Indonesia
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Vietnam
- Myanmar
- Egypt, ...

Large contribution to the overshoot of planetary boundaries—largely due to the consumptions of local materials in higher-
income (Shift) countries: these countries contribute 50% of climate change, 62% of nitrogen, 60% of phosphorus, 53% of freshwater use and 42% of land use change.

To find out what country profile your country belongs to, explore [this interactive story](https://circularity-gap.world) and search for your country on the final map.

Grow

The built environment, including housing, commercial buildings, and the necessary infrastructure for mobility, is essential for our livelihoods, but:
- the extraction of minerals used to produce construction materials is responsible for a quarter of global land use change,
- approximately 40% of global GHG emissions can be attributed to buildings’ construction, use and demolition, and
- construction and demolition processes drive nearly one-third of all material consumption. 

Making the built environment more circular must prioritise a heavy reduction in material use—while also closing the loop on materials and bringing secondary and renewable material choices to the fore. Our four key solutions for the built environment are:
- Make the most of what already exists: Make the most of existing materials by reusing, repurposing, upgrading and renovating following circular approaches. Where new builds are needed, use secondary materials and be as efficient as possible with urban planning solutions that follow circular design principles so that buildings can be reused, repurposed, and easily disassembled in the future.
- Be as energy efficient as possible: From the design phase, utilise circular strategies to create material- and energy efficient buildings. Couple these designs with a rollout of clean energy solutions, and prioritise energy-efficient appliances and retrofitting. 
- Utilise secondary materials: Maximise the high-value reuse of buildings and components where possible. Ideally, enable the utilisation of construction and demolition outputs and ensure that as much of it as possible is recycled to avoid the need for virgin materials, such as sand and gravel.
- Prioritise circular materials and approaches: Transition to using renewable wood, timber or cross-laminated timber instead of steel and concrete, or move to other locally available materials. Utilise mainstream modular construction and prioritise lightweight frames and structures to reduce cement and steel use, as well as green roofs where possible.



Manufactured goods, such as vehicles, textiles, appliances and equipment and their associated production processes are big employers but:
- production processes often rely on fossil fuels and currently drive one-third of the overshoot on the climate change planetary boundary due to its GHG production, 
- material- and energy-intensive industrial activities are linked to deforestation and drive 15% on both the land use and freshwater planetary boundaries, 
- manufacturing goods results in substantial amounts of hazardous industrial waste and leaks chemicals into the environment.

Here, circular solutions must tackle the full value chain, but material demand must also shrink: this will necessitate a societal shift to favouring sufficiency over excess and reducing consumption to sustainable levels. Our four key solutions for manufactured goods are:
- Mainstream industrial symbiosis and efficiency : Achieve process improvements, scrap diversion and reduction in yield losses through greater industrial symbiosis and efficiency. Foster tighter collaboration within and between industries to deliver powerful material and emissions savings.
- Extend the lifetime of machinery, equipment, and goods: Maximise the lifetime of goods that serve our daily needs to bring a number of environmental benefits. 
- Buy what's needed: Reduce the number of purchases of common electronic goods, appliances, and other equipment to sufficiency levels. 
- Eschew fast fashion in favour of sustainable textiles: Drastically reduce new clothing purchases. All used clothing should go on to be repaired, reused or, if needed, recycled appropriately. Prioritise natural and local textile manufacturing, as well as higher-quality and more durable garments. 




Country profiles (Build, Grow, Shift)

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This collection was curated by the Circle Economy team from Knowledge Hub case studies for businesses, local and national governments around the world to find inspiration in practical examples of the circular economy. 

Visit the <a href="https://circle-economy.com" target="_blank">Circle Economy website</a> for more information and for more publications on the circular economy.

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Circle Economy

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This collection features a selection of case studies, based on the global *Circularity Gap Reports*, that can mitigate climate breakdown by reducing virgin material consumption, waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The latest **[Circularity Gap Report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023#download)** reveals that the global economy is now only 7.2% circular and outlines how circular solutions across four sectors can bring global planetary boundaries back within safe limits. 

In the six years of the *Circularity Gap Report*, the global economy has extracted and used unprecedented amounts of materials. The first edition of the *Report *in 2018 found that global circularity was 9.1% and it has decreased every year since—leaving a Circularity Gap of over 90%. If this trend continues, we will have to find more and better solutions to combat the negative effects of climate change. This is why we have identified case studies from across the globe—based on the needs of society and planetary health—that serve as real-world examples of the circular economy in action.

Circle Economy is a not-for-profit organisation working to accelerate the circular transition. Through the *Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative*, our mission is to deliver an annual global Circularity Metric that measures the state of the world economy and identifies key levers to transition to global circularity. With nature as our guide, we work alongside cross-sector stakeholders from academia, businesses, NGOs and governments to provide a powerful combination of practical and scalable interventions that transform circular opportunities into realities. 


To learn more about these interventions to accelerate the circular transition, read the latest [Circularity Gap Report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023#download), as well as previous editions of the global [Circularity Gap Reports](https://www.circularity-gap.world/global).

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Global Circularity Gap Report 2023

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This collection features a selection of case studies, mainly based on the [2024 Circularity Gap Report](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2024). 

In this year’s Report, we shift from exploring the what to the how: exploring the different ways that we need to ‘change the rules of the game’ and create a set of conditions that discourage the overshoot of planetary boundaries and ‘undershoot’ of human development. This process has resulted in us spotlighting 12 of the original 16 solutions, highlighting the country profile that they are most relevant to, as well as placing people at the centre of this story for the first time. Based on extensive interviews and desk research, this Report aims to show governments and industry leaders that if they want to turn theory into action and scale an economy that delivers on needs within the safe limits of the planet, they need to dismantle harmful entrenched processes and align enabling elements. 

[Circle Economy](https://www.circle-economy.com/) is a global impact organisation with an international team of passionate experts based in Amsterdam. We empower industries, cities, and nations with practical and scalable solutions to put the circular economy into action. Our vision is an economic system that ensures the planet and all people can thrive. To avoid climate breakdown, our goal is to double global circularity by 2032. 

Through the *Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative*, our mission is to deliver an annual global Circularity Metric that measures the state of the world economy and identifies key levers to transition to global circularity. 

To learn more about these interventions to accelerate the circular transition, read the [latest Circularity Gap Report 2024](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2024), as well as previous editions of the global [Circularity Gap Reports](https://www.circularity-gap.world/global).

Global Circularity Gap Report 2024

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A person or firm that undertakes a contract to provide materials or labour to perform a service or do a job.

Contractor

Take-back partner - Textiles

Chemical Recycling - Textiles

Material banks, expanding the role as supplier to include consulting, leasing or buy-back. Wholesalers then become chain directors.

Wholesaler - Construction 

Preferred synthetic supplier (fiber/yarn) - Textile

Repair partner - Textile

Owner - Construction 

Preferred cotton supplier (fiber/yarn) - Textiles

Supplies goods such as primary resources, building material and products or provides services.

Supplier - Construction 

Rental / Leasing partner - Textile 

An urban district having corporate status and powers of self-government.

City (Municipality) 

Bring down buildings, separating bulk waste streams. Demolition becomes suppliers of materials and advise architects and engineers on the material life span.

Demolition company

Preferred MMC suppliers (fiber/yarn) - Textiles 

Overall or specialized consulting in the development or implementation of circular projects. 

Circularity Consultant 

Responsible for making sure that buildings and their services meet the needs of the people that work in them.

Facility Manager - Construction 

A mediator between customer and technical teams, overseeing prioritisation of development and design tasks towards delivery of a digital product

Digital Product Agency

Solar Energy production company 

Converts waste materials into new materials and objects.

Recycling Company - Waste Management 

An organisation that is focused on producing and communicating research and evidence regarding the protection of biodiversity and flora and fauna.

Conservation Specialist Agency

Logistics Partner - Textiles 

Supplier - Waste Management

Construct, redevelop or refurbish buildings.

Construction Company 

Circular Designer - Textile 

Mechanical Recycling Partner - Textiles 

Collects waste to partially recycle. They take responsibility for waste management. This may be complementary to demolition companies. Also they are processing waste. 

Waste treatment company - Construction 

IT / digital partner - Textiles 

Pre-processing for recycling (cleaning) - Textiles 

Re-use / Resale partner - Textiles

Responsible for how resources are handled and physically moved along the supply chain.

Transportation / logistics 

Recycled material supplier (fiber/yarn) - Textiles

Hazardous waste management refers to a carefully organized system in which wastes go through appropriate pathways to their ultimate elimination or disposal in ways that protect human health and the environment.

Waste Collection company (hazardous) 

Sorting partner - Textile

Laundry partner - Textiles 

Collects waste to partially recycle. They take responsibility for waste management. This may be complementary to demolition companies. Also they are processing waste.

Waste Treatment Company

Upcycling/Remanufacturing partner - Textiles 

Plans, designs, calculates and reviews the construction of buildings. 

Architect, Engineer, Advisor

A person or body that supervises a particular industry or business activity.

Regulator / Legislation - Construction 

Inspects, transforms and models data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making. Provides services regarding designing and developing information systems to support data analysis and data science.

Data Services Consultancy

Sell and install specialty products in both new construction and renovation. They deliver services and keep ownership of products or services.

Installation Company - Construction 

Transportation / logistics - Waste Management

Clean tech supplier (material dyeing/finishing/manufacturing) - Textiles 

Engaged in the natural process of recycling organic material such as leaves and vegetable scraps into a rich soil. 

Composting Plant 

A consultancy, advisory or supplier of rainwater harvesting knowledge and equipment

Rainwater Harvesting Consultant

Incinerates waste materials to produce ash, flue gas and heat.

Incineration Company - Waste Management 

Archetypes

Non Metallic Minerals - Industrial / Agricultural Dominant

Wild fish catch, aquatic plants and animals, hunting and gathering

Liquid and gaseous energy materials/carriers

Crop residues (used), fodder crops and grazed biomass

Coal and other solid energy materials/carriers

Non Metallic Minerals - Construction Dominant

CE Materials

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Circle Economy and ICLEI have partnered up to initiate the go to knowledge hub of case studies about the circular economy in cities. The Cities Collection is a repository of case studies that demonstrate the role of cities in the circular transition, and includes policies, business cases and research articles. Cases in the Collection flow into an ecosystem of digital products which support users in transitioning cities to circularity, for example [Ganbatte](https://ganbatte.world/cities/) and <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/" target="_blank">ICLEI Circulars</a>, both part of the <a href="https://circulars.iclei.org/circle-lab-for-cities/" target = _blank">Circle Lab for Cities Programme.</a>

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Circular Cities

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Business

National government

Local government

Civil society

Implementing stakeholders

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Circular food systems entail that the food is produced regeneratively and, where appropriate, locally. Food and packaging waste are designed out entirely, while healthy, low-impact diets are promoted and easy to access. 

[Circle Economy](https://www.circle-economy.com/) is a not-for-profit organisation working to accelerate the circular transition. Through the *Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative*, our mission is to deliver an annual global Circularity Metric that measures the state of the world economy and identifies key levers to transition to global circularity. With nature as our guide, we work alongside cross-sector stakeholders from academia, businesses, NGOs and governments to provide a powerful combination of practical and scalable interventions that transform circular opportunities into realities. 

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Circular Food

In its second whitepaper, the Coalition Circular Accounting (CCA) explores Facades-as-a-Service as a method to battle waste and increase the circularity of buildings. The Facades-as-a-Service will provide a customisable, dismantable facade that provides a building with ventilation, sunlight regulation and energy generation, all adjustable by remote control. The Product-as-a-Service business model benefits circular construction by incentivising manufacturing companies to retain responsibility for their product and their performance before, during and after its lifespan.&nbsp;‍However, current financing models can present major barriers for companies with circular business aspirations. Asset ownership for example, characterized by an extended balance sheet, is unpopular amongst financiers and suppliers, whilst essential for incentivising a long term business perspective.‍In light of these current and persistent financing barriers, the Coalition Circular Accounting has launched a white paper that elaborates on the opportunities and risks of Product-as-a-Service business models. The paper proposes a new contractual structure as an enabler and raises the issue of the misfit between current financing structures and circular business models.