Submitted by UCB (Cluster of Environmental Technologies Bavaria)

» Your trash is my treasure « - a catchy slogan - in real life difficult to implement!

One main challenge for a workable circular economy is the recognition of waste as a resource. And of course, not only the recognition but also the usage of waste as input for the creation of new products.

f you are following our blog, you already know that the transition to a circular economy is changing the traditional economic models, which can be an overwhelming process for companies. As general opinion among companies is that circular economy is mostly tied to waste and waste management, it is our duty to show the companies how they can take out the greatest value from resources whilst in use.

In the MOVECO project, we identified three country groups as innovation leaders, moderate innovators and modest innovators. Innovation leaders include Austria, Germany and Slovenia, moderate innovators are Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia, while Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia are modest innovators. (These three innovation groups were established by MOVECO using the European Union’s (eco)-innovation scoreboards and index.) In the present article, we are dealing with innovation group no.2: Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia.

MOVECO established action plans for three innovation groups. Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia were ranked into the same group characterised as Innovation group III - modest innovators. Although Romania and Bulgaria are EU countries (with environmental protection laws, regulation and policies concerning waste management and waste production fully alined with EU directives) and Serbia is in the process of Accession to the European Union all three country are facing very similar problems and challenges in the process of transition toward circular economy.

Current status

Transnational Strategy to Accelerate Transition Towards a Circular Economy in the Danube Region

Tina Krošelj and Lara Habič, MESP

Despite Croatia is lagging in a transition towards circular economy there have been significant amount of successful waste-to-resources stories.

The major driver for progress in the sector of the waste management was introduction of extended producer responsibility obligation that came into force in 2007 for several waste streams such as packaging waste, end-of-life vehicles, waste oils, waste batteries and accumulators, waste tyres and EEE waste.

Recycling of waste tyres

Environmental management is no different from other management methods that we encounter in everyday business. As it is necessary to monitor financial flows into and out of the company or to assure a certain level of product quality, it is necessary in the same way to approach the management of the environmental aspects of production or services.

Zero Waste Culture at the Grocery Store

This is the fourth article of MOVECO's blog series to give you more insights to the concept of the circular economy. Enjoy reading and to find out more, please visit our platform www.danube-goes-circular.eu and become a member!