Circular city

The extraction and use of raw materials has a big impact on natural resources and the earth’s climate. The need to develop a circular economy has become manifest over the past years. Circularity is about value retention and the re-use of resources. Research and solutions are needed to speed up the transition towards circularity. Questions related to circularity are not limited to cities, but challenge us to also find solutions on wider scales: regional, national, European and even globally. Also regulatory and legislative questions arise in our quest towards circularity and better resource management.

Technical and participatory solutions for a circular city

Wageningen Environmental Research offers technical solutions and expertise on the logistics of reusing waste, governance modes, business models, redesigning law and legislations and participatory approaches to support companies, governments and civil societies that want to work in a circular way. This includes innovative technologies on the re-use of mineral raw material as well as extracting raw materials from agricultural waste streams, kitchen and garden waste.

Circular technologies and models
Business models for circular economy
Regional collaboration, clustering and participatory approach
Biobased solutions
Circular resource management

Circular economy challenges the boundaries between the city and the region. Urban and rural citizens need each other to find solutions for the circular challenge.

Marian Stuiver

Governance and legislation

At the same time, it is also important to tackle obstacles in governance and legislation and guiding transition processes. Proper use of environmental law may kickstart circularity and modern resource management demands.