Circular Economy
With the continuous growth of the world population, a key challenge is to use resources much more efficiently and to explore alternatives for rare materials. A future circular economy consists of closed loops of resources to eliminate waste from production and consumption through maintaining, sharing, re-using and recycling.
In their study of a transition towards a circular economy, Copernicus researchers investigate sustainable consumption, technological innovations and new organizational arrangements. They also advise business leaders and policy makers at national and international levels on deep decarbonization, tax and regulation, and the implementation of sustainable business models.
Selected experts
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Ernst Worrell Professor Energy, Materials & Environment -
Koen Frenken Professor Innovation Studies -
Marko Hekkert Professor Dynamics of Innovation Systems -
Martin Junginger Professor Biobased Economy -
Simona Negro Associate Professor Dynamics of Innovation Systems -
Li Shen Assistent Professor Energy, Resources & Technological Change
Projects
The Copernicus Institute and RIVM are looking towards industry to eliminate obstacles during innovation of green chemistry.
Marko Hekkert and Denise Reike contributed to a policy brief discussing how progress is being measured in the transition towards a circular economy.
Researchers at the Copernicus Institute have been working for some decades to move beyond the rusty linear economy of the past.
Can we use biobased asphalt at large scale anytime soon? The construction of test strips with bioasphalt in the Netherlands should provide the necessary knowledge to start applying this technology at large scale.
The advent of online platforms enables private individuals to share goods on a massive scale, making people less reliant on private ownership. The sustainability effects such sharing platforms, however, are ambiguous.
In this white paper by Ernst Worrell, Martin Dijst and others, a combined natural and social science perspective on urban metabolism is discussed.
In this project eight European universities and partners in Africa and Asia collaborate in deepening the understanding of Circular Economy discourses and practices across the world.
For a truly circular economy, producers should be further incentivized to use recycled materials and extend their products lifespan.
