Countries across the world are developing strategies for moving to a circular economy.
One of the early pace setters is Holland, where the government has set a target of shifting to a circular system by 2050. “A circular economy is not only good for our climate, it also produces income and creates jobs,” the country’s Economic Affairs Minister Henk Kamp said.
Across the pond in the Canadian province of Ontario, a plan has been launched to break from the environmentally damaging linear model of ‘take, make, dispose’. Ontario’s Strategy for a Waste-Free Ontario: Building the Circular Economy sets out the practical steps the province intends to take.
“This strategy provides the blueprint for Ontario to close the resource loop by transforming how we think about waste. By moving to a circular, low-carbon economy, Ontario is seizing the opportunity to be a leader in a global movement toward a more sustainable model with significant economic, social and environmental benefits,” said Glen R Murray Ontario Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.
Scotland and Finland are also spearheading projects to ditch the landfill culture. Scotland was the first nation to sign up for the Circular Economy 100 (CE100) club: an initiative from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to drive collaboration and new ideas to deliver a circular economy. The country also won the Circular Government Award at this year’s Circulars.
While Finland was the first country to publish a roadmap setting out the steps to realising a new sustainable economic framework.
And Japan is committed to making the 2020 Olympics, the circular economy games, with medals produced from recycled electronic devices donated by the public.