On Monday 2nd March the Circular Economy Task Force co-hosted a conference with the Dutch Embassy in London on how to promote the trade in circular economy goods and services between the UK and the Netherlands. The Dutch ambassador Laetitia van den Assum welcomed an expert group of business, policy and academia representatives to a discussion organised around three issues: how policy can support a circular economy, how to deliver a ‘North Sea Resource Roundabout’, and what are the circular economy opportunities for plastics?

1. The North Sea Resource
Rondabout
Introduction on:

2. In population
• 7 in 2015 -> 10 in 2050, and 12,6 in2100
• 2150: between 3.2 and 24.8!
In demand
• In food: more people eat more meat/
dairy
• 67% more electricity- demand in 2050
• Materials – for cars, bottles, houses and
clothes
Prognoses
World-wide growth

3. Example: wasted food
• 11% of global CO2 emissions as a result
of wasted food
• 29m tonnes of wasted dairy products in
Europe
• €565bn wasted annually worldwide
• 1 billion obese and 1 billion people die
from malnutrition
Current Situation
Resource Inefficiency

4. Example: plastic soup
• Plastic takes 750 years to be broken
down
• 1-10% of ocean surface = garbage
patch- much “lost” below surface
• 80% originates from main land, 20%
from ships
Current Situation
Resource Inefficiency

5. Essence of the model
1. Decoupling of economic growth and
consumption of finite resources
2. Distinguishing and seperating technical
and biological materials
3. Optimising and maintenance of resource
stocks.
4. Providing innovation on product design
and business models
5. Establishing a resilient framework in the
longer term.
From Linear to Circular Economy
… as a solution for resource inefficiency

6. • Logic step
• Virtual roundabout
• Good starting position
- Waste
- Design
- Materials
- Logistics
Resource Roundabout
… as a form of circular economy

7. Efficient use of resources
• European agreements on quality of resources
• Abolishment of regulatory barriers and the use
of possibilities in existing regulation
• Involvement of private actors
• Alternative purchasing policies of
governments
• Efficient logistics: use of harbours
Idea:
North Sea Resource Rondabout

8. ‘Experimental zone’ within the EU:
• More room for regional initiatives within
EU
• Experimental zone for a circular
economy
• European agreement on recycling
• Cross-border proximity
• Good results of existing UK-Dutch
collaboration
North Sea Resource Roundabout
How to achieve?

9. Ecological advantages of the North Sea
Resource Roundabout:
• Less dependency on fossil fuels and
ressource suppliers
• Improved Sustainability
• Leading project for resource efficiency in
EU
Ecological opportunities

10. Economic advantages of the North Sea
Resource Roundabout:
• Cost optimisation
• Reduction of price volatility
• More certainty for companies by public-
private cooperation
Economic opportunities

11. New Objectives?
• Extended public-private cooperation-
setting up new partnerships
• Specialisation in secondary material
production in different harbors
• Common North Sea strategy for
resource efficiency – in run up to the new
circular economy packeage
• EU agreement on recycling and re-use
Next Steps
Towards a Green Deal?

12. Ciruclar Economy Conference London 20150302 Stientje van Veldhoven
Thank you for
your attention