From 12-18^th of October 2020, the third edition of the International campaign - Circular Week will take place. During this initiative, multiple events dedicated to the transformation towards a circular economy, as well as sustainable production and consumption will be organized across Europe. We are happy to announce that in addition to the main organizer, INNOWO, such organizations as Holland Circular Hotspot, CSR Europe, Circular Economy Forum Austria, LWARB- London Waste and Recycling Board (Great Britain), Circular Change (Slovenia), Circular Futures (Austria), Institut national de l'économie circulaire (Inec) (France), Sustainable Food Movement Greece, ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability, The Impacter (Ireland) have joined the official partners of Circular Week 2020.

Circular Week is an international educational campaign whose goal is to endorse and promote the idea of a circular economy, support sustainable business models and establish cooperation between interested stakeholders. The initiative also aims to spread the concept of sustainable production and consumption to the broader public. Finally, Circular Week is a platform where every organization, institution or individual could become engaged and take part in this movement; it is all about cooperation, collaboration and joint action.

Any party who would like organize their own event dedicated to circular economy is welcome to do so. It could be connected to any topic or sector within the realms of circular economy, i.e. food waste, sustainable fashion, sustainable construction or agriculture, etc. On our dedicated webpage www.circularweek.org, we present the schedule of Circular Week events across Europe. 

In the face of today's epidemiological situation and the economic crisis that we experience, the transformation towards a circular economy seems to be an even more desirable and necessary direction of change, said Agnieszka Sznyk, President of the Board at INNOWO. That is why we would like to invite as many organizations and institutions to participate in the 2020 edition of Circular Week in order to build partnerships and support the transition into a circular economy. This year, we will put more emphasis on how to lead to the development of local entrepreneurship, economic stability with sustainable production and consumption.

For Holland Circular Hotspot, the International Circular Week organised by INNOWO / Polish Circular Hotspot provides a great opportunity to present Circular Economy as an inspiring way out of the crisis. COVID-19 made us aware that the ususal business is not an option, and that we have to come up with more resilient models. Circular Economy can create jobs, inspiration and contribute to the societal goals, not as an additional cost but as a business model. The Dutch with their open economy know that international collaboration is the only way forward. So let’s make this shift together, because the future is circular! - said Freek van Eijk, Managing Director of Holland Circular Hotspot. 

The global news of spring 2020 sounds like a new call to transform our model of society. Faced with a linear model of production and consumption based on the obsolete principle of the abundance of natural resources, a collective awareness is taking place on the need for a transition to a new model adapted to today's challenges. Circular Week, to which the National Institute for Circular Economy is honored to contribute, is a way to disseminate circular economy solutions and strengthen the European cooperation necessary to achieve our ambitions.- said Marline Weber, Institut National de l’Economie Circulaire

After the success of London Circular Economy Week 2020, we are really looking forward to continuing the conversations with international friends and partners at Circular Week 2020 organised by INNOWO and Polish Circular Hotspot. We know that embedding circular economy principles in our way of life is vital.  Circular Week 2020 will be another opportunity to learn from one another, celebrate our successes and identify new opportunities to collaborate - said James Close, Head of the Circular Economy Programme, London Waste and Recycling Board. 

 

 

Circular economy provides businesses with the opportunity to ensure sustained economic development, minimise environmental impact and maximise social welfare. However, many barriers still exist. CSR Europe offers to businesses, industry federations and EU policymakers a platform to engage in trust-building dialogues at local, national, and international level, to tackle the challenges and unlock the opportunities posed by circularity. This year we are very glad to do so by joining the 2020 edition of Circular Week together with other like-minded peers throughout Europe to underline the importance of collaboration in the transition to a more circular future - said Stefan Crets, CSR Europe’s Executive Director.

 

The world is facing multiple crises. From the creeping climate emergency already wreaking havoc in many regions of the world, to the sudden shock of COVID-19 which has and will continue to test social and economic resilience for some time, it’s clear that we’ve reached a tipping point in history. Thankfully, a positive vision for a sustainable, just and resilient society already exists – the circular economy – and Circular Week 2020 will be an important opportunity to learn, reflect and reenergize ourselves for the essential task of economic transformation which lies ahead." said Ashleigh McLennan ICLEI Europe’s Officer who specializes in Sustainable Economy and Procurement.

 

Circular economy is a challenge for the entire society, as it requires us to change our thinking about the use of the natural resources and the functioning of the economy. Currently, the industry operates a linear model of resource consumption by using the "take, use, and throw away" principle. On the other hand, circular economy assumes that raw materials and products will remain in circulation as long as possible and their value will be maximized. As a result, we will extract fewer natural resources and produce less rubbish, and those created will be used again for production. We have distinguished several principles that guide the circular economy; the first step towards their implementation is to understand how materials circulate in a closed circle. 

To learn more about all aspects, principles, opportunities of circular economy, join CIRCULAR WEEK 2020 – www.circularweek.org

If your organization would like to have a more active part in Circular Week initiative and organize a circular event, please contact kontakt@innowo.org

Download our banner

Download the press release in PDF