The circular economy : its adoption and implementation within the European Union

Abstract

The reconciliation of economic, social and environmental goals has been regarded as top priority on the European Union’s agenda and this was possible through Sustainability. The concepts of Green Economy and Circular Economy are currently regarded as buzz phrases both by academics and policy-makers. Generally the Green Economy is regarded as an ‘umbrella’ concept including renewables, recycling, ecoefficiency, and the Circular Economy itself. The ultimate target is to set a sustainable economy with the adaptation and/or transformation of the current economy system. The concept of Circular Economy is not new; it goes back to the late 1970’s and early 1980’s when the world, especially Europe started rethinking of its industrial process, aiming to transform the once linear economy into something more reliable and sustainable. Through this new idea the production of waste is minimised as a result of minimal input, leading to redesigning the products’ life cycle. In a recent European Commission press release, the Commission stated that the new rules on the Circular Economy Package are going to help in the prevention of waste. Where this is not viable, it will be pushing more on the recycling of both municipal and packaging waste. Landfills will be phased out while the use of economic instruments such as Extended Producer Responsibility schemes will be promoted. The aim of this dissertation is to provide an overview of the general system(s) adopted by the European Union and the transposition of laws by Member States to protect the environment while offering initiatives for a Circular Economy. In addition, it will analyse the underlying problems that the Union faces when coming to implementation and enforcement of environmental regulations, in order to create a Circular Economy that in practice works.