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We are looking for specialists in End of Waste, By-Products and Waste Licensing Pathfinders Deadline for applying is 27th April 2022 Click here for the scope of work and expected outputs Download the Excel Application Form Do you have a deep understanding of the Irish waste management and circular economy policy landscape, and a proven track record providing technical expertise to industry with successful End-of-Waste and By-Product applications and waste licensing compliance? Do you have demonstrated experience facilitating groups and successfully leading co-design and ideation workshops or events? If so, CIRCULÉIRE wants to hear from you. CIRCULÉIRE is requesting applications from suitably qualified ‘Expert Facilitators’ to lead its forthcoming Thematic Working Group on ‘End of Waste, By-products and Waste Licensing Pathfinders’. Thematic Working Group (TWG) Process and Aims Each year for the duration of the programme, CIRCULÉIRE’s industry members vote on topics that they deem strategically important to enabling – or preventing - their transition to a circular economy. In 2022, End of Waste, By-Products and Waste Licensing was selected as the top priority topic for the network to run a Thematic Working Group. End-of-waste and by-product notifications are recognised as playing a key role in a circular economy. They do this by helping to establish a market for a wide range of secondary raw materials, improving resource management, encouraging symbiotic industrial practices, and preventing resources from being sent for disposal. By maintaining resource value within the economy, the successful application of end-of-waste and by-product status reduces the environmental impacts arising from waste disposal. Nevertheless, end-of-waste and by-product regulations are often poorly understood by certain sectors of Irish industry, which amongst other challenges, can result in poor engagement or unsuccessful applications. The aims of this TWG are thus as follows: Increase CIRCULÉIRE’s Industry Members’ knowledge and understanding of the EoW and By-products regulatory regime (particularly within the context of responsible innovation and circular economy); Clarify the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders within the wider regulatory regime, such as local authorities, the EPA, DAFM etc.; Co-produce high-quality thought leadership with input from the panel members and CIRCULÉIRE’s Industry Members aimed at advancing the Irish industry’s circular transition (proposing practical, actionable recommendations as appropriate); To design and deliver 2x Ideation Workshops where the working group identify a minimum of 5-10 innovations (both at industry-specific product and policy levels) that support a circular economy. Product innovations should be based on the nationally important waste or by-products clusters identified in advance by the Expert Facilitator and should demonstrate potential to reduce GHG and waste if diverted from disposal. For more details about the scope of work and expected outputs, please read this background document. Applicants must send this completed Excel Application Form to circuleire@imr.ie by Wednesday, 27th of April (using the subject heading ‘Expert Facilitator application - ‘End of Waste, By-Products and Waste Licensing Pathfinders’). 2022 TWGs Indicative Dates Kicking off in late May 2022, this Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) will run until September (Q3-4), 2022 for a period of approximately 12- 16 weeks. All compliant tenders (please complete and submit accompanying Excel Application to aide evaluation) will be assessed against relevant knowledge and experience, and proposed approach to delivering the activities. This work has a maximum allowable budget of €20,000.00 ex. VAT. Indicative timeline for the Call for Proposal: Open questions from submitting parties closed 20th of April - find IMR's compiled Q&A document here Deadline for RFP submission to circuleire@imr.ie: Wednesday, 27th of April (with completed Excel Sheet using subject heading ‘Expert Facilitator application - ‘End of Waste, By-products and Waste Licensing Pathfinders’) Interviews with shortlisted applicants: W/C 2nd May Communication of winning proposal(s): W/C 9th May Kick-Off Meeting with to Agree Timeline: W/C 16th May TWG commences: W/C 30th May IMR Contact Person: Sophie Reynolds, Circular Economy Technologist (sophie.reynolds@imr.ie). About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners, CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

Rebox collects reusable cardboard all over Ireland and the U.K. CIRCULÉIRE is delighted to welcome our newest member to the network: Rebox. The company collects reusable cardboard mainly sourced from waste and recycling companies, or directly from Food and Beverage producers or the Pharmaceutical sector (for example Diageo, Glenpatrick Water and Baxter Pharmaceuticals). Hear from Michael O’Doherty, from Rebox, about the benefits of reusing cardboard packaging and why they joined the network: "Recycling tends to lead to exporting of resources whilst reuse creates local supply-chains which keep resources and economic value in the Irish economy. Re-box enables reuse by providing SMEs with cardboard packaging which is no longer utilised by larger entities- reducing costs, reducing environmental waste, and creating local supply-chains in the process". Rebox collect reusable cardboard all over Ireland and the U.K. "We joined CIRCULÉIRE because it is important to get the message out that there is a world of difference between recycling something or reusing it. We tell our clients that 'Reuse takes recycling to the next level' and helps them to take their next step on their carbon reduction journey”. Watch below "The Story of Rebox": https://youtu.be/3bhqGC1FfVc About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

This landmark Bill puts the re-use of resources and reduced consumption at the heart of the Irish economy This Wednesday, March 30, 2022, the Government of Ireland published the new Circular Economy Bill. The Bill builds on the 2020 Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy and the 2021 Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy. "This bill aims to stop the wasteful pattern of using valuable resources once and then just binning them. From discouraging the use of single-use items to improving the process for allowing recycled materials onto the market, this legislation will support the development of sustainable products and business models across the economy", says Ossian Smyth TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Communications and Circular Economy. The publication of the bill places the Circular Economy strategy and National Food Loss Prevention Roadmap on statutory footing meaning that it is a legal requirement for the Government to develop and periodically update these two policies. The Bill also incentivises the use of reusable and recyclable alternatives to a range of wasteful single-use disposable packaging and enables the inclusion of targets in respect of re-used and repaired products and materials in waste management plans. Moreover, the Circular Economy Bill calls time on coal exploration by ending the issuing of new licences for the exploration and mining of coal, lignite and oil shale. These, along with a variety of economic incentives (see the summary of the Bill below), puts the re-use of resources and reduced consumption at the heart of the Irish economy. CIRCULÉIRE gave evidence on behalf of its members, during the Oireachtas pre-legislative scrutiny of the CE Bill in October 2021 (see an overview here) and welcomed the publication of this landmark Bill. “The publication of the Circular Economy Bill enshrines in law the Government’s commitment to embedding circularity in Ireland’s economy. It is a key step towards creating regulatory certainty and establishing a supportive and enabling environment to accelerate Ireland’s transition to a circular economy. CIRCULÉIRE’s industry members look forward to engaging in forthcoming sectoral roadmap development and the creation of clear targets”, says Dr Geraldine Brennan, CIRCULÉIRE Lead and Head of Circular Economy in IMR. CIRCULÉIRE was heard during the pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Circular Economy Bill on 21st October 2021 with the participation of Dr Geraldine Brennan, CIRCULÉIRE Lead and Head of Circular Economy at IMR The announcement of the Circular Economy Bill coincides with the European Commission’s publication of a package of new circular economy measures – namely proposals to broaden Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) through the Sustainable Products Initiative, which aims to make almost all goods on the EU market more environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient and circular throughout their whole life-cycle. That is also the purpose of the new Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and measures to improve the environmental performance of construction products. These national and European regulatory developments create clear and strong signals for Irish industry regarding the strategic importance of embracing a circular economy model. A summary of the Bill: defines the Circular Economy for the first time in Irish domestic law incentivises the use of reusable and recyclable alternatives to a range of wasteful single-use disposable packaging and other items re-designates the existing Environment Fund as a Circular Economy Fund, which will remain ring-fenced to provide support for environmental and circular economy projects introduces mandatory segregation and incentivised charging regime for commercial waste, similar to what exists for the household market. This will increase waste separation and support increased recycling rates provides for the GDPR-compliant use of a range of technologies, such as CCTV for waste enforcement purposes. This will support efforts to tackle illegal dumping and littering while protecting the privacy rights of citizens places the Circular Economy Strategy and National Food Loss Prevention Roadmap on a statutory footing, establishing a legal requirement for Governments to develop and periodically update these two policies streamlines the national processes for End-of-Waste and By-Products decisions, tackling the delays which can be encountered by industry, and supporting the availability of recycled secondary raw materials in the Irish market consolidates the Government’s policy of keeping fossil fuels in the ground – by introducing prohibitions on exploration for and extraction of coal, lignite and oil shale Read more about the Government’s Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications publication here. About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

Transition Year students learned about circularity through life-cycle analysis of a smartphone “Do you know what circular economy is?” followed by nods and curious eyes was how CIRCULÉIRE started its presentation as part of Engineers Week 2022. Later on during the workshop, students reflected on their smartphones and how they could redesign them considering the circular economy through a practical exercise using the principles of life-cycle analysis (LCA). LCA is a method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a product through its life cycle: extraction and processing of the raw materials, manufacturing, distribution, use, recycling, and disposal, for example. CIRCULÉIRE welcomed Transition Year students from St. Oliver’s Community College and Bush Post Primary School on the 2nd and 3rd of March. Furthermore, on March 9th, students from Clonaslee College also joined the activities at Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) Lab in Mullingar. Approximately 70 post-primary students (15-16 years old) and their respective teachers participated in the outreach programme. “We like to use smartphones as an example to talk about circular economy because usually young people are extremely connected to their device, but they don’t know or haven’t had the opportunity to consider the design and production processes before it comes to their hands or even what happens to their old phones when they buy a new one”, explains Dr Geraldine Brennan, CIRCULÉIRE’s Lead and IMR’s Head of Circular Economy. Students also had the chance to see 3D printing machines, collaborative robots, and experience virtual and augmented reality. “We really enjoyed the experience and some of our students chatting away about 3D printing and some of the robots on the bus on the way back to school. They gained a lot from the experience. It’s great to bring STEM to life and see its applications in person”, said James Madden, Science teacher at Clonaslee College. Outreach Activities CIRCULÉIRE in collaboration with IMR’s Outreach team have been working to reach out to students and talk about circular economy and its role in the transition towards a more sustainable world. Last year, students were introduced to the cutting-edge technologies that are being used in manufacturing. The group from Clonaslee College, for example, participated in an initiative during Science Week 2021, where they were invited to submit a video recording answering the question “How could circular economy be implemented in your school?”. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, their opportunity to visit IMR’s Lab had to be delayed until March 9th 2022. “IMR’s outreach team aims to engage students from all backgrounds, in Manufacturing and STEM education programmes in order to increase awareness and improve knowledge of its role in our society”, says Isabel Meza, Outreach and Education Programme Lead. About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

Apply by 22nd April 2022 - Funding targets late-stage circular economy ventures and provide €5K in equity-free grant among other benefits. Call for Applicants Open Information Session recording Application FormDownload Updated on 8th April 2022: the deadline to apply to the programme was extended. The new deadline is 5 pm on 22nd April 2022. Don't miss this opportunity! Now in its 3rd edition, CIRCULÉIRE’s Circular New Venture Innovation & Mentoring Programme is the first of its’ kind in Ireland targeting late-stage circular ventures seeking to scale. CIRCULÉIRE’s New Venture programme is looking for start-ups and businesses that are revenue-generating and scaling circular solutions. The ventures must be enabling or demonstrating circular economy business models and have a high technology readiness level. Through the programme, CIRCULÉIRE helps entrepreneurs to impact Ireland’s consumer behaviour, the economy, and accelerate the national transition to a net-zero carbon circular economy. “The fund is an important part of our programme of benefits, but we are proud to offer other valuable assets like business coaching and training, mentoring by industry experts and access to CIRCULÉIRE’s wider industry network”, reminds Dr Geraldine Brennan, CIRCULÉIRE’s Lead and IMR’s Head of Circular Economy. The short application process includes reviewing the “2022 Call for Late-Stage Circular Ventures” call for applicants document (available here) and filling a short (maximum 6 page) form (click here) with general information, venture description, and references, for example. Applicants must submit their completed application by 5pm on Friday, 22nd April 2022 via circuleire@imr.ie. Unsure if our Circular New Venture programme is for you? If you are curious about discovering whether this programme is suitable for your venture, watch our Open Information Session held on 1st April 2022. Important Call Dates to Note: CIRCULÉIRE’s Late Stage Accelerator for Circular Ventures CIRCULÉIRE is Ireland’s first cross-sectoral industry-led innovation network dedicated to accelerating the net-zero carbon circular economy. The National Platform for Circular Manufacturing overarching objective between 2020-2022 is to source, test, finance, and scale, circular manufacturing systems, supply chains, and circular business models to deliver significant reductions in both CO2 emissions and waste across over the programmes’ lifespan through the wide range of activities from our Innovation Fund to our Late-Stage Accelerator for Circular Ventures delivered in collaboration with Tangent, Trinity’s Idea Space. Past Alumni of the Circular Accelerator include Ashleigh Environmental; Avoca Seafood; DACS; IANAV; The ZeroNet; Harley & Marley; IFF Plastics; Niskus Biotec; Sensi and Verifact (see the announcement of 2021 New Venture Cohort). About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

CIRCULÉIRE member participated at the Irish Pavilion during Dubai Expo Global Goals Week. Check the highlights. January was an important month with CIRCULÉIRE being represented by its Industry Member TheZeroNet in an international event: the Circular Europe Days in Dubai. Paul McSweeney, The ZeroNet’s CEO, delivered a speech about “Scaling up circularity”, introducing his company and CIRCULÉIRE’s work to the audience, which demonstrated its interest by the Q&A directed largely to him. “It was a brilliant opportunity to showcase our own work in developing and promoting the ZeroNet platform and we are extremely grateful to CIRCULÉIRE for giving us this great opportunity. The feedback and interest from many attendees have been universally positive", said McSweeney. The event took place on the 17th and 18th of January 2022 during the Dubai Expo Global Goals Week, which coincided with the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. During the Circular Europe Days, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform’s (EUCESP) Coordination Group members showed case the work done by their Leadership Groups. "Meeting with many of the members of the ECESP was an extraordinary experience. Showcasing the array of circular initiatives taking place in many partner countries was a terrific opportunity to understand the circular landscape - and challenges - that exist in accelerating the move to a circular economy in Europe”, added the ZeroNet CEO. Stepping into the global arena, the event showed Europe’s willingness to foster international cooperation. Five national European Pavilions —Ireland, Netherlands, Slovenia, Finland, and Poland —held high-level events on the opportunities and barriers to understanding successful European projects in the circular economy. The Circular Europe Days was open with a welcome speech by Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Commission. In his welcome speech in a video message, Timmermans said: “We must find a way to prosper together. This is precisely what the European Green Deal is about. The transition to the circular economy is at the heart of the European Green Deal to reach climate neutrality by 2050.” “Last year’s Circularity Gap Report showed that by doubling circularity we can shrink global greenhouse gas emissions by 39 per cent, and cut virgin resource use by 28 per cent in the next 10 years,” Timmermans added. “To get there, we need to profoundly change our production and consumption patterns and invest in the circular business models.” Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice President for the European Commission, who delivered a welcome speech during the Circular Europe Days In Summary… This was an opportunity to network with many ECESP members: from the Netherlands, Slovenia, Norway, and Poland, for example. It was possible to gain an understanding of the circular economy landscape in partner countries. Explored synergies about how different partner projects could be leveraged in other EU nations. There was a joint statement from the EU delegation to “reflect their commitment to continue working together to harness the power of the circular economy” (see the complete statement in the first picture of this article). Did you miss out? No worries! We have you covered. If you want to learn more about the Circular Europe Days during the Dubai Expo, you can watch some presentations in the ECESP Circular Economy’s YouTube Channel here and read the Holland Circular Hotspot press release here. You can also check the findings of the Circularity Gap Report 2022, from Martijn Lopes Cardozo, Circle Economy CEO, presented at the Expo 2020 Dubai by clicking here. About TheZeroNet The ZeroNet is the world's first cloud-based technology platform designed explicitly around the logistical requirements of the Circular Economy. This is arguably the most important sustainability movement in the world right now and one which is firmly linked to a zero-carbon, zero-waste, and resource-efficient future. About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

Five applications to the competitive 2022 Innovation Fund call were selected to receive grants for circular economy innovation projects. Updated on 27th June 2022: included information about the fifth project, C-SUP. CIRCULÉIRE is delighted to introduce the Innovation Fund Awardees for 2022. Following a very competitive round of submissions to the 2022 Innovation Fund call (which closed on 31st October 2021) and an international peer-review process the following four circular innovation projects have been awarded funding: Upcycled Insulation (Cirtex), Circular by Design (DCCI), Do More With Less (Farrell Furniture) MEDAL (Offerre), C-SUP (Novelplast). Now, these winners have the important mission of implementing the vanguard projects with the help of the grant given by CIRCULÉIRE’s platform. “Our overarching objective between 2020-2022 is to source, test, finance, and scale, circular manufacturing systems, supply chains, and circular business models to deliver significant reductions in both CO2 emissions and waste. A key enabler of this is our ring-fenced innovation fund dedicated to catalysing and implementing circular economy innovation demonstration projects”, says Dr Geraldine Brennan, CIRCULÉIRE’s Lead and Head of Circular Economy at Irish Manufacturing Research. Check below for more details about 2022 CIRCULÉIRE’s Innovation Fund winner’s projects and click here to see all Innovation Fund Awardees from 2020 to 2022. Upcycled Insulation (2022) This 12-month project is led by CIRCULÉIRE Industry Member Cirtex in partnership with Interior Creations Ltd, Longford County Council, and Clare County Council. This project aims to address the issue of tonnes of mattresses, pillows, duvets, furniture, and post-production waste  like off-cuts end up being incinerated as Ireland has no answer to upcycling this end-of-life material. Cirtex Ltd is a new venture that can turn this soft padding material into insulation and other useful products which can be further upcycled when they reach their “End of Life”. Through this innovation project, the company will demonstrate, in collaboration with Clare and Longford Co. Councils, that these materials can be collected from the public in a clean and effective manner. “The grant from Circuleire was a phenomenal 'lift' to our start-up company. Our whole business model is focused on the circular economy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions while providing economic benefits to all our stakeholders. What was once perceived as a waste problem has now been transformed into an upcycling solution”, Rick Earley, Cirtex’s CEO Circular by Design (2022) This 12-month project is led by CIRCULÉIRE Industry Member, the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) in partnership with National College of Art and Design (NCAD). The global textiles and apparel industry is the joint third highest emitter of greenhouse gases globally and operates in an almost completely linear 'take-make-waste' system. To address this challenge, DCCI and the Creative Futures Academy (CFA) in NCAD have come together to design and launch ‘Circular By Design’, which will equip 7-10 Irish textiles and apparel businesses with the knowledge and skills needed to design materials, products and businesses for circularity “One of our aims is to support Ireland’s design sector to adopt innovative sustainable practices. The funding that has been awarded to us by CIRCULÉIRE will allow us, in partnership with NCAD, to design and deliver the Circular by Design programme. This first of its kind professional training programme will support textile and fashion designers, brands and manufacturers to make the transition to circular practices in every step of their design practice, value chain and business model”, Rosemary Steen, DCCI’s CEO Do more with Less (2022) This 12-month project is led by CIRCULÉIRE Founding Industry Member Farrel Furniture in partnership with Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT Letterfrack) and the Office of Public Works (OPW) to develop and implement a series of small-scale demonstrations of circularity within the public sector.  In the first stream of the project, obsolete office furniture, that would have been manufactured by Farrell in the mid-2000’s, will be taken back from the OPW, repaired or remanufactured, and then redistributed throughout the public sector. In the second stream, a series of classic chairs that are no longer manufactured will be studied and reverse engineered by GMIT to allow their repair and reuse. “On behalf of our consortia, we at Farrell are delighted to have been announced as one of the successful applicants of the 2022 innovation fund. This will enable us to extend the useful life of furniture and, we hope, inspire others in the industry, academia, and the public sector to rethink how we look at furniture”, Paul Farrell, joint CEO at Farrell Furniture MEDAL: MED Devices A new Life (2022) This 12-month project is led by CIRCULÉIRE Industry Member Offerre in partnership with Peregrine Technologies Ltd (also a CIRCULÉIRE Industry Member) and the University of Limerick. According to the consortia, several producers have discontinued take-back schemes of wearable medical devices because of cost reasons. This project expects to address consumer routines relating to disposal practices. The demonstrator model will assess automation solutions for cleaning and de-manufacturing and support the circular design of products and packaging. The system will provide a cloud-based platform allowing device consumers to interact with the producers of these devices. “The CIRCULÉIRE innovation funding is most beneficial to accelerating the development of a regulated take-back system for used medical devices”, Dr John Carr, Managing Director at Offerre. C-SUP: Circularising Single-Use Plastic (2022) This is an 8-month project led by CIRCULÉIRE Industry Member, Novelplast Teoranta in partnership with NUI Galway, Technical University of the Shannon, Envetec Sustainability and the Connacht and the Ulster Regional Waste Office. This demonstration project seeks to speed up the circular evolution of Irish laboratories by demonstrating that single-use polypropylene (PP) labware could become a novel feedstock for Irish recyclers. “At Novelplast we are delighted to have been announced as a successful applicant to CIRCULÉIRE’s 2022 Innovation Fund. This project will enable laboratories across Ireland to substitute polypropylene tips made from fossil fuel, with ones made from polypropylene recycled in Ireland”, Neil Skeffington, CEO of Novelplast. About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

Training course for white goods repair technicians has 10 students and it’s supported by CIRCULÉIRE’s Innovation Fund Students from Circular Economy Skills Initiative (CESI) had an important day on 25th January 2022, with the visit of Minister of State Ossian Smyth TD, who has responsibility for the Circular Economy. CESI is a training course for white goods repair technicians funded by CIRCULÉIRE’s 2020 Innovation Fund. CESI is a collaboration between CIRCULÉIRE Industry Member, WEEE Ireland, the Ibec White Goods Association (WGA), FIT (Fastrack to Information Technology) a technical training agency and the Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB). “This is a great new initiative and will be instrumental in making the circular economy real for consumers and industry alike. Having qualified technicians available to undertake quality repairs gives confidence to users that repaired goods can be trusted and are great value. I wish this first cohort of trainees well in what promises to be a very rewarding career,” said Minister Smyth. He was a guest at the FIT centre in Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath, to meet participants enrolled in the first Irish course of its kind in a decade. The CESI training course aims to combat a major national shortage in white goods repair technicians, producing enough qualified experts to extend the lives of fixable electrical appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, and dryers. Following the visit Minister Smyth also took to Twitter to share his congratulations: The first cohort on this course began in November 2021 – it will run for over 26 weeks and then be followed by 12 weeks’ guaranteed work placement with leading white goods industry supporters of the programme. CESI is free of charge for trainees to participate. “CIRCULÉIRE are proud to be part of CESI story. Capacity building and upskilling is key to accelerating Ireland’s transition to the circular economy. CIRCULÉIRE is delighted to support this industry-accredited and standards-based repair training programme which will transform the Irish White Goods’ repair sector”, said Dr Geraldine Brennan, CIRCULÉIRE's Lead and Head of Circular Economy at Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR). Leo Donovan, CEO of WEEE Ireland, one of CIRCULÉIRE’s industry founding members, described the CESI initiative as “a great example of multi-stakeholder engagement working together to solve part of the e-waste challenge.” “Qualified repair technicians are vital to ensuring more reuse, repair and refurbishment of white goods in Ireland to extend their life-cycle - in turn minimising waste and saving resources. WEEE Ireland and the WGA are proactive in meeting the challenges of the circular economy and engaging with the industry to support sectoral development of important initiatives”, added Donovan. The CESI Innovation Project is supported by Beko, Belling, Blomberg, Bosch, Candy, Haier, Hoover, Electrolux, Fisher & Paykel, Flavel, Grundig, Hotpoint, Leisure, Indesit, Miele, Neff, Siemens and Whirlpool. Last month, Minister Smyth launched Ireland’s first Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy, which sets out a vision for Ireland’s transition to circularity; explaining the concept of the circular economy, describing what initiatives are already happening, what opportunities are available and how Government will drive the changes required. CIRCULÉIRE's Innovation Fund CIRCULÉIRE is Ireland’s first cross-sectoral industry-led innovation network dedicated to accelerating the net-zero carbon circular economy and it has a ring-fenced innovation fund dedicated to catalysing and implementing circular economy innovation demonstration projects (see here for an overview of awardees to date). CIRCULÉIRE’s overarching objective between 2020-2022 is to source, test, finance, and scale, circular manufacturing systems, supply chains and circular business models to deliver significant reductions in both CO2 emissions and waste across our Industry Membership over the programmes’ lifespan. About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

Circular Europe Days will take place on 17th and 18th of January during Dubai Expo Global Goals Week CIRCULÉIRE will be represented by its Industry Member TheZeroNet during the Circular Europe Days in Dubai. The event will take place on the 17th and 18th of January 2022 during the Dubai Expo Global Goals Week, which coincides with the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. During the Circular Europe Days, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform’s (EUCESP) Coordination Group members will showcase the work done by their Leadership Groups. TheZeroNet will join the Irish Pavilion showcasing how its technology enables circularity and providing an overview of the CIRCULÉIRE innovation network. The presentation will take place on January 18th, 11am to 3:30pm (Irish Time), and the public will have the opportunity to participate online by registering here. The Dubai Expo Global Goals Week aims to unite businesses worldwide and urge further action towards a sustainable and inclusive future. The event is an opportunity to display what Europe has to offer in the field of the circular economy and create an international space for front-running EU circular entrepreneurs. In addition to keynotes from around the world, there are multiple opportunities to network with circular leaders and entrepreneurs to explore collaboration opportunities – onsite during the Circular Economy Days (17th-18th) and virtually through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)’s online matchmaking platform which will run from the 17th to the 22nd January. See the full agenda for the Irish Pavilion here: January 18th, 2022 – Circular Europe Day 2 11am to 1pm (GMT) – Matchmaking event. Register here. 1pm to 1:10pm – Ireland’s evolving circular economy policy landscape Video message from Government of Ireland (TBC) 1:10pm to 1:20pm – Ireland’s societal transition: Building circular economy communities Dr Sarah Miller, CEO, The Rediscovery Centre 1:20pm to 1:30pm – Scaling up circularity: The ZeroNet, a CIRCULÉIRE Industry Member Paul McSweeney,CEO – The ZeroNet 1:30pm to 1:40pm – Q&A with Sarah Miller and Paul McSweeney 1:40pm to 1:50pm – Closing remarks Ladeja Godina Košir, Circular Change Freek Van Eijk, Holland Circular Hotspot 1:50pm to 2pm – Closing message Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commission 2pm to 3:30pm – Closing reception with Irish folk music concert, Irish Pavilion About TheZeroNet The ZeroNet is the world's first cloud-based technology platform designed explicitly around the logistical requirements of the Circular Economy. This is arguably the most important sustainability movement in the world right now and one which is firmly linked to a zero-carbon, zero-waste, and resource-efficient future. About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

New Circular Economy Programme from the EPA, CIRCULÉIRE’s Strategic partner, was also published Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2022 – 2023: Living More, Using Less - Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications | Government of Ireland The Circular Economy Programme 2021 – 2027: The Driving Force for Ireland’s Move to a Circular Economy - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Circular Economy Bill – The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action Last Thursday, 16th December, the Minister of State with responsibility for the Circular Economy at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Ossian Smyth TD, has launched Ireland’s first Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy. "We all understand how saving energy and being energy efficient are critical for the climate. Now, we need to think this way about our material resources, like food, metals, plastic, concrete. A circular economy shows us how we can do this. This new strategy provides a really important policy signal across the public and private sectors that circularity belongs at the heart of sustainability", said Minister Smyth. The strategy was the subject of public consultation early in 2021 – one of a series of consultations undertaken since early 2020 in this area. Public feedback was strongly supportive of moving towards a circular economy. The strategy will address a policy gap that exists in Ireland’s national policy framework. It sets out a vision for Ireland’s transition to circularity; explaining the concept of the circular economy, describing what initiatives are already happening, what opportunities are available and how Government will drive the changes required. The strategy will: Demonstrate public sector leadership, using policy tools such as green public procurement as well as supporting circular economy practices across the entire public sector Develop and implement an education and awareness campaign – for individuals, households, communities, and the public and private sectors Identify priority sectors for the development of sectoral circular economy roadmaps Convene a consultative advisory group, from amongst stakeholders, to input into policy development and implementation Establish an interdepartmental working group to oversee the integration of circular economy policies and practices across public policy Subsequent iterations of the strategy will include more detailed measures and sectoral roadmaps for priority areas such as construction, consumer goods, transport, procurement, agriculture and food. Measures, including targets, for these sectors, will be developed in consultation with stakeholders across public and private sectors, as well as environmental, community and social enterprise representatives. New Circular Economy Programme from the EPA Also launched on the 16th December 2021, the EPA launched a new Circular Economy Programme from the EPA. The programme has been devised to support the Government’s circular economy policy agenda. It will incorporate the previous National Waste Prevention Programme will be the driving force for Ireland’s move to a circular economy by businesses, householders, and the public sector. The launch will set the scene for the next six years of our journey away from waste disposal and treatment to ensuring that the extraction and consumption of raw materials are reduced, and that waste is prevented and reduced at all stages of production. At the same time, this economic model will support the growth of our economy in a sustainable way. Circular Economy Bill The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has also been progressing the development of a Circular Economy Bill. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action began its pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill in October this year - in which CIRCULÉIRE participated on 21st October. Last Thursday 16th December, the Committee published its report of that process. Following consideration of the recommendations of the Committee, the Minister intends to proceed with publication of the Bill early in the New Year. About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

CIRCULÉIRE was heard during the bill discussion in Oireachtas on October 21st Circular Economy Bill – The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action On the 16th December 2021, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action published its recommendations for the Circular Economy Bill following pre-legislative scrutiny. The Committee invited a broad range of stakeholder’s to give written evidence (see Appendix 3) and verbal evidence on the General Scheme, which CIRCULÉIRE participated on 21st October in Leinster House. “The Government’s ambition to transition to a circular economy and ambition to become a leader in Europe by 2030 is matched by the willingness of industry to engage in the transformation journey. Our members in CIRCULÉIRE welcome the development of a supportive and enabling environment to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in Ireland”, highlighted Dr. Geraldine Brennan during the session. According to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, following consideration of the recommendations of the Committee, the Minister intends to proceed with the publication of the Bill early in 2022. About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.

Check out the highlights and recording from our 2021 fireside chat with TerraCycle/Loop’s CEO On the 6th December 2021, we hosted virtually Tom Szaky, CEO and founder of TerraCycle / Loop, as the keynote for CIRCULÉIRE's 2021 Public Circular Economy Lecture. During this one-hour fireside chat, Tom was interviewed by Dr Geraldine Brennan, CIRCULÉIRE Lead and Head of Circular Economy at Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) to explore some of the challenges TerraCycle has encountered on their twenty-year journey to eliminate waste and learn from their vast experience. Creation of TerraCycle TerraCycle can collect and recycle “almost any form of waste,” but what were the motivations that inspired Tom to create the company that operates now in 21 countries? As he told CIRCULÉIRE, something sparked him in his first year of university. “I was told the purpose of business is to maximize profit to shareholders. I didn’t like this answer. I see profit more as an indicator of health. But it is not the purpose. I believe we don’t live on this planet to be healthy; we live in it to make it better. And if we are healthy, we will do that for a long time, and if we are not, for less time”. Tom’s deep fascination with waste brought him to reflect on the business behind this sector. “Waste is a very big problem, so it is very purposeful to solve it. This field, with so many anomalies, is the best playground for innovation. We live in a materialistic world where our status is equal to how much stuff we have. But it’s interesting that everything we own will legally be the property of a garbage company one day”. Tom also shared his realization that it would be tough to eliminate the idea of waste if TerraCycle were a product company, so they restarted their business. “Even if we make our product out of garbage, which was the case of the liquefied worm poop packaged in reused soda bottles, the product would be the business’ hero. We would always look for the best materials in the garbage to use it so dirty diapers and cigarettes would still never be recycled. We wanted to eliminate the idea of waste”, he explained. Consumer Journeys Years ago, reuse used to be the way society worked: from fixing shoes and clothes to bottles of glass from the milkman all over the world. Why has disposability become the way we deal with products nowadays? According to Tom, the benefits must be acknowledged. “Disposability is unbelievably convenient and affordable. And it gives you range. In the milkman model, how many types of milk could you order? Maybe one or two. But now you go to the supermarket, and you can see such a variety. Range, affordability, and convenience are things we advocated for. It’s important to not just vilify the disposability, although we know the issues, but to honour those benefits because that’s what you have to compete with on reuse”, he said. And as TerraCycle’s CEO observed, as consumers, if we thought more about how powerful our decisions are, we would understand better how we can collaborate to a world more sustainable and circular. “We are all citizens, so we are voting mostly blind for the future with our purchase, which I think is way more important than the political vote. The brands and the retailers are all here to serve our desires. Let’s think about the baby food industry, for example. Most of it is being sold in pouches because is more convenient. If I am brand A and you are brand B and I decide to move back to the glass jars, but consumers don’t buy it because the pouches from brand B are more convenient, then I will disappear. So, it’s important that we open our eyes to the way we purchase and influence organizations to do as much as they possibly can to make choices available”. According to a report from the Institute for European Environmental Policy, if everyone in the world wanted to consume in the same way as Europeans by 2050, we would need a number of natural resources equivalent to three Earths. “There is this long-going conversation about responsibility, and everybody loves to point to everyone else that is not oneself. I think we can all agree that we are in an urgent crisis from an environmental stand of point. We are in the middle of the explosion: climate change, species reduction, deforestation, the waste crisis… So, we don’t have the luxury of time. If we had it, maybe we could have this conversation. We all must do whatever we can”, urged Tom. Business Journeys In 20 years of existence, TerraCycle has worked with lots of companies and organizations to help them in their circular economy and sustainability journey. That experience brought valuable lessons Tom shared with CIRCULÉIRE and the participants of our Annual Lecture. “Besides the public opinion and legislation, for example, there is a big incentive for companies and stakeholders to go green, which is: make people prefer your products, or brand, over the competition. And if this incentive is your recycling program, then that may help the brand strategy. Because the bigger the recycling program is, the more money is needed and the way you deploy more money is showing how it is a good investment”. As the CEO added, manufacturing industries usually develop momentum through the recycling path where they soon learn that they can do the job themselves. But the journey tends to it always start with the financial driver. “They hire us, and they now are paying, voluntarily for something they were not putting any dollar investment before into the end of the life of the product. And that starts to create motivation inside of the organization to think about how to solve this financial opportunity. Instead of paying for a recycling program to take care of their waste, they can design new methods of consumption, like reusables, for example. Instead of relying on waste management, they can change the landscape themselves”. Enabling and encouraging businesses to tackle their waste themselves does not confront TerraCycle’s business. As Szaky reflected, TerraCycle’s first question is –“Can you design your product so it can be managed through local recycling programmes where you don’t need us?”. TerraCycle is always evolving – enter LOOP & Diagnostics TerraCycle has three major divisions with an emerging one, as Tom announced. The first one, waste management asks the main question: “Is the object recyclable?”. The second focuses on helping companies to integrate waste back into their products whether they are made from unique materials like polycarbonate, triton, Methacrylate Butadiene Styrene (MBS); or traditional materials like aluminium, Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) sourced from unique places like the bottom of oceans or rivers or even aboriginal communities in the cities. The third division is Loop. “Loop is shifting from disposable consumption to reuse-based consumption. Perhaps this is the best thing to do: collect recyclable materials and reuse them in the new products or packages. This is circular economy. Some examples of this process are the reusable stainless steel that contains the ice cream you can buy on the supermarkets or coffee cups from fast-food franchises that can be reused”. And for the next year, they plan to lunch a diagnostic division that concentrates on the thesis that certain waste trims carry diagnosable samples. “Your air conditioning filter while is there to filter mold and mild on your air can also give you information. Is anybody thinking of analyzing that to understand what your air is like? Or instead of recycling your kid’s diaper, you will be able to send it to us to analyze your kids’ gut health, for example, among other possibilities”. In Summary… Tom wrapped up CIRCULÉIRE’s 2021 Public Lecture with the followingtake-aways - which according to him, can be implemented by anyone, professionally or personally: Consumption is the ‘Elephant in the Room’: “Spend some time addressing the white elephant in the room. The only solution to sustainability will be a reduction in consumption. And it’s hard to address it because our entire system is tied up in “we are better if we buy more”, individually or from a country level in the tax revenue and the size of the economy, for example.” Embed Circularity/Sustainability into Core Strategy: “The most important thing I’ve learned in implementing and scaling sustainability concepts is to make sure that concept reinforces the organization’s core purpose of being. The more it reinforces it, the more security you develop that will scale without the right actors needed to be there. If the stakeholders say, ‘We will do this because it’s the right thing to do’, that’s a bad sign and they haven’t figured out other reason to do it other than moral or ethical imperative. And that will depend on that stakeholder being there and will probably not scale.” Prioritise Understanding Drivers of Behaviour & Solving Pain Points: “Accept motivations and the way people and organizations are as the way chess pieces in a chessboard move. Like I mentioned, consumers are self-oriented in their decision-making. If you know the way the pieces move, you have more chances of winning instead of hoping for them to move in the way you’d like them to move.” About CIRCULÉIRE CIRCULÉIRE is a public-private partnership co-created by Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) and three strategic partners: the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EIT Climate-KIC. Together with industry partners CIRCULÉIRE aims to assist manufacturers and their supply chains to switch from linear to circular business models. Read more about CIRCULÉIRE here.