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4. Circular economy and resource use

Page Last modified 14 Jun 2022
1 min read
The EEA monitors the progress of Europe’s transition towards a circular economy, as well as the environmental and climate benefits such changes deliver. We assess Europe’s efforts towards reducing the impacts caused by society’s production and consumption, with a focus on raw materials, products, services and waste.

Production and consumption of goods and services are key drivers of environmental degradation. Addressing the way in which we use finite resources is a vital element in combatting environmental degradation. In 2021, the EEA delivered data and information to assess the progress of Europe’s transition towards a circular economy, and to improve knowledge of the environmental and climate pressures caused by production and consumption in Europe, including:

  • Support to the implementation of the Circular Economy Action Plan within the European Green Deal
  • Implementation of one of the phases in the ‘Bellagio process’ – an international dialogue to set principles and stimulate better monitoring of circular economy goals
  • Provision of targeted knowledge for three sectors: textiles, plastics, and buildings
  • A country-specific analysis on performance towards the Waste Framework Directive
  • An assessment on material flows and sustainable resource use

 

2021: key facts and figures

 

Ask an expert

On our Youtube channel, EEA experts discuss the most relevant topics and recent publications. Here we talk about New waste streams in a circular economy and Environmental impacts of textiles and clothing.

Related content

Related briefings

Briefing Plastic in textiles: towards a circular economy for synthetic textiles in Europe Plastic-based — or ‘synthetic’— textiles are woven into our daily lives in Europe. They are in the clothes we wear, the towels we use and the bed sheets we sleep in. They are in the carpets, curtains and cushions we decorate our homes and offices with. And they are in safety belts, and car tyres, workwear and sportswear. Synthetic textile fibres are produced from fossil fuel resources, such as oil and natural gas. Their production, consumption and related waste handling generate greenhouse gas emissions, use non-renewable resources and can release microplastics. This briefing provides an overview of the synthetic textile economy in Europe, analyses environmental and climate impacts, and highlights the potential for developing a circular economy value chain.

Related publications

Publication Linking cross border shipments of waste in the EU with the circular economy This briefing provides a snapshot of the status of the traded non-hazardous, recyclable wastes within the EU in order to provide knowledge and information in support of the review of the EU’s Waste Shipment Regulation. The information and knowledge in the briefing aims at improving the functioning of secondary material markets by offering insights and potential solutions so that waste is treated in the best possible way in line with the principles of the waste hierarchy.
Publication Improving the climate impact of raw material sourcing The extraction and processing of raw materials are associated with potentially significant environmental impacts, including contributing to approximately half of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. In the EU, non-energy, non-agricultural raw materials, although a small subset of all raw materials and natural resources, account for 18 % of GHG emissions associated with EU consumption. In the context of the EU's commitment to reducing its share of global GHG emissions, as well as the European Green Deal's aspiration to achieve a climate-neutral continent by 2050, mitigating climate impacts from raw material production has a central role to play in the EU's climate agenda.
Publication Impacts of COVID-19 on single-use plastic in Europe’s environment The COVID19 pandemic is having immense effects on societies across the world. It has caused millions of deaths worldwide and challenged our health systems and economies. The pandemic - and responses to it, involving lockdowns, use of personal protection equipment, and stay-at-home measures - has far reaching health and economic consequences. This briefing deals with the less visible impacts on our environment and climate originating from changed use of single use-plastics because of the pandemic.
Publication Plastics, the circular economy and Europe′s environment Plastics play an essential role in modern society, but also lead to significant impacts on the environment and climate. Reducing such impacts while retaining the usefulness of plastics requires a shift towards a more circular and sustainable plastics system. This report tells the story of plastics, and their effect on the environment and climate, and looks at their place in a European circular economy.

See also

Page 5. Sustainability trends, prospects and responses We will only achieve ambitious environmental goals by stimulating fundamental changes in unsustainable lifestyles, production and consumption. The EEA assesses trends and prospects across environmental priorities, sectors, systems and policies, and engages stakeholders on the innovations and other responses needed to achieve the European Green Deal.
Page 1. Biodiversity and ecosystems Faced with continued biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, Europe seeks reduce and reverse these losses, while bringing nature back into our lives. The EEA monitors this transition and supports the implementation and evaluation of actions in this area.
Page Areas of work The remit of the EEA is to provide reliable and timely information and knowledge to policy makers, the academic community, the general public and other stakeholders.

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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/EEA-2021-the-year-in-brief/circular-economy-and-resource-use or scan the QR code.

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