With renewed and impact focused circular economy and resource efficiency action across the UK, Beyondly have outlined their thoughts on what an inclusive, just transition to a circular economy should embrace:
1. Best-in-class Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy approaches by prioritising the product categories referenced in the Resource & Waste Strategy 2018, including textiles and WEEE. Crucially, EPR mechanism revenues should be reinvested towards advancement and innovation by prioritising prevention (rethink, remove, reduce, and design standards) and post-consumer R-strategies (reuse, repair, recycle, recover) that maintain product value for as long as possible.
2. Take lessons from developing the UK packaging EPR system to engage early and consistently with stakeholders across the entire lifecycle and value chain. Circular economies are complex supply and demand systems where creating self-sustaining economic value is critical to success.
3. Hold the circular economy transition to the same standards as UK Net Zero targets. Create legally binding UK wide circular economy targets with indicators, milestones, and economic support aligned to achieving existing Net Zero goals. Why? Because the carbon impact of our consumption of resources to make goods and products accounts for 45% of the global climate challenge according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, so it is imperative any UK Net Zero strategy embraces this.
4. Harness AI technologies as a catalyst to enable local authorities, businesses, and consumers to act more circular and with more impact. People power circular systems, yet support for behaviour change, access to information, and knowledge building are often overlooked. Circular economy strategies tend to focus on methods and resource streams, but not the people who will deliver them.
5. Focus circular economy efforts in urban areas and municipalities because almost 85% of the UK population live and work in urban areas. Cities play a critical role in waste generation, resource consumption, positive climate and social impact, and have high business and skills density, providing opportunities for local low-carbon, innovative circular supply chains, and material-sharing networks.
6. Protect and restore the health of ecosystems critical to long-term economic stability, supporting climate resilience and Net Zero goals. The UK is in the bottom 10% globally for its biodiversity. The Green Finance Institute, with contributions from leading UK researchers, indicates that the deterioration of natural ecosystems from losses in biodiversity, ecosystem health, and the effects of pollution could result in an estimated 12% reduction in the UK's GDP. This projected loss exceeds the 5% GDP reduction impacts of the 2008 financial crisis (approximately) and the 11% GDP reduction from COVID-19.
Beyondly are a circular economy specialist providing expertise in materials, systems data, and strategy services to organisations and industries wanting to reduce their environmental impact.
During 2024, they were awarded R&D funding from 10 leading UK and EU cities as part of the Public Service Platforms for Circular, Innovative and Resilient Municipalities and Business leveraging AI to overcome operational and knowledge barriers to establish circularity at scale.
The Circular Economy Taskforce is a new, independent expert advisory group established in November 2024 to support the Government in creating a circular economy strategy for England. Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 was passed unanimously as a framework for change.
Beyondly strive to be a driving force for action, serving as a trusted partner to organisations as they navigate the evolving environmental landscape. To learn more, visit the Beyondly website at https://www.beyond.ly/.