The publication Going Circular covers national level processes towards a circular economy. Countries across the world have started the journey towards a circular economy. The EU aspires to lead international efforts towards a circular economy transition, delivering on the environmental ambition of the European Green Deal. The EU Circular Economy Action Plan is the blueprint and compass guiding relevant EU actions.
DG INTPA, supported by the SWITCH to Green Facility, explored the circular economy transition processes at a national level to produce insights on selected country experiences in Africa, Asia and Latin America. In Colombia, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Uganda and Senegal, interviews with stakeholders including EU Delegations, national governments, the private sector and civil society, helped provide analysis of the vision and motivation of actors in the circular economy transition process, the key challenges met and the milestones set. Lessons learnt and success factors were gathered to enable a better understanding of the “recipes” for replication. In a circular economy (CE), the value of products, materials and resources is maintained for as long as possible and the generation of waste is minimised. Cleaner production, resource efficiency and improved waste prevention/management are often the first stepping stones to a circular economy as the case studies illustrate.
