Author: Belma Biogradlija

The UK’s ambitions for a circular economy are facing a fiscal roadblock, according to a recent analysis by BB-REG-NET. The study highlights how current tax structures create financial disincentives for reuse, repair, and recycling, while inadvertently favoring linear consumption and disposal patterns. BB-REG-NET’s research points to a fundamental misalignment between government strategies and tax policy. Products incorporating recycled content are often taxed more heavily than items made from virgin materials, while repair services carry the full rate of VAT. Conversely, some new products benefit from reduced or zero tax rates. The net effect, researchers argue, is a system where environmentally…

BMW has set a target of cutting 40 megatons of CO2 by 2030 compared with 2019 levels, tackling not only its direct emissions but also the harder-to-abate scope 3 from suppliers and vehicle use. By 2025, the automaker expects to be halfway there, positioning circularity not as an option but as a survival strategy in a regulatory landscape where the EU’s 2035 combustion ban looms large. The approach—summarized internally as “Secondary First”—places recycled inputs at the core of product design. The upcoming Neue Klasse iX3, for instance, will contain roughly 700 kilograms of recycled material, amounting to one-third of the…

South Africa is positioning environmental reform as an economic strategy, using waste management and renewable energy to drive job creation, investment, and resilience. The government processed 324 of 326 environmental impact assessments (EIAs) in the past financial year, a 99% completion rate that underscores efficiency in regulation. Energy-related EIAs were finalized in just 57 days on average, reflecting urgency in addressing the country’s ongoing energy shortfall. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) is central to this push. Its introduction of the Solar and Battery Energy Storage System Exclusion Norms has enabled renewable energy projects to bypass lengthy…

The European solar sector is on the cusp of a circularity test, projections indicate that by 2040, cumulative photovoltaic waste in the EU could reach between 6 and 13 million tones, potentially climbing to 21–35 million tones by 2050 if design and reuse strategies are not implemented. Addressing this looming challenge, the PV RESILIENCE project—led by TNO with contributions from researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)—is advancing solar energy systems that are not only low-carbon in generation but sustainable across their entire lifecycle. Mara Hauck, from Technology, Innovation and Society, and Olaf van der Sluis, from Mechanical Engineering, are…

Jordan’s engineering sector expanded by 19.2 percent in 2023, making it the country’s second-fastest growing industrial segment. Despite contributing just 5 percent of GDP and 4.1 percent of manufacturing exports, its rapid growth has drawn attention as a potential linchpin for Jordan’s transition toward greener, more resilient industrial practices. The EU-funded Green Forward Industry (GFI) project, launched in partnership with UNIDO, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, the Ministry of Environment, and Jordan’s Royal Scientific Society (RSS), aims to embed circular economy models into this dynamic sector—to improve resource efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and sharpen competitiveness in external markets.…

Jordan’s engineering sector expanded by 19.2 percent in 2023, making it the country’s second-fastest growing industrial segment. Despite contributing just 5 percent of GDP and 4.1 percent of manufacturing exports, its rapid growth has drawn attention as a potential linchpin for Jordan’s transition toward greener, more resilient industrial practices. The EU-funded Green Forward Industry (GFI) project, launched in partnership with UNIDO, the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply, the Ministry of Environment, and Jordan’s Royal Scientific Society (RSS), aims to embed circular economy models into this dynamic sector—to improve resource efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and sharpen competitiveness in external markets.…

The UK handles over 70 million tones of material annually through its resources and waste industry—a sector employing some 145,000 people. As the government advances overlapping reviews on net zero, skills, industrial strategy, and resources, the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) has published its report “Let’s Not Waste the Next Four Years”, urging urgent, coordinated steps to avoid losing momentum. CIWM frames the waste sector not merely as a service arm but as a foundation of economic growth, supply chain security, and climate achievement. Yet current data show serious gaps: the UK’s recycling rate for “waste from households” stood…

At Japan’s Circular Economy Expo in Chiba Prefecture this week, Taiwan is presenting a tightly coordinated industrial push under the banner “Taiwan Ocean Circular Hub” that signals its intention to convert marine debris challenges into industrial and policy opportunities. With nine Taiwanese companies displaying innovations—from recycled marine-waste fibers in clothing to other material reutilizations—the Cabinet-level Ocean Affairs Council (OAC) aims to demonstrate concrete advances in sustainability, while simultaneously exposing a series of structural and regulatory hurdles. Taiwan’s presence at the expo underscores growing momentum in marine waste recycling technology and industrial design. The OAC has expanded its marine debris governance…

Global EV sales topped 14 million units in 2023, according to the IEA, putting mounting pressure on automakers to manage end-of-life batteries responsibly. Stellantis is positioning its SUSTAINera business as a response, expanding applications for high-voltage batteries beyond energy storage and into accessibility technology. Its latest project, the AVATHOR ONE electric mobility device, illustrates how second-life batteries can intersect with inclusive design while extending asset value. Developed by Turin-based startup Avathor, AVATHOR ONE is aimed at people who use wheelchairs or have limited mobility in non-road settings. The device runs on repurposed 15 kWh battery modules from Stellantis EVs, reconfigured…

MOL Group has completed its first certified production trial using post-consumer plastic waste as feedstock at the company’s flagship petrochemical site in Tiszaújváros, Hungary, marking a notable step toward integrating circular economy principles into large-scale polymer manufacturing. The pilot demonstrated that polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) can be produced from recycled materials under a verified sustainability framework. The trial was conducted under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS standard, which verifies the traceability and sustainability of bio-based and circular raw materials along complex supply chains. MOL introduced the recycled feedstock into its naphtha-based steam cracker, generating ethylene and…