Circular knowledge networks and platforms

Circular platforms and knowledge networks accelerate the realisation of the circular economy by sharing knowledge, highlighting case studies and facilitating collaboration. These leading platforms and knowledge networks that are active worldwide and in the Netherlands set a good example.

In addition to these platforms and networks, there are also many knowledge institutions that are accelerating the transition by sharing knowledge, for example by offering freely accessible online courses on the subject, MOOCs.

National

Turkey Circular Economy Platform

Turkey’s Circular Economy Platform is a space where anything and everything on circular economy is explained in detail. The platform includes a knowledge hub, an e-commerce platform, measurement tools and offers training, financial opportunities and consultancy services for companies to truly accelerate the circular transition in Turkey.

Turkey’s Materials Marketplace: Initiated in Turkey in April 2016 as a catalyst for the transition of circular economy from theory to practice. Turkey Materials Marketplace (TMM) has been funded by EBRD for the past 4 years.

Turkey Materials Marketplace (TMM) is an award-winning digital platform creating economic and environmental value through cross-industry materials reuse. TMM enables the exchange of materials between the member companies, not only to reduce their costs and to promote the efficient use of resources but also makes a significant contribution to circular economy.

Member companies can exchange underutilized materials through the platform, share knowledge through events and workshops, and receive research grants to help identify investments related to waste minimization.

TMM’s dialogues with the government authorities contribute to facilitate the existing regulatory applications and streamline circular economy concept in the Turkish Waste Legislation.

International

Circular Economy Club (CEC)

Circular Economy Club (CEC) is the largest international non-profit network of circular economy professionals and organizations from over 110 countries. CEC is driven by more than 155 Organizers around the globe and creating/providing series of events and organizations on circular economy.

CEC aims to create higher impact on a global level and help circular solutions scale; by bringing together a community of circular economy professionals and stakeholders. CEC also provides a strong networking opportunity for circular economy professionals to share their best practices and develop collaboration activities.

Circle Lab

Circle Lab is an online platform for cities, businesses and citizens to explore and implement circular business models and strategies to address universal and local challenges. By digitizing knowledge, unlocking access and stimulating co-creation, Circle Lab aims to split information silos and foster cross-sector collaboration and innovation. Circle Lab also provides access to more than 1,000 examples of the circular economy in practice, as well as other articles and reports on the subject.

CE 100 Network

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has initiated the Circular Economy 100 (CE 100) network for the purpose of exchanging knowledge on circular economy between the members of the network. Its members are mainly large companies, regions and governments. The network provides a pre-competitive space to learn, share knowledge and develop new collaborative approaches.

Most global companies understand that a circular economy must play a role in their strategy to remain competitive. Success requires significant individual efforts, but serious actors also recognise the need to work together to build new markets. The CE100 network facilitates market creation by providing collaborative and pre-competitive opportunities that bring together businesses, innovators, cities and governments, universities and opinion leaders.

Holland Circular Hotspot

Holland Circular Hotspot is a private public platform in which companies, knowledge institutes and (local) governments collaborate internationally with the aim of exchanging knowledge and stimulating entrepreneurship in the field of circular economy. The organisation focuses on stimulating international cooperation between the business community, knowledge institutes, governments and other relevant parties. In addition, it develops an (online) community for (inter)national parties so that circular challenges and solutions become visible and business potential can be exploited. In line with this, the Holland Circular Hotspot assists foreign parties in finding Dutch business partners on circular economy topics. In addition, it facilitates the access of the business community to Dutch and international (financing) instruments and programmes.

Sustainable Finance Lab

The Sustainable Finance Lab (SFL) is an informal network of mostly academics that conducts research into making banks and markets more sustainable. The academics come from various disciplines and universities in the Netherlands that are members in a personal capacity. The SFL was founded in 2011 on the initiative of professors Herman Wijffels and Klaas van Egmond of Utrecht University and Peter Blom of Triodos Bank. A secretariat attached to the Utrecht University School of Economics supports the members. Funding for the work of SFL is provided through the SFL foundation. This foundation receives structural contributions from Triodos Bank and De Nederlandsche Bank. In addition, there is project financing from ministries and other financial institutions and Utrecht University finances two post-doc positions.

Madaster

Madaster is an independent platform for individuals, companies and governments with the aim of creating a materials cadastre. Madaster is an initiative of the Madaster Foundation, a Dutch non-profit foundation that aims to eliminate waste. The company states that if raw materials are well documented, they remain available without limit. With the help of so-called material passports, materials are given an identity, so that they no longer disappear into anonymity as waste. Madaster acts as a library and generator for material passports.

Circular Projects & Alliances

Circular Plastics Alliance

The Circular Plastics Alliance aims to boost the EU market for recycled plastics to 10 million tonnes by 2025. The alliance covers the full plastics value chains and includes over 175 organisations representing industry, academia and public authorities. New stakeholders can join the alliance by signing its declaration.

New Plastics Economy

The New Plastics Economy initiative has been rallying businesses and governments behind the common vision of a circular economy for plastic. The vision is supported by three key actions: eliminate, innovate, circulate.

The initiative runs in collaboration with a broad group of leading companies, cities, philanthropists, policymakers, academics, NGOs, and citizens, the initiative has brought together key stakeholders to rethink and redesign the future of plastics, starting with packaging.

The initiative’s systemic approach is based on five interlinked and mutually reinforcing elements; Dialogue Mechanism, The Global Commitment, The Plastic Pact, Innovation, Outreach & Stakeholder Engagement.

Plastic Twist (Ptwist)

Plastic Twist is an online platform for plastic lifecycle awareness, monetization and sustainable innovation. PTwist aims to revalue recycled plastic, using blockchain technology. PlasticTwist's global objective is to support multiple actors (citizens, communities, inventors, innovators, entrepreneurs, public institutions) in co-creating and sustaining new forms of plastic-as-an-asset practices, strengthening both societal and circular economy actions in-line with digital social innovation principles.

Make fashion circular

Make Fashion Circular was originally launched as the Circular Fibres Initiative, at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. The initiative brings together leaders from across the fashion industry, including brands, cities, philanthropists, NGOs, and innovators. Its aim is to stimulate the level of collaboration and innovation necessary to create a new textiles economy, aligned with the principles of the circular economy. Its ambition is to ensure clothes are made from safe and renewable materials, new business models increase their use, and old clothes are turned into new.

Circle Textiles Programme

The Circle Textiles Program (CTP) was launched in 2014 . Since then, CTP has completed many projects with focus areas of textile-to-textile recycling, circular business models, design for cyclability, technology assessments and circular infrastructure developments and expanded every year due to the powerful projects it develops and executes. The program aims to connect a circular supply chain of producers (manufacturers, retailers and brands) and solution providers (collectors, sorters, recyclers, remanufacturers, logistics, laundry etc), in order to reduce the textiles waste mountain, by enabling the data, technology and infrastructure needed to valorise textile waste at end-of-life and by increasing apparel brand's capacity to assess and adopt circular strategies.

Circular Jobs Initiative

The Circular Jobs Initiative defines and identifies circular jobs that are necessary for the systemic shift, explores the opportunities, analyses the environment needed to create them and maximise their societal benefits, and examines how best technology can play a positive part.