Circular Economy for Europe: bridging the gap between policy and implementation

Europe is leading the way in creating a global Circular Economy with an ambitious commitment to slash waste sent to landfill by 90% and recycle 75% of packaging by 2030. But with hundreds of policies being developed at country and EU level, it is important to streamline their scope and identify where the focus should really be, a new report conducted by Sofies reveals. 

The Circular Economy for Europe: bridging the gap between policy and implementation report maps and assesses the Circular Economy policy initiatives at the EU level, as well as at the national governmental level in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Over 87 policy initiatives related to circular economy – spanning from end-of-life to product design and repairability – were found to be in development in the target countries, an astounding number.  The most popular policy topics were communications about sustainability (9.6% of policy elements), waste management (8.7% of policy elements) and Eco-design (8.1% of policy elements).  

There is a variety of policy initiatives already developed in Europe, with almost half of them covering operations (47%), then product & product packaging (37%) and relationship towards costumers (16%). But collaboration between industry actors and policymakers is essential for success. Policies that are harmonised and uncomplicated for businesses to implement without compromising environmental ambitions will smooth the road to a Circular Economy that the public is demanding.

To that end, the Circular Economy for Europe: bridging the gap between policy and implementation report identifies the topics most covered by policy in EU Member States. It then makes key recommendations to the European Commission to help ensure a level-playing field for businesses that is simple and incentivises the offer of sustainable products and packaging.  To learn more, download the report here