CIRCULAR ECONOMY HUB Agents
GK Recycling
Founded in 2016 by the Environment Department of the Provincial Government of Gipuzkoa, GK Recycling grown steadily and sustainably since then. It now comprises nearly 70 organisations, including companies, technology centres and universities, environmental foundations and consultancy firms.
During this time, members of GK Recycling have attended trade fairs and organised exhibitions, symposia on the environment and the circular economy, lectures and international trade missions.
Among its aims, GK Recycling seeks to.
- Boost the economy and new lines of RDI for re-use and creation of new recycled products and efficiency in the consumption of materials.
- Influence waste disposal policies, promoting economically and environmentally sustainable models of reuse and recycling.
- Explore new employment niches in the field of reuse and recycling, by promoting the importance of the circular economy.
- Become a hub for communication and participation amongst different agents from the industry.
- Become a tool for disseminating strategic information.
- Become a platform of collaboration between companies, institutions and technology centres.
- Promote the creation of new recycled products.
- Encourage business symbiosis to define axes of innovation.
- Launch pilot innovation projects.
- Increase awareness and visibility for potential and real ways of turning waste into a resource.
GK Recycling Strategy Plan 2020-2024
GK Recycling Catalogue (PDF)Keyeducational centres
TU Delft. Delft University of Technology
The university has a wide and varied range of online courses focusing on the circular economy. You will find a sample of its online educational offering at the following URL.
University of Bradford
Among its offering of distance learning courses, the university has an MBA and span class="txt_destacado">PG Certificate in Innovation, Enterprise and Circular Economy. You will find more information at the following URL.
Cranfield University
In collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Cranfield University in England has developed an educational offering centring on the circular economy. For more information, go to the following URL.
UCL. University College London
UCL's Circular Economy Lab is a cross-discipline initiative, aiming to use UCL's expertise to improve the design of buildings and products, their re-use and recycling, and to return their constituent materials to the economy. It includes a circular economy training programme.
Polytechnic University of Catalonia
Postgraduate degree in Circular Economy. Tools and Strategies for Industrial Innovation. The second course will begin in January 2021. For further information, go to the following URL.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Foundation has a range of courses on circular economy directed by university professionals. You will find more information at the following URL.
If you are interested in widening your knowledge, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has a network of international universities with which it collaborates.
Circularcities, regions and towns
A country's cities, towns and regions are a major driving force for growth and are of key importance in promoting the transition to a circular economy. Different tiers of government are adopting measures to achieve greater sustainability and promote the circular economy.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation offers a series of examples of cities and regions, such as Amsterdam, Glasgow, London, Austin and Venlo which have circular economy-related projects to improve local sustainability. For more information, go to the following URLs.
Other examples in the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform include Prague, Oslo and regions of Switzerland and Portugal. These circular economy initiatives can help extend our knowledge and act as role models for other cities and regions.
You will find further examples of the circular economy in towns, cities and regions, with key related information, at the following URLs:
Circularbusinesses
Many companies are developing circular initiatives and applying them in their production processes, as part of a transition from a linear to a circular economy. Check the following URLs and documents for some business experiences:
