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The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

The Circular City Handbook

How to make your city circular April 2020 The Bartlett School of Planning 1 Faculty of the Built Environment

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Credits University College London April 2020 The Bartlett School of Planning Faculty of the Built Environment BPLN0054: Governance for Urban Sustainability: Project Professor Yvonne Rydin y.rydin@ucl.ac.uk Authors of the report: Ewan Clegg Isabel Cordwell Danielle Dempsey Olivia Dickie Patrick Franklin Caroline Gaboriau Emma Hulland Edona Korenica Sara Parsadoust Molly Purcell Victoria Shiu Jacqueline Streur

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The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

How to use this handbook of actions This document is a handbook of actions to be used by urban policy makers and other stakeholders who are looking to promote a more circular economy within their city. It can be read from cover to cover but it is recommended that all policy makers and stakeholders read the Circular City Framework which explains what the circular city is and why it is advantageous to distinct stakeholders and the city as a whole. Readers are then, using the contents page for reference, advised to move on to the sections and industries relevant to them, which outlines the available resources, the key actions for implementation, and looks at examples of best practice. All stakeholders should read the lessons for implementation which outlines modes of collaboration, the use of online platforms, and how to effectively monitor the success of circular city initiatives in the city.

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Contents Executive Summary p5 Chapter 1: The Circular City Framework p6 What is the Circular City? p7 Different Approaches to the Circular City in Practice p9 Benefits of the Circular City p11 Chapter 2: Laying the Groundwork of the Circular City p13 Introduction p14 Transport and the Sharing Economy p15 Waste p20 Community Energy p23 Chapter 3: Mobilising Business and Community Initiatives p26 Introduction p27 Construction for Circular Cities p28 Mobilising the Food Business Sector p33 Food in the Community p41 The Sharing Economy and the Library of Things p47 Chapter 4: Implementing the Circular City p53 Introduction p54 Bringing Stakeholders Together p55 Online Platforms: Benefits and Lessons p58 Monitoring the Circular City p61 Concluding Remarks p67

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Executive Summary The aim of the Circular City (CC) handbook is to

vative methods of circular energy systems on

communicate circular city principles, actions and

a community scale can contribute to reducing

implementation guidance for different stake-

fossil fuel emissions. Therefore, initiatives can

holders and policy makers. This will encourage

be implemented on a city scale through impor-

key players ranging from business, NGOs and

tant urban infrastructures as a stepping-stone

the public sector to pursue future endeavours

towards the long-term vision of a circular city.

of circular city initiatives; contributing to the long-term vision of a ‘waste-free’ circular city.

How can business and community contribute?

Business can make a major contribution to the

What is the circular city?

implementation of circular city principles, for ex-

The key principles of the CC focus on introduc-

ample, the construction and food industry which

ing sustainability as the core vision, transition-

can play a key role in supporting the circular

ing from linear to circular production and waste

waste-stream. On a smaller scale, utilising local

cycles. This is focused on creating waste-cycle

social capital for community initiatives can be an

management which aims to retain resources

important method of actively involving citizens

and materials that flow through the city, ‘clos-

in the implementation of circular city principles.

ing the loops’ by reducing waste inputs or out-

This illustrates how the circular city can suc-

puts and maximising lifespan of products and

cessfully be translated from a ‘concept’ to prac-

materials. This is underpinned by an holistic ap-

tical application in different contexts and scales.

proach to stakeholder collaboration as the adaptability of the CC concept has enabled it to be

How can this be implemented?

applied in a range of different contexts including

Implementation is a key phase in the develop-

the economy, governance and social systems.

ment of a circular city. Stakeholder engagement is crucial with clear objectives, early involve-

Why is it important?

ment and equity and trust as a vital foundation

The circular city is a future-orientated vision

for successful stakeholder relationships. Online

focused on reducing the detrimental impacts

platforms can also be a powerful tool for pro-

of the existing linear economy on the environ-

moting awareness of CC principles to the pub-

ment and mitigating the effects of the climate

lic and stakeholders by connecting via social

change crisis. The CC framework provides a val-

media, enabling circular micro-economies to

uable opportunity for every member of the city,

come alive. Finally, monitoring (on a macro and

ranging from the government to the individu-

micro-scale) is a vital aspect to ensure trans-

al, to contribute to a more sustainable future.

parency and trust throughout business, NGOs and public sector initiatives by using indicators

What are the key infrastructures?

to guide core goals, principles and building

Circular city requires a new approach to key

blocks of a circular city to ensure its success.

infrastructures including transport, waste and energy. Transport and the sharing economy focus on encouraging sharing initiatives to extract maximum value from vehicles and transport infrastructure in order to reduce air and noise pollution in the UK. As aforementioned, waste is a primary aspect and it should be reused, recycled and repurposed to create a circular waste management system, while new, inno-

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The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Chapter 1: The Circular City Framework

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The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

1.1 What is the Circular City?

Figure 1.1: Leiden Unviersity, 2019. Adapted from: Š Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Towards A Circular Economy, p. 58, (2013).

The circular city is a city that takes a circular approach to the production, management and consumption of resources within a city. Thus, the main principle of the circular city is the closure of loops, and a move from linear processes to circular processes, retaining resources and materials that flow through a city inside the city.

These flows include energy, food, materials, services and people1. The circular city model also involves slowing these processes down.

Figure 1.2: Linear vs Circular Economy (Instarmac, 2018)

Slowing resource loops is desired as its focus

level. Indeed, today cities are one of the causes

prevents material degradation, producers take

of climate change, as urban activities contribute

responsibility for the end of life of their products,

to 70% of global CO2 emissions3. The reduction

and reduces the total demand for products2.

of those emissions is one of the key answers to climate emergency. Cities are in a good posi-

This new circular city advances itself in lieu

tion to take over this fight, as the Cities Climate

of the linear economy. The linear economic

Leadership Group explains. They can take deci-

model follows a pattern of resource extraction,

sive actions with swiftly apparent and impactful

consumption of goods and services, and their

effects. They can also influence national agen-

disposal. Value is created by the repeated man-

das on the matter, making cities no longer the

ufacture and selling of goods. This wasteful

cause of the problem but part of the solution.

model is one that produces huge greenhouse gas emissions and accelerates climate change.

A report presented in Davos in 2019 by Circle Economy shows that moving from linearity to

Fighting climate change requires both global

circularity makes it possible to considerably re-

and local responses and moving towards a more

duce greenhouse gas emissions4, a commitment

circular city is a way to tackle this at the local

made in the Paris agreement. Another study of

1 Luigi F. Girard, and Francesca Nocc, Moving Towards the Circular Economy/City Model: Which Tools for Operationalizing This Model?, Sustainability, 11.22 (2019), p. 1-48 2 Nancy Bocken et al., 'Slowing resource loops in the Circular Economy: an experimentation approach in fashion retail', Sustainable Design and Manufacturing, 2018, pp. 164-173.

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the Green Alliance and Centre for Industrial En3 C40 cities, Why cities? Ending climate change begins in the city (New York: C40 cities, 2012) 4 Circle economy, The circular gap report 2019 (Amsterdam: Circle economy, 2019)

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

ergy, Materials and Products especially about Great Britain, shows that by focusing on construction, transports, food, electrical and electronic appliances and textiles, almost 200MtCO2 could be spared by 20325. Moving towards a circular city model is therefore a way to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, but some other benefits comes with it, from the reduction of air pollution and waste, to the creation of links and networks between the different stakeholders.

The circular economic model is one focused on: reducing inputs, reducing outputs, extracting the maximum value from products and materials by keeping them in use for longer, and takes a regenerative approach, looking at pathways to use waste as inputs. This involves: designing products to last for longer and by considering their afterlife; designing for ease of de-assembly and reuse in manufacture and easy material extraction. Reducing outputs also involves considering waste-cycle management which includes: increasing the recycling, repurposing and reuse of products, and finding ways to use waste as a resource.

Finding ways to use waste as a resource occurs at several points in the technical cycle:

• Prolong: repairing, maintaining and sharing products and materials throughout their use to extend their lifespan.

• Reuse/redistribution: Direct re-use by re-marketing or repurposing a product.

• Remanufacture/Refurbish: The renovation of a product by the manufacturer.

• Recycle: Retrieving parts or materials from the product for reuse. This is a lower value process.

The Circular City concept transfers circular economic principles from a sectoral approach into a wider holistic city paradigm, considering a city’s economy, governance and social system.

The actors in Circular Cities become broader 5 Green Alliance, 'Less in, more out: using resource efficiency to cut carbon and benefit the economy', Green Alliance, <https://www.green-alliance.org. uk/less_in_more_out.php>

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Figure 1.3: © Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Towards A Circular Economy, p. 58, (2013).

than businesses, organisations and industries, encorporating the public sector, businesses, community groups and individuals. Social dimensions play a bigger factor.

The Circular City is a solution to urban issues including limited resources, waste disposal, pollution and green-house gas emissions. It also improves a city’s socio-economic context, offering affordable housing solutions, diversifying a city’s economic base and providing decent jobs6. Community is also strengthened, promoting relationships built on trust and proactive citizens. Lastly, citizen health and well-being is promoted. The above all contribute to a sustainable and resilient city.

Sustainable cities are forward looking and concerned with using resources to meet present needs, whilst safeguarding the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Resilient cities have built the capability to prepare for, absorb and recover from future shocks, be they economic, environmental, social or institutional.

6 Joanna Williams, Circular Cities, Urban Studies, 56.13 (2019), p.

2746–2762

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

1.2 Different Approaches to the Circular City in Practice Fab-city Cities are digitally connected, experimentative, and learn from best practice.

Fab City Concept Barcelona4

• Aims to be locally productive but globally connected, based on digitally networked Fab Labs.

•

A transition from industrial product in-waste out flows to data-in data-out flows.

• Encourages experimentation, for example in distributed production and low impact Figure 1.4: Five approaches to the circular city

Smart-city Use of smart technology e.g. sensors and digital platforms to gather data to monitor and optimise the use of resources. Examples include: The Glasgow Digital Strategy1

• Improves value chains across an open data platform harnessing the potential of smart technology to make cities more sustainable.

“Future Glasgow” 2

• An open data platform which maps the city’s site potential to develop renewable energy and monitoring energy use to identify potential gains of retrofitting energy in different types of Glaswegian homes.

Smart Citizen Platform Barcelona3

• Improves people’s connection to their urban environment and enables an instant upload and share of data and knowledge.

• This crowd-sourced science can be used by researchers, communities and cities to optimise the relationship between technology, resources, communities and services within cities.

1 Glasgow City Council, Digital Glasgow Strategy, (Glasgow: Glasgow City Council, 2018).

2 Glasgow City Council, ‘Future City Glasgow’, Glasgow City Council, 2020 <https://futurecity.glasgow.gov.uk/> 3 Barcelona City Council, ‘Barcelona Digital City’, Barcelona City Council, 2020 <https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/digital/en>

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supply chains and enables cities to learn from and replicate best practice models.

Post-industrial Buiksloterham, Amsterdam legislative “free-zones” 5

• Enables partners to be innovative and experiment with different waste collection and water sanitation systems.

Bio-based Use of renewable energy and bio-based resources.

The port of Amsterdam6

• Through a network of companies in the Port, innovative technology and logistics, the port is a producer of biobased products and recycles waste into feedstock. For example, Plastic Recycling Amsterdam is transforming post-consumer plastic waste into high-quality raw material and looping the plastic packaging industry’s supply chain.

Sharing-economy Considers accessibility to a city, and a transition from traditional ideas of ownership and individual consumption to the idea of users and shared 4 Diez, Tomas, ‘Locally Productive, Globally Connected Self-Sufficient Cities’, urbanNext, 2020 <https://urbannext.net/locally-productive-globally-connected-self-sufficient-cities/> 5 Amsterdam Smart City, ‘Circular Buiksloterham’, Amsterdam Smart City, 2018 <https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/projects/circulair-buiksloterham> 6 Bio Market Insights, ‘The biobased and circular ‘ecosystem’ creation at the Port of Amsterdam’, World Bio Markets, 2020 <https://www. worldbiomarkets.com/port-of-amsterdam-site-visit/>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

consumption of goods and resources within a city.

Peer to peer platforms

• Include Trip4real, Uber, Bla Bla Car and Airbnb enable people to share their homes, cars and time.

Denmark, GoMore7

• Recognises cars as a prime under-utilised resource. They have estimated the average car in Denmark to transport only 1.4 people and spend 23 hours a day parked. GoMore, a peer-to-peer platform, allows drivers to sell empty seats on their journeys, increasing the number of passengers per car and reducing the overall number of cars on the road. It provides a travel solution cheaper for both the car owner and the passenger.

Its success has made it Scandinavia’s leading business in the sharing economy.

Circular-economy Concerned with designing out waste, keeping products and materials in use for longer, and regenerating natural systems.

San Francisco, Cradle-to-cradle carpets for city buildings8

• Tackling one element of the built environment supply chain. San Francisco stipulated that carpet materials and components used in city buildings were to be C2C accredited, and not to contain select toxins. More easily replaceable and less wasteful carpet tiles, and materials containing a minimal number of recycled materials was also a requirement.

7 more.dk/> 8 tion.org>

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GoMore, 'Where do you want to go?' GoMore, 2020 <https://goEllen MacArthur Foundation, 2019 <www.ellenmacarthurfounda-

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

1.3 Benefits of the Circular City Circular thinking represents a great oppor-

reduction of unemployment by about 54,0003.

tunity for cities, and every stakeholder, from

But there are also financial benefits, which are

communities to companies and public au-

significant. Circular cities reduce their waste

thorities, is a key player in it. The benefits of

management costs substantially, as well as op-

the circular city are numerous and will have

erational costs because of the availability and the

great

location of materials. An Ellen MacArthur Foun-

repercussions

on

all

stakeholders.

dation report highlights that a circular city would Public commitment toward social responsibility

see a reduction in expenditure of more than 30%

and the climate-change fight are strengthen-

between now and 2030, due to the reduction in

ing every year. With growing concern from civil

the consumption of raw materials in the city, thus

society and institutions, there is a strong social

reducing expenditure on waste management4.

expectation that everyone should “do their part”.

Indeed, 85% of Britons are concerned about cli-

In addition to these broad benefits, which are

mate change according to a recent Ipsos poll .

shared by all stakeholders, each of them also

Putting forward solutions is positive for public im-

benefits from specific spin-offs.

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age but also to be in tune with citizens’ concerns.

Industry and businesses With the current development of the circular

• The reduction of cost and the access to new

economy, it is quite likely that national gov-

market opportunities will ensure econom-

ernments will take up the issue and start leg-

ic growth, the European Commission esti-

islating to encourage circular cities. Making

mating that embracing a circular approach

a commitment now helps to ensure the fu-

represents €600bn in savings for European

ture compliance with policy and regulations,

businesses5.

as Bioregional points it out in a recent report2.

• ●Security and stability of economic activity, because using former waste as a resource

Embracing the circular city model is a great

is a way to source locally at constant costs.

way to discover and access new technolo-

• ●Public commitment in terms of corporate

gies and to support innovations. The ben-

social responsibility and offering solutions

efits

self-sufficiency

to climate change, something to which cit-

according to the Bioregional institute. Circular-

izens are increasingly paying attention. 91%

ity leads to less dependence on internation-

of global consumers are looking for compa-

al raw materials, by sourcing needs locally.

nies that are committed to social and envi-

also

include

greater

ronmental issues6.

A circular approach in a city increases the security

• ●Governments are becoming more and more

of local activities and ensures their future. It has

interested in the circular city, and may soon

a huge potential for local job creation, providing

be funding projects on the subject, as well

employment to local community members, and

as producing laws and regulating; there is

driving economic growth. A report of the Green

therefore a question of anticipation.

Alliance and Wrap suggest the figure of the creation of over 200,000 local-based jobs, and the

1 Ipsos MORI, ‘Concern about climate change reaches record levels with half now 'very concerned'’, IpsosMORI, 2019 <https://www.ipsos.com/ ipsos-mori/en-uk/concern-about-climate-change-reaches-record-levels-halfnow-very-concerned> 2 Bioregional institute, Cracking the circular challenge (London : Bioregional, 2017)

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3 Wrap & the Green Alliance, Employment and the circular economy (London : Green Alliance, 2015) 4 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Cities in the circular economy : an initial exploration (Cowes : Ellen MacArthur foundation, 2017) 5 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Towards the circular economy: economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition (Cowes: Ellen MacArthur foundation, 2013) 6 Cone, ‘2015 Cone Communications/Ebiquity Gloal CSR Study’, Cone comm, 2015 <https://www.conecomm.com/research-blog/2015-cone-communications-ebiquity-global-csr-study>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Community and NGOs

nancial benefits as well as social and ecologi-

• ●The possibility of carrying out projects lo-

cal ones. A few points of attention need to be

cally, which correspond to the needs iden-

raised to facilitate the transition to a circular

tified by the inhabitants as experts on their

city, especially regarding time and finance.

living environment, on subjects which are not necessarily taken care of by the other

A circular transition will not be achieved in

actors with a broad mobilization of citizens.

weeks, because it takes time to redesign a

• ●Influence the local political agenda by

whole city by using circular thinking and to mo-

bringing out the specific issues to be dealt

bilize and coordinate the various stakeholders

with in the framework of the circular city, by

around this circular project. The economic ben-

voting and by doing advocacy alongside

efits of a circular city have been discussed be-

partners.

low, but they might take a little while to show

• ●A better quality of life in a cleaner and

up, until the new system allows the costs to be

healthier environment due to reduction of

amortised. Indeed, adopting circular thinking

“waste, pollution, ill health and natural re-

may require the implementation of a complete-

source depletion” according to the Ellen

ly new activity or ways of doing things. There

MacArthur foundation .

may be a need for new jobs, or for an extension

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• ●Claim for specific funds, as circular econo-

of an existing activity with new services or new

my projects become increasingly valued by

infrastructures. These costs can be minimised in

public authorities.

a well-prepared transition, allowing projects to stay on track until the financial benefits appear.

Public sector and local government

• ●Local economic development, with creation of new companies and jobs, which are considered in the circular approach as "net job", which means a creation of a locally-based jobs.

• ●Popularity among citizens because of this response to the growing call for more action in the fight against climate change, especially at the local level as seen earlier.

Democratic mandates are a way to request such action from public sector and local government.

• ●Cutting public spending, by saving a considerable amount of money in waste management, creating a virtuous circle of reuse of these savings in support of circular projects.

Seeing the global benefits of a circular city project for both stakeholders and cities, it seems that it is a way to realise substantial fi7 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Cities in the circular economy: an initial exploration, (Cowes: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)

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The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Chapter 2: Laying the Groundwork of the Circular City 13

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

2.1 Introduction Infrastructure located inside cities is uniquely

and increasing companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; green credentials.

positioned to facilitate the conversion to a circular economy. Higher rates of infrastructure

The current patterns of consumption and dis-

development and resource use inside cities

posal patterns of the majority are unsustainable

means that the greatest potential economic

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; raw materials were extracted from the earth;

and environmental returns from creating cir-

processed and assembled as a product; sold;

cular infrastructures will be inside urban areas.

and eventually consumed within a short life

Circular approaches will help infrastructure de-

span. Both perishable and non-perishable prod-

liver services more efficiently, reduce resource

ucts would most likely end up accumulating in

expenditure and create a healthier environ-

landfills without being used again. Since the key

ment to work and live in. Cities have high con-

objective of creating circular cities is to minimise

centrations of wealth, information and a skilled

the production of waste to increase sustainabil-

workforce which will play an essential role in

ity of cities, it is important to look at how a city

creating a truly circular infrastructure approach.

can reuse, recycle, and repurpose local waste

across different sectors. The lifespan of prod-

Laying the groundwork for circular cities will

ucts can be extended if individuals are offered

be key in providing a starting point for stake-

the appropriate opportunities such as to repair

holders to engage in the circular city. Different

and recycle materials and products. Waste can

sectors will have to cooperate with each other

also be reduced if individuals can share com-

and establish new strategies to facilitate circu-

modities to maximise the use of the product in-

lar cities, such as providing a car sharing culture

stead of having to produce the same products

in the transport sector; decentralised commu-

for each individual to be used less frequently.

nity scale energy systems, and developing recycling and repair centres for a circular waste

Energy and heat are two main contributors to-

system. This section will demonstrate how dif-

wards greenhouse gases in the UK. Through

ferent sectors and stakeholders can cooper-

the use of renewable energy, or energy made

ate to build the groundwork in a circular city.

from waste, the amount of waste going to landfill and the amount of renewable energy

Transport is the biggest source of air and noise

produced can be vastly increased. The cur-

pollution in the UK. This is a result of a critical

rent patterns for consuming energy and oil

mass of road users driving private cars, and a

are unsustainable. The first step is to decrease

lack of sharing initiatives aimed at extracting the

the amount of materials necessary, and to

maximum value from vehicles and transport

produce energy from renewable resources,

infrastructure. Private vehicles epitomise the

like organic materials. Most of these projects

linear economy by consuming vast amounts of

can be done at the city scale, with investment

resources whilst subsequently damaging the

and integration from the community at large.

environment. Circular city principles can have a major impact within this sector by reducing the number of vehicles on the road through sharing initiatives, and utilising open sourced data to improve public transport efficiency whilst reducing resource use. This can offer huge benefits for stakeholders, including financial savings

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The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

2.2 Transport and the Sharing Economy 1) Why it matters

ly creating a strong, resilient transport net-

A circular city approach to transportation and the

work which a city and its economy can rely on.

sharing economy considers the management, consumption and resources needed to provide

2) Key stakeholders

an efficient transport network on a city-wide

Stakeholders involved in creating a circular city

scale. It focuses on extracting the maximum val-

approach across a transport network include

ue from vehicles and transport network data in

network owners and companies. TfL, Deutsche

a city. Sharing vehicles on the transport network

Bahn, Metrolink, Lime and Uber manage net-

maximises the use of vehicles, and rich open

works across London and the UK, from subways

data sources take a regenerative approach in

and trams to bus, taxi and bike rental services.

providing pathways to keep improving efficiency. Efficiency will reduce the resources needed

Smaller companies such as local taxi oper-

to move people around, sharing cars for exam-

ators and local bus schemes also play an im-

ple will reduce resources necessary to man-

portant role in connecting people, some of

age and maintain an urban car fleet . Mobility is

whom may find it more difficult to get around.

central to how a city operates. Considering the

Dial-a-ride bus schemes help connect people

management of a transport network on an ho-

with disabilities to local services and shops.

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listic scale and working closely and transparently with major stakeholders can offer huge ben-

Ridesharing and carsharing schemes are be-

efits, improving delivery services, reducing fuel

coming more popular, especially where car-

consumption and lowering transport mileage .

parking space is limited. Sharing transport is a

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key principle in the overall reduction of resourcA circular city approach for transportation is

es needed to manage an effective transport sys-

beneficial to the economy and is good for busi-

tem. Schemes like Liftshare and Enterprise Car

ness. Smart logistics and the sharing econo-

Club reduce vehicle emissions and congestion

my reduce congestion in cities, raising pro-

as well as decreasing costs for the consumer4.

ductivity and helping businesses thrive. Fast and efficient public transport systems increase

Mobility applications play a key role in the move-

footfall between transportation connections,

ment of people. There are over 600 apps in Lon-

supporting small businesses on the way.

don that use TfL data to update 42% of Londoners5. Apps such as Citymapper, Mapway, Google

A circular approach directly and indirectly cre-

and Apple are major stakeholders and play an

ates hundreds of jobs that would not have ex-

important role in how the circular city functions.

isted otherwise . For example, new jobs deliv3

ering open data sources and creating real-time

However, a circular transport approach isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

travel feeds supports the city region economy

just relevant for the mobility of people. Deliv-

by delivering an efficient and less resource in-

eries and courier services account for thou-

tensive transport network. In turn, the fast and

sands of trips made in cities each day. In

regular movement of people and resources

Paris every week there are 1.5 million move-

creates new opportunities for businesses and

ments of freight6.

employment. A circular approach to transport

Hermes and Royal Mail are major stakeholders.

Companies like Maersk,

reduces resource use whilst simultaneous1 International Transport Forum, Urban Mobility System Upgrade: How shared self-driving cars could change city traffic (Paris: OECD, 2015) 2 Clipper, Regent Street Delivery Consolidation Scheme (London: Clipper, 2016) 3 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Planning Effective Transport of People Products and Materials (London: EMF 2019]

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4 MOMO, The environmental impacts of Car-Sharing use (Brussels: Intelligent Energy Europe, 2009) 5 Deloitte, Assessing the value of TfLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open data and digital partnerships (London, Deloitte 2017) 6 IFSTTAR. What is the future of urban logistics? (Paris: IFSTTAR, 2017)

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

3) Resources for implementation

structure such as car sharing lanes and logis-

Electronic ticketing and data sharing

tical hubs for freight will change behaviour and

Electronic ticketing and online marketplac-

commuting patterns over time. Planning col-

es track, and record millions of trips made

laboratively with stakeholders from the public

across a city every day. This generates a lot

and private sectors is critical; without this, infra-

of data, a vast amount of which is unexploit-

structure decisions could be taken in isolation

ed . This data is a critical resource, allowing

and planning decisions could be less effective.

stakeholders to improve services whilst shar-

Resources identified for implementation are:

ing data with other transport companies, cou-

• A combined budgetary assessment of

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rier services, commuters and mobility apps.

Critical resources for implementation are:

• An open format webpage where data can be downloaded free of charge and is accessible to everyone.

• Electronic ticketing or recording devices for data capture.

• Highly skilled workers who can analyse, interpret and prepare data for public use.

annual local stakeholder investment.

• Carrying out a thorough city-wide assessment indicating the locations for relevant infrastructure.

• An infrastructure and asset management group to establish full participation between stakeholders.

4) Implementation Implementation #1: Data sharing

Social media Social media is crucial in raising awareness and letting people know there are alternative transport options related to the circular city that will benefit them. The dynamics and popularity of websites and apps like Instagram and Pinterest let people share ideas quickly.

Social media needs to present a strong portfolio of case studies demonstrating the transition to the circular city from a commuter’s perspective and the subsequent benefits.

Resources identified for implementation are:

• Business accounts on social media sites

Figure 2.1: Data sharing

• Data collected from transport companies can be shared amongst stakeholders to

promoting the transport network and the

improve efficiency network-wide. Data can

benefits.

be collected from several nodes across

• Targeted advertisements to commuters who would benefit from sharing transport.

• Testimonials from commuters that can be shared online.

the city’s transport system, for example, through electronic ticketing, public WiFi, cameras inside congestion zones and digital recording devices. The data is made available by transport companies through

Physical infrastructure

APIs and data files. The data includes live

The relevant physical infrastructure is funda-

arrivals, timetables, footfall and network

mental when adopting a circular city approach

performance.

to transport and the sharing economy. Infra7 Standing, Craig, et al. 'The implications of the sharing economy for transport', Transport Reviews, vol. 39, no. 2 (2019), p. 230

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• Businesses such as Citymapper, Google and Apple use this data to develop

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

new commercial products for customers.

itoring data feeds and working with developers.

Academics and planners use the data to

URLs:

create non-customer facing products and

• Transport for London: https://tfl.gov.uk/

services.

info-for/open-data-users/

• Commuters and customers take advantage of these new and improved services, en-

• London Datastore: https://data.london.gov. uk/

joying a better experience on the transport system.

Implementation #2: Overcoming barriers to

• Feedback on the data can produce insights

sharing transport

• Creating business profile accounts on

on how to improve from academics, planners and commuters. Ultimately this can

social media sites can inform commuters

increase customer satisfaction and cost

about alternative transport options in the

effectiveness.

city. Targeted advertisements can connect start-ups with potential future customers

Collecting, analysing and monitoring data re-

who are already interested in new transport

quires highly skilled workers to interpret and

approaches.

communicate the findings. Most transport

• Sharing data with regulators and local

companies have the resources to achieve this.

authorities will allow for more targeted

The main barrier for companies and network

research into the sharing economy and

operators is creating the platform in which in-

subsequent policy development9. The

formation can be shared and made availa-

sharing economy is a heavily regulated

ble for market consumption on a real-time

sector. Through being open and approach-

basis. User-friendly interfaces and transpar-

ing regulators directly, it is possible to avoid

ency between transport planners, local au-

misconceptions.

thorities and transport companies is essential.

• New transport infrastructure and adopting supportive policies can change behaviour

Example

at a city level. Research on High Occupan-

Millions of journeys are made in London daily

cy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes have shown that

which generates vast amounts of anonymised

their immediate opening has increased

data. Electronic ticketing and online marketplac-

HOV road use by 10%10. Furthermore, des-

es pay a key role. Transport for London (TfL) has

ignated car parking spots in popular areas

recognised that mobility is an information-based

for shared vehicles is convenient if the user

system, its true value lies in big data analytics.

is travelling to a busy location.

• Recognising and addressing the taboos TfL’s data is open sourced and available to all

to sharing transport is crucial. Sharing

stakeholders and commuters alike. TfL works

space and social engagement have been

with developers to find market gaps and iden-

both positive and negative aspects of ride

tify new opportunities through hackathons

sharing programmes. Using technology to

accelerators, blogs and formal partnerships .

match riders with similar interests could be

8

a way to make journeys more enjoyable.

Over the last decade TfL has gone from launching live travel widgets in 2007 to having over 80 live data feeds and over 12,000 registered developers today. In 2013 TfL saved £58m by mon8 Deloitte, Assessing the value of TfL’s open data and digital partnerships (London, Deloitte 2017)

17

9 Standing, Craig, et al. 'The implications of the sharing economy for transport', Transport Reviews, vol. 39, no.2 (2019), p239 10 ICARO. Increase of CAR Occupancy through innovative measures and technical instruments. (Vienna: European Commission, 1999)

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Implementation doesn’t necessarily require full participation at the city level immediately. HOV lanes could be tested incrementally

prisecarclub.co.uk/gb/en/home.html

• L iftshare: https://liftshare.com/uk • L iftshare West Yorkshire community fo-

along network arteries to determine public in-

rums: https://liftshare.com/uk/communi-

terest. Likewise, designated car parking spots

ty/wy

can be easily expanded over time, at low cost and subsequently monitored. This information

Implementation #3: New urban freight logistics

could be shared by local authorities amongst

• The local authority or landowner provides

different carsharing platforms and groups.

accessible inner-city spaces for logistic consolidation, for example, underground

Working at a smaller scale to begin with, for

car parks or unused land which delivery

example one road, is easier to monitor, control

companies can use at a modest rent across

and analyse. At a smaller scale it is also easier

different city locations.

to build a level of cohesion and trust between

• The deliveries arrive at the inner-city space

local stakeholders and transport users, whilst

once or twice a day from a larger regional,

not disrupting to existing patterns of road traffic.

or national hub. This reduces the amount of large delivery vehicles in the city centre or around the landowner’s vicinity.

Example Enterprise car club is a popular car sharing

• In return the delivery companies agree to

scheme in partnership with Leeds City Council.

use clean vehicles (electric or gas-pow-

Enterprise car club boasts great flexibility, offer-

ered) to deliver goods on the final mile of

ing members access to 1,400 vehicles across

their journey across the city. This reduces

the UK, including small cars to large vans. Fur-

congestion and fuel consumption, improves

thermore, full roadside assistance is includ-

delivery times and improves air quality.

ed and there is no need to book in advance.

Implementation requires a transparent relaAdditionally, councils across West Yorkshire

tionship between the landowner of the con-

have promoted the benefits of carpooling,

solidation centre and the logistical companies.

working collaboratively with Liftshare to cre-

Large HGVs and delivery vehicles make an

ate a forum for different communities across

area unattractive which provides an incen-

the region. The University of Leeds staff fo-

tive for the landowner or public authority to

rum on Liftshare has over 500 members

encourage new urban freight logistics. Con-

who take advantage of Leeds’ HOV lanes,

servation areas and heritage sites are good

typically

places to start to think about using clean-

saving

around

£900

per

year.

er, less dominating transportation methods.

The Leeds-Liftshare partnership also enables

There have been recent disruptions to pat-

the Council to monitor parking utilisation, help-

terns of freight logistics in urban areas due to

ing support the uptake of car sharing and car

a reduction of industrial land in cities. The new

club programmes by creating designated car

urban freight logistic method is a way around

park spaces. Leeds promotes carpooling on its

this barrier, saving couriers time and money

social media channels offering prizes as well as

whilst benefiting the surrounding environment.

giving new users who register to Liftshare a gift.

Example

18

URLs:

Paris has implemented innovative last mile

• Enterprise car club: https://www.enter-

logistics transforming underused urban spac-

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

es and repurposing them as logistical hubs.

Underground car parks are one urban space that is being transformed. The rise of the shar-

places vans with bikes in the last mile of deliv-

ing economy, congestion charge zones, im-

ery. Hermes, DHL, DPD and UPS have all bought

proved public transport and wider environ-

into the scheme. KoMoDo has been very suc-

mental concerns mean that the current car

cessful in reducing emissions and road noise.

parking network within cities might be too large.

URLs: Similar schemes have been tested in other large European cities . Berlin’s KoMoDo project re11

Figure 2.2: Reconfigured logistics model

11 Clipper, Regent Street Delivery Consolidation Scheme (London: Clipper, 2016)

19

• KoMoDo project, Berlin: https://www.komodo.berlin/

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

2.3 Waste 1) Why it matters

tive infrastructures for a circular waste system.

In a linear system, waste belongs to the final stage in consumption, where materials would be

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can

deposited in landfills or incinerators and serves

participate in promoting the reuse, recycle, and

no purpose afterwards. However, in a circular

repurposing of waste in local areas to facilitate

system, waste can be reused, recycled, and

circular cities. This can be done by providing

repurposed. Waste in a circular system feeds

services to meet local needs, such as repair

back to the beginning of the consumption chain,

shops, second-hand shops, and the library of

which in theory could reduce the exploitation

things. The provision of these services to the

for new raw materials. Thereby in a circular city,

general public in the local community can re-

local waste should be redefined and treated as

inforce and encourage further public engage-

resources in order to facilitate a circular system.

ment in the circular waste system in a city.

Waste plays a key role in circular cities since

Private businesses, especially firms from the

effective and appropriate treatment of waste

construction and production industries, can

can extend the potential of waste materi-

benefit from the circular waste system. Busi-

als, such as converting food waste into en-

nesses can create communities and networks

ergy and fertilisers, and reusing fabric to

to share and reuse excess resources to utilise

create new products. In addition, the public

the materials available. The costs for trans-

sector has policies and guidelines for ensur-

porting materials can therefore be reduced,

ing the quality of waste meets safety stand-

and firms can receive additional revenue from

ards to be fed back to the circulatory system.

selling their excess resources to other firms.

Since the circular waste system is associat-

The European Union1 has highlighted that circu-

ed with the overall groundwork of circular

lar economies and circular cities could only be

cities, it can be closely interconnected with

made possible with sufficient levels of support

other components in developing circular cit-

and coordination between the public and pri-

ies. Such associations include the Library of

vate sectors. Moreover, the EU suggests having

Things (LoT); Community Energy; Construc-

provision of adequate infrastructure for waste

tion; and Food. These will be explained in fur-

systems to run in circular cities, to fully exploit

ther details in other sections in this handbook.

the potential of waste and circulate it back into the cities. Hence although the public sector

2) Key stakeholders

may be the key in providing facilities for a circu-

The public sector plays a vital role in the de-

lar waste system in a city, a circular city can only

cision-making process in developing an ad-

be made possible with participation and coor-

equate infrastructure through policies and

dination across the public and private sectors.

regulations, which can in turn influence the frastructure from the private sector. Long term

3) Key actions and implementation

costs of a circular waste system will be lower

Implementation #1: Businesses

than conventional waste infrastructures, since

• ●Cooperate between firms and industries to

development of a sufficient circular waste in-

overall waste disposal rates will be reduced in a circular city. Hence local councils and taxpayers can benefit from reduced costs in waste treatment in the long term by providing effec-

20

utilise available resources.

• ●Provide services to repair old products.

1 European Union, Circular City Governance: An explorative research study into current barriers and governance practices in circular city transitions across Europe (Nijmegen: Euorpean Union, 2018)

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

• ●Design products which prioritises longevity.

Sutherland Shire, South Australia, and Tasmania.

The business sector is a key stakeholder in

Implementation #2: Non-governmental organi-

the design, production, and consumption

sations (NGOs)

section in a circular economy, and hence if

• • • •

the business sector participates in the circular economy, it could have a huge influence in consumer behaviour which could in

Product repair stores Library of Things Second hand shops Online platforms

turn aid the development of a circular city.

NGOs play a major role in filling in the gaps for the In addition, working towards a circular econ-

services needed for a circular city, particularly in

omy in the business sector may also bring

circular waste systems. Circular waste systems

benefits to private firms. The utilisation of ma-

will therefore be more complete when demands

terials between firms may create closer net-

for certain services in circular waste systems

works across different industries, whilst costs

are fulfilled by NGOs. Therefore, NGOs will con-

of transporting the raw materials could be

tribute in encouraging public engagement in

reduced since the businesses will be locat-

circular waste systems by providing relevant

ed within the same city. Hence there ought

services to meet the needs of the wider public.

to be more benefits than costs for the business sector to participate in circular cities.

Barriers The demands for particular services to reduce

Barriers

waste may not be one-size-fit-all across all circu-

It can be challenging at the beginning when

lar cities, since demand could vary according to

businesses are trying to identify different re-

the difference in land use, demography, and pop-

sources available across different industries,

ulation density between different cities. Hence

since they lack the expertise in locating the

the NGOs will have to ‘fill the gap’ by identifying

resources each business might require. How-

the needs for the appropriate services in the city.

ever, since the networks of material trade will operate at the city scale in circular cit-

Best Practice: WISP in Cape Town, South Africa4

ies, the availability of materials would not vary

The non-governmental organisation reach-

too much in the short term as business-

es out to businesses and industry to set up

es begin to familiarise with the new culture.

meetings and site visits to better understand the

overall

operations,

mechanisms

and

Best Practice: Close the Loop (CtL)

waste streams to identify unused and/or un-

CtL is an Australian company that recycles

derutilised resources. As a result, more than

waste plastics and converts them into road

4,000 potential synergies between the 486

pavements. One of CtL’s products, Tonerplas,

companies in the network were identified.

2

recycles waste toner from printer cartridges and converts it into asphalt mix. Every kilom-

Implementation #3: Public Sector

eter of asphalt mix contains waste toner from

• ●Easy access to information to promote a

25,000 cartridges and 134 tonnes of reclaimed

circular economy and ways to eliminate

asphalt. Tonerplas has been applied in roads

waste.

3

across Australia, including Hume City Council, 2 Close The Loop <https://www.closetheloop.com.au/> 3 Eco Roads, ‘Hume City Council’ Eco Roads, 2020 <https://www. roads.eco/hume-city-council/>

21

• ●Incentives e.g. funds and campaigns to 4 C40 Cities, Municipality-led circular economy case studies In partnership with the Climate-KIC Circular Cities Project, (London: C40 Cities, 2018) <https:// www.c40.org/researches/municipality-led-circular-economy>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

encourage participation from different sectors.

• ●Remove legislative barriers to facilitate a circular waste system.

• Provide funding for non-profit organisations to run schemes.

The public sector is responsible for providing the infrastructure needed to support a circular waste system for cities to run in circularity. Moreover, the public sector has the ability to attract the general public and private sectors in taking part and engaging in a circular city, for example by providing funding and incentives. In addition, the public sector is the only body which has the power to remove the barriers hindering the establishment of circular waste systems in circular cities at regional and national levels.

Barriers The public sector does not provide the waste infrastructure in the UK, which is instead provided by public contractors. Hence the public sector does not have the authority to change the waste infrastructure completely. However, changes can be done through establishing policies and regulations to reinforce restrictions on linear waste systems, and encourage circular waste systems to be operated.

Best Practice: R.U.S.Z in Vienna, Austria5 The department of environmental protection from the Municipality of Vienna has funded the R.U.S.Z. programme since 1998. Elderly, unemployed, and disabled individuals were hired to carry out repair services for electric and electronic goods. As a result, approximately 400 tonnes of appliances were repaired annually; the average ‘lifespan’ electronic appliances were extended by 25%; and more than 15,000 tonnes of electronic or electric waste was prevented between 1998 and 2018.

5

22

ibid.

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

2.3 Community Energy 1) Why it matters

2) Key stakeholders

A circular cities approach to community en-

The most relevant stakeholders for these pro-

ergy is based on the idea that by generating

jects are the local community and governments.

energy, communities can create less waste,

By creating a community board of individuals

due to the decreased use of non-renewable

who are interested in creating city scale renewa-

resources, like oil and gas. It also incorporates

ble energy in the area, communities can increase

the idea that by creating community scale en-

the uptake of responsibilities for these projects.

ergy generation, not every resident needs to learn the skills associated with energy gen-

By discussing these projects with local land-

eration, but every resident can benefit from it.

owners, including the local government, com-

Energy is important to everyone everywhere

munities can quickly gain supporters for their pro-

and integral to the way cities operate, and

jects, as many community scale energy projects

quickly becoming considered a human right .

involve infrastructural changes and citizen input.

Community based energy generation has a

National governments often have schemes for

few ways that it can be implemented. One of

supporting local energy generation, which often

the major ways that governments can have

involve money for setting up the scheme and

an impact on energy is through communi-

technical assistance, though it does depend

ty-based plans for energy reduction. By reduc-

on the scheme chosen. In the United King-

ing the amount of energy used by a commu-

dom, the Department of Environment, Food

nity, the materials that need to be used in the

and Rural Affairs has a Rural Community Ener-

production of energy are also reduced. This

gy Fund, which is for communities hoping to

makes implementing a circular city easier and

invest in community based renewable energy4.

1

provides energy through renewable resourcnewable resources, transmission costs can be

3) Key actions and implementation

reduced, local needs can be directly assessed,

Implementation #1: Energy efficiency plans by

and local waste can be identified and treated in

governments

whichever way works best for the community .

The least carbon intensive energy is no ener-

es. By using local waste streams for these re-

2

gy at all. Although we cannot ask residents Another

way

that

energy

can

be

pro-

to not use energy in their homes and lives,

duced at the communal level is through bi-

governments have the ability to create legis-

omass and biomass boilers, which have

lation which reduces the use of energy in their

been

communities. Decreasing the use of energy

put

in

many

UK

communities .

3

decreases the use of raw material in energy Another major way of reducing oil and gas

generation.

use in energy production is through district heating, where materials that would

Decreasing energy use does not necessari-

otherwise be sent to landfill are inciner-

ly mean that people have to go without ener-

ated and create heat for the community.

gy. Instead, governments can create an energy efficiency plan which supports the use of

1 Electric, Schneider, Energy is a Basic Human Right, (Politico, 2015) 2 Department of Environment and Rural Affairs, ‘Energy From Waste: A Guide to the Debate’, GOV.UK, 2014 <https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/284612/ pb14130-energy-waste-201402.pdf> 3 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, ‘Community Energy’, GOV.UK, 2015 <https://www.gov.uk/guidance/community-energy>

23

efficient appliances, as well as some energy reduction measures, like introducing motion 4 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ‘Rural Community Energy Fund’, GOV.UK, 2019 <https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rural-community-energy-fund>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

sensor lights, which are only consuming en-

Biomass (organic material) can be converted

ergy when necessary. Other forms of energy

into biofuels through a process called fermen-

reduction, based on community needs can

tation, which can create either heat or power.

be brainstormed by community members.

Biofuels are considered a type of renewable energy7. Biofuel can be used as a substitute for

The first, and more important step, of creating

oil and gas in vehicles, like cars and buses. Us-

an energy reduction plan is by gathering local

ing biofuel in buses both reuses biomass, that

stakeholders and discussing the options with

would otherwise be wasted, and decreases

them. It’s also important to contact the district

the amount of oil used by a community. As oil

network operators in the United Kingdom, or

becomes scarcer, this shows itself to be a via-

whoever supplies the electricity for the locali-

ble alternative to fuel public transport vehicles.

ty. Gathering stakeholders, and creating a plan is the first step in community energy reduction.

Communities would do best to invest in biofuel generation at an infrastructural lev-

Example

el in order to facilitate communal engage-

Scotland’s Local Heat and Energy Efficien-

ment with

cy Strategies (LHEES) are plans, set out by

transit through otherwise wasted materials.

the

project,

and

fuel public

the national government, in order to mobilise local governments into creating more ener-

The first step in this process is to begin biomass

gy efficiency plans within their own commu-

collection by collecting leaves and organic ma-

nities, and to decarbonise heat production .

terial from households and businesses in the

This is a plan that the Scottish Government

community. Once the knowledge is in place,

is considering making compulsory for com-

and there is little contamination in the collec-

munities. It was done by making one mem-

tion of these materials, then a biofuel fermenta-

ber of the local government work specifical-

tion machine can be bought by the community

ly towards energy efficiency and reduction.

government. The material, which is now be-

5

ing collected, can then be placed directly into Implementation #2: Biomass fuel generation

the machine, which will pump out biofuel into

Organic material, when left to rot in a tradition-

the public transit, or other municipality owned

al landfill, creates methane, which is 84 times

vehicles. Eventually, it is possible to create

more potent than carbon dioxide within the first

enough biofuel to also provide it to residents.

twenty years . However, by using organic mate6

rial as fuel instead, it takes the place of oil or gas,

Example

it can be kept out of landfill, and take its place

Nottingham City Council, which is a parent or-

within the circular city.

ganization for Nottingham City Transportation,

Figure 2.3: Biomass CHP System 5 Chief Economists Directorate, ‘Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES): phase 1 pilots - social evaluation’, Scottish Government, 2019 <https://www.gov.scot/publications/local-heat-energy-efficiency-strategies-phase-1-pilots-social-evaluation/pages/1/> 6 Environmental Defence Fund, ‘Methane: The other important green house gas’ Environmental Defence Fund, 2020 <https://www.edf.org/ climate/methane-other-important-greenhouse-gas>

24

7 Shankar Shiv., and others, ‘Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Resources: Bioenergy and Biofuels’. In: Principles and Applications of Environmental Biotechnology for a Sustainable Future. ed. by Ram Lakhan Singh, (New York: Springer, 2017), pp. 293-314.

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

has worked to implement biogas being used to

Example

fuel their buses. They receive biogas from a sep-

In Sweden this process is largely called ‘ener

arate, private company, but have successfully

gy recovery from waste’, and over half of the

8

saved 84% of emissions . By doing this, they have

waste in Sweden is incinerated. Many of the

cut their costs for providing oil for the buses and

materials disposed of in Sweden go into other

have increased the sustainability of their buses.

recycling routes, including plastic, paper, glass and organic materials. This creates a system

Implementation #3: District heating

where only things that have no use other than

District heating is when waste materials are in-

landfill will be incinerated11, so many materi-

cinerated in order to create heat and energy

als are still going to their highest and best use.

for the surrounding communities. This can only be implemented at the infrastructural scale as

Some neighbourhoods in Sweden, including

these incinerators are costly and require skilled

the Stockholm Royal Seaport have a ‘station-

labourers to run them. The pipes, which need

ary vacuum system’, an underground system

to be underground and connect parts of the

of tubes which runs directly from businesses

city to the heat and energy are also costly and

and residences to the recycling facilities, de-

require this to be done by local governments.

creasing the need for waste removal services like large trucks, and increases the ease

Although district heating is widely used and

for residents to recycle, as they can get rid

considered sustainable, there is some con-

of their recycling at any point they please12.

troversy regarding both whether it should be counted as a source of renewable energy, and about its place in the circular city, as it necessitates the burning of materials that are not going to their highest and best use9. However, this is a solution that works for many communities, and does keep waste out of landfill.

Within the district heating process, energy and heat is generated by an incinerator and transferred to commercial and residential buildings10.

This is distinctly a top-down measure. The first thing that needs to happen is major

infrastructure

investment,

which

will

then be repaid within the community from lower overall heating

and

energy costs.

8 Nottingham City Council, ‘Gas Buses’, Nottingham City Council 2020 <https://www.nctx.co.uk/gasbus> 9 Brown, Mike., ‘Is Waste a Source of Renewable Energy?’ Zero Waste Europe, 2015 <https://zerowasteeurope.eu/2015/08/is-waste-a-source-of-renewable-energy/> 10 Byun, J.-K and others, 'Study on the Development of an Optimal Heat Supply Control Algorithm for Group Energy Apartment Buildings According to the Variation of Outdoor Air Temperature', Energies, vol 5, no 5,. (2012), pp 1686-1704.

25

11 Avfall Sverige, ‘Treatment Methods’, Avfall Sverige, 2019 <https:// www.avfallsverige.se/in-english/treatment-methods/> 12 Envac Group, ‘Stockholm Royal Seaport’, Envac Group, 2020 <https://www.envacgroup.com/casestudies/stockholm-royal-seaport-nds/>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Chapter 3: Mobilising Business and Community Initiatives 26

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

3.1 Introduction This section will focus on exemplifying how cir-

tion and waste of ‘things’ and material objects

cular city principles can be integrated into busi-

have had an increasingly detrimental effect.

ness and community initiatives in different sec-

Due to a culture of hyper-consumption and

tors and at different scales. The Construction

wastefulness, it is important that more sus-

Industry is the UK’s largest consumer of mate-

tainable practices are adopted in day-to-day

rials and producer of waste. This is a result of

living. The Library of Things provides an inno-

the environmentally and economically draining

vative opportunity to implement a circular mi-

patterns of excessive resource extraction and

cro-economy of ‘things’ within a community,

disposal. Circular city principles can have a ma-

enabling principles of the sharing economy to

jor impact within this sector by minimising virgin

be adopted. This initiative enables a commu-

resource use and material disposal through cre-

nity to create stranger-to-stranger sharing net-

ating a circular economy system of construction

works, both reducing waste and maximising the

waste and materials. This can offer new oppor-

lifespan of products in order to capitalise on re-

tunities in the construction industry for finan-

sources used in production processes. As a re-

cial and environmental savings while contrib-

sult, contributing to a vision of the circular city.

uting to the long-term vision of a circular city.

Overall, the aim of this section is to illusThe circular city aims to promote the principles

trate how adaptable and applicable circu-

of the circular economy at a municipal level,

lar city principles are on a range of scales

and one element is the Commercial Food In-

through business and community sectors.

dustry and the creation of a food system where foods are grown locally, or regeneratively. A circular food system aims to connect the consumer with the producer and provide a use for food ‘beyond the plate.’ Food waste need not be the end of the products life, waste can be used to fuel other elements of the circular city. By creating a circular food system, businesses can reduce environmental impacts, gain economic benefits and to increase business opportunities through a network of like-minded companies.

In addition to this, Community Food Initiatives can play a significant role in developing a circular food economy on a micro-scale. Community initiatives rely on local social capital for its success and community food initiatives utilise a range of stakeholders to reduce food poverty and waste. They can support the redistribution of surplus food and recycling nutrients into compost or fertiliser. This reduces both food waste and demand, cutting down on the environmental impact involved in production processes.

Food is not the only source of high pollution and environmental degradation, the produc-

27

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

3.2 Construction for Circular Cities 1) Why it matters

climate change; increasing extreme climate

Whilst individual construction projects are

events increase the risk exposure of con-

rarely city-wide, their combined impacts can

struction projects and associated re-work

shape city life. Construction is an indispensa-

costs.

ble driver of economic growth and development, providing jobs and the buildings and

Making construction circular, and decoupled

infrastructure that enable human health, ed-

from finite resource consumption, therefore

ucation and wellbeing. This importance will

offers economic gains. Indeed, currently only

only rise as populations grow, and urbanisation

9% of minerals, fossil fuels, materials and bio-

accelerates. However, rather than the closed

mass that enters the global economy are circu-

loop of circular cities, construction currently

lar (meaning only 9% is reused)5. This highlights

follows unsustainable patterns, overconsum-

current shortcomings but also potential for

ing finite resources and producing excessive

economising; adopting circular principles could

amounts of waste and pollution, in a linear

save the construction industry over $100bn

‘take-make-dispose’ model. This level of us-

annually6, with productivity gains in resource

age and disposal is a major contributor to glob-

costs (materials and energy), transport costs

al ecological decline and resource depletion:

and waste management/disposal. Meanwhile,

• Construction accounts for 55% of UK mate-

by reducing material and energy inputs, and waste outputs, circular construction can con-

rial consumption .

1

• Construction is the UK’s biggest waste pro-

tribute to tackling the impending climate crisis,

ducer, whilst construction and related activ-

reducing future risk to the built environment.

ities (demolition and excavation) account for

Despite initial costs associated with novel, and

60% of total waste .

potentially complex, construction methods,

2

• Globally, construction accounts for 30% of

retraining workers, and refurbishing existing in-

greenhouse gas emissions and 40% of en-

frastructure, these forecast economic and en-

ergy consumption .

vironmental gains offer a clear incentive for the

3

construction sector to incorporate circularity.

These characteristics have economic implications, generating costs, disrupting production

2) Best practice case studies7

lines and increasing risk:

Best practice examples are described to high-

• Material/component inputs account for

light how circular principles have been suc-

40-60% of construction costs; by reducing

cessfully integrated into construction. Following

demand for virgin material input, economic

this, key stakeholders, resources and actions for

gains are achievable.

implementing these principles, will be laid out.

• Construction waste management/disposal costs absorb approximately 30% of pre-tax

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

profits .

At a project level, the London 2012 Olym-

4

• Reliance on finite resources, that are being

pic Park is a strong example of constructing

depleted, puts future projects, and profits,

with circular principles. This began with de-

at risk.

sign, which emphasised waste in construction:

• Waste, pollution and energy usage of linear

• Structures were designed for minimalism

construction pathways, are associated with

and resource efficiency; construction used

1 BREEAM, Mat 06 Material efficiency (London: BREEAM, 2016) 2 DEFRA and Governmental Statistical Service, UK Statistics on Waste, (London: DEFRA, 2019) 3 Rohinton, Emmanuel. and Keith Baker, Carbon Management in the Built Environment (Abingdon: Routledge, 2012).

4 Arup, The Circular Economy in the Built Environment (London: Arup, 2016)

28

90% less steel than the 2008 Beijing games.

5 CGRI, The Circularity Gap Report, (CGRI, 2019) 6 World Economic Forum, Shaping the Future of Construction (Geneva, 2016) 7 Case studies sourced from: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Circularity in the Built Environment: Case Studies (Cowes: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2016)

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

• Cross-laminated

building-frames,

not

BRE Resource Efficient House, Ravenscraig

traditional frames, were selected, en-

At the scale of a single unit, the BRE Re-

abling off-site construction, with con-

source Efficient House displays efficient con-

trolled conditions. This minimised on-

struction that facilitates sustainable lifestyles.

site waste

for re-working.

It was built to be easily repeatable at scale.

• Shallower raft building foundations were

The construction process itself utilised circu-

selected rather than deep foundations.

lar principles to maximise resource efficiency:

This minimises excavation needed for

• Off-site construction occurred with pre-fitted

construction,

and

need

reducing

waste

output.

‘pods’, including kitchen and bathrooms, built

• Building Information Modelling (BIM) was

off-site. This lowered the waste-to-landfill to

used to maximise logistics and coordina-

0.09 tonnes, reducing costs associated with

tion in construction, minimising reworking

material management/disposal. Transpor-

and transport demands, reducing waste.

tation emissions and costs are also reduced.

• Recycled

materials

were

prioritised.

During sourcing, reused materials were priori-

For example, kitchen work top con-

tised:

struction

• By reusing surplus gas pipelines instead

tic,

utilised

reducing

virgin

recycled

plas-

material

usage.

of new steel, and recycled concrete, £1.5m was saved, whilst significant emissions and

Construction was forward-thinking, consider-

degradation was avoided. More than 20,000

ing how the building would be used across its

lorry movements were also avoided.

lifecycle, aiming to embed circular principles across this:

Many of the park’s structures were con-

• Structural insulated panels (SIPs) were

structed for temporary use, to be disas-

used, which are resource efficient, and

sembled and reused during other events:

highly effective at reducing energy use,

• A full pre-deconstruction audit was per-

providing strong insulation and airtightness.

formed, to ensure materials and construction

• Solar photovoltaics were built in, re-

methods would ensure easy deconstruction.

• Easier disassembly enabled though con-

ducing

reliance

• End-of-use

on

was

external considered,

energy. with

struction techniques including using screws

the modular pods easy to disassem-

rather than adhesives.

ble, and a focus on recyclable materials

to

minimise

end-of-life

waste.

3) Key stakeholders To successfully implement circularity in the construction industry, there are various stakeholders who should be invovled. These stakeholders need to engage both with the key principles of circularity, and with one another, across the project lifespan. Such relationships .

London Olympic Park © UCL Digital Media

29

are explored in Table 3.1 on the next page.

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Table 3.1: Example stakeholder actions in the construction sector Stakeholder

Example Action

Landowners, investors, prospective tenants

Agree upon circular principles from the outset of development and discuss factors such as the usage of the building with construction teams, to inform design and construction practices

Building designers and architects

Discuss requirements of building with construction team and users, to ensure appropriate measures, including resource and energy efficiency are embedded into design. This might involve using lean design to minimise material waste (see: Ciria, 2013. Implementing Lean in construction: Learn tools and techniques – an introduction) .

Construction firms

Embed circular practices into operational workflows and train staff to implement them

Supply chain manager

Sourcing suitable materials can support the circularity of the construction process (see section on Materials below for more details)

Building operator and users

Discuss a building management strategy with construction team, to reduce reliance on future rework and maintenance

Policymakers and planner

Incentivise and regulate for circular principles in construction

4) Resources

The Institution of Structural Engineers provide

There are several key resources that are need-

useful further information for selecting materi-

ed in order to make construction circular.

als8.

Materials

Technology

Construction’s ‘bricks and mortar’ are important

Technological resources can enable circular

and should be selected to fulfil as many of the

principles. They help in the management the

following criteria as possible:

construction processes, and in buildings’ usage

• Durable • Flexible (both physically and in the breadth

lifecycle, minimising waste outputs and the need

of potential uses)

• Non-hazardous, non-toxic and non-pollut-

for additional construction work, thus increasing the efficiency of construction. Several easily accessible and existing technologies include:

ing

• Recycled, repurposed or refurbished • Easy to recycle, recover, repurpose or refurbish

30

• Building Information Modelling (BIM) provides a platform to manage data about buildings across their lifecycle. One func8 The Institution of Structural Engineers, ‘Considerations when choosing sustainable materials’, ISE, 2019 <https://www.istructe.org/resources/ guidance/sustainability-considerations-choosing-materials/>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

tion is virtually modelling construction prior

• Technical retraining for building designers

to physical construction, to assess poten-

and construction workers around key prin-

tial problems and uncertainties. This allows

ciples, including BIM, modular construction

solutions to be found prior to the start of

and constructing for disassembly.

construction, minimising resource inputs

• Supply chain managers and those respon-

and waste outputs. BIM is also used during

sible for sourcing, should receive training on

construction, to manage its logistical coor-

selecting materials according to the criteria

dination, for example enabling just-in-time

discussed above.

delivery, and minimising on-site waste. Fi-

• General knowledge sharing regarding good

nally, BIM allows virtual analysis to support

practice should be promoted across the in-

maintenance during building operation, re-

dustry to enable mutual benefits and create

ducing the need for, and intensity of, rework

networks for resource sharing.

construction. Thus, BIM saves time, money, resource inputs and waste outputs.

• New technologies increase resource efficiency in construction. 3D printing can re-

5) Key actions Drawing on the above, key actions for the construction

sector

are

now

identified.

duce material inputs for bespoke elements.

This technique has been used by Arup to

Communicate

design and print individual components in

• Coordinate with all key stakeholders in the

metal for construction, offering weight re-

construction process, ensuring that under-

ductions of up to 40% to the final structure.

standings of how circularity can benefit the

This offers significant waste and cost sav-

project, and be implemented, are aligned.

ings. 3D Hubs is an online platform that pro-

• Communicate horizontally within the con-

vides access to 3D printing for the industry.

struction industry, to share knowledge and

• Internet technologies offer a potential re-

unneeded resources between organisa-

9

source sharing platform. Werflink , a Bel-

tions. This will improve efficiency for all.

gian example, enables construction com-

• Communicate the benefits of circularity to

panies to share unneeded equipment,

the market through advertising and infor-

materials and freight space, reducing waste

mation, to build demand for circular con-

and demand for virgin resource extraction,

struction.

10

thus providing financial and environmental savings. This model is easily replicable.

Education and research

• Make use of institutions conducting reHuman capital

search into circular principles, including the

Skills and knowledge are needed to embed cir-

Building Research Establishment (BRE) and

cular principles into the construction process.

the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF). This

By investing in human capital, these practices

will build awareness and knowledge.

will more effectively utilised, increasing the financial and environmental benefits available.

• Train staff on key benefits of the circularity, enabling a mindset shift from linear to circular construction. Provide, or sponsor,

Focus areas should include:

training in the skills needed to deliver this,

• General training for all staff regarding circu-

including off-site and modular construction,

lar principles and their rationale, to generate understanding and buy-in.

9 10

31

https://www.3dhubs.com/ https://www.werflink.com/en-werflink.html

circular material sourcing and BIM.

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Construct with circularity now

• Collaborate with designers to implement

6. Summary: why make construction circular?

lean design into construction, to eliminate

Going circular can bring about major financial

waste, whilst maximising value.

savings for the construction sector, whilst also

• Prioritise recycled, repurposed or refurbished materials during construction, to

providing important wider environmental benefits.

minimise raw material and energy inputs, providing energy and cost savings.

• Prefabricate off-site and use modularity, to

Financial

• Less spent on waste management and dis-

minimise waste outputs and construction/ transportation costs.

• Choose components that minimise waste outputs, for example shallow foundations.

• Use BIM during construction, to manage logistics, maximise efficiency and minimise

posal.

• Higher resource efficiency, curbing resource costs.

• Lower management costs during construction.

• Lower maintenance costs post-construc-

waste.

tion and less rework.

Construct with circularity for the future

Environmental

• Construct for easy disassembly, for exam-

• • • •

ple using modular construction and screws rather than adhesives.

• Use materials for reuse: recyclable, easy to repurpose, easy to refurbish materials help

Finite natural resources preserved.

Less resource extraction-related emissions.

Less transport-related emissions.

Less polluting and degrading waste-tolandfill.

close the loop, providing value for future constructions.

• Utilise technologies that maximise in-use efficiency, including BIM, LED lighting and solar panels.

• Utilise materials that maximise in-use efficiency by being durable and insulating.

Key message: •

Circular construction means moving from linear take-make-dispose, to a focus on resource efficiency, recycling of materials and longevity.

•

To successfully implement circularity, actors across the lifespan of a construction project should be involved and collaborate.

•

Actors should carefully take advantage of materials, technology and human capital to enable circularity in construction.

•

Through learning, communication and collaboration, and by thinking holistically about the impacts of construction both now and in the future, real success can be achieved.

32

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

3.3 Mobilising the Food Business Sector 1) Why it matters

is no surprise, that with increasing numbers of people living in cities and towns, there are more mouths to feed… and potentially more food to be wasted. In the UK, £20 billion a year of edible food is wasted2, and although the majority of waste is created through householders, approximately 30% of the food waste arising in the UK in 2018 was from a combination of the retail, manufacture and hospitality and food sectors3.

The circular city aims to promote a new ur-

Figure 3.1: Ambitions in cities © Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2019

ban circular system, in which input and output

“Changing our food system is one of the

flows are ‘closed’. Food and waste are important

most impactful things we can do to address climate change, create healthy cities, and rebuild biodiversity. The current food system has fuelled urbanisation, economic development, and supported a fast-growing population. However, this has come at an enormous cost to society and the environment” (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017).

The UN has reported that the percentage of the UK’s population living in urban areas is currently 83.9%. Over the next ten years this is set to rise to 86.3% and by 2050, 90.2% of the UK population will be residing in urban environments1. It

‘flows’ in the circular city model and are at “the basis of the city’s metabolism that represents the engine for the functioning of the city and its economy”4. Although cities will not be able to grow enough food to be self-sufficient, the food system can avoid contributing as much carbon emissions as possible through creating a production system that is closer to the consumer.

In closed loop flows, food waste becomes a source for regeneration of products: by-products can ultimately be used in the farming practise, or edible food waste can be reused in the food manufacturing process. Figure 3.2 below illustrates this. The Anaerobic Digestion method

Figure 3.2: A Circular System: Food and Drink Manufacturing © Food Drink Europe (2018)

1 Trend Monitor, ‘Global Megatrend: Urbanisation’, Trend Monitor, 2020 <https://trend-monitor.co.uk/global-megatrend-urbanisation/>

33

2 Harvey, Fiona, 'Can we ditch intensive farming and still feed the world?', The Guardian, 28 January 2019 3 WRAP, Food Surplus and Waste in the UK – Key Facts, (WRAP, 2020) 4 Girad, Luigi Fusco. and Nocca, Francesca, 'Moving Towards the Circular Economy/ City Model: Which Tools for Operationalising This Model?', Sustainability, vol. 11, no. 22. 2019. pp. 1-48.

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

incorporates circular system principles as it uses

generative, resilient, less wasteful and healthier9.

organic waste to produce compost and biogas5.

Technologies can aid closed loop flows in cit-

The following best practice case studies high-

ies, a recent study has found that a micro-scale

light how circular principles have been suc-

anaerobic digestor in London “has avoid-

cessfully integrated into a variety of food

ed 3.9 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions,

businesses. Subsequent to this, key stake-

whilst providing biogas for heat and power” .

holders, resources and actions for imple-

6

menting these principles, will be discussed.

Consumer behaviour is changing, and customers have become more ecologically conscious .

2) Best practice case studies

There is a motive for businesses to adapt to the

Vertical Farming, Urban Farming, Underground

growing consumer interest and effort to seek out

Farming

companies and brands with a sustainable ethos.

GrowUp Urban Farms10 11

Recent research has shown that the shift in con-

GrowUp Urban Farms, based in London, pro-

sumer understanding on environmental issues

duces sustainable salads and herbs using ver-

has had a direct impact on companies’ adoption

tical growing technologies and Controlled En-

of the Circular Economy and Green Practices .

vironment Production. One of their business

7

aims is to create a connection between the The Ellen Macarthur Foundation identifies six

consumer and where the food is grown: “a sto-

business actions that businesses are encour-

ry of food from farm to fork.” They began their

aged to adopt to function in the circular city :

journey in a shipping container with a green-

8

house above before creating a prototype ver-

• • • • • •

Regenerate

tical farm in a warehouse in East London. Now,

Share

GrowUp runs in a commercial-scale aquaponic

Optimize

farm which combines two farming practices of

Loop

aquaculture and hydroponics in a recirculating

Virtualise

system . Similarly to many other urban farm-

Exchange

ing businesses, GrowUp pride themselves on growing foods without pesticides, herbicides or

Scepticism may arise when presented with a

fungicides. Yet, the 8,200 square feet of growing

circular business model… where can we find the

space produces more than 20,000kg of sustain-

space for regenerative farming in our cities and

able salads and herbs (equivalent to 200,000

towns? Will there be enough time and funding

salad bags) and 4,000kg of fish per year.

for a successful shift to the circular economy?

More information can be found on GrowUp Urban

What will the yields be? Will there be support at

Farms’ website; please visit www.growup.org.uk

each stage of the transition? This is where this handbook comes into play; this handbook will

Lufa Farms, Montreal12

provide tips and initiatives to guide businesses in

Underutilised spaces in cities and towns can

the direction of a circular food system that is re-

make potentially ideal locations for urban farming practices. For example, roof space and un-

5 Garcia, Eduardo, 'Where’s the Waste? A ‘Circular’ Food Economy Could Combat Climate Change', New York Times, 21 September 2019 6 European Commission, ‘Science for Environment Policy’, European Commission DG Environment News Alert Service, 2018 7 Julião, Jorge. and others, ‘Exploring Circular Economy in the Hospitality Industry’, Innovation, Engineering and Entrepreneurship, vol. 505, 2018. pp.

953-960.

8 Schulze, Günther., ‘Short Assessment of the Report - Growth Within: A Circular Economy Vision for a Competitive Europe’, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, 2016

34

derground tunnels are home to urban farming projects across the world. Lufa Farms in Mon9 Jeffries, Nick, 'A Circular Economy for Food: 5 case studies', Circulate, 2018 10 GrowUp. ‘About Us’, GrowUp, 2018 <https://www.growup.org.uk/> 11 GrowUp, ‘Commercial-scale Controlled Environment Production’, GrowUp, 2018 <https://www.growup.org.uk/about-us> 12 Lufa, ‘About’, Lufa, 2020 <https://montreal.lufa.com/en/about>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

treal was the world’s first commercial rooftop hydroponic greenhouse. Since 2011, Lufa have built 4 rooftop greenhouses. Benefits of this

duced/removed.

• Growing vertically means maximum utilisation of indoor growing space.

farming method include: saving water, con-

• Reliable productivity levels through con-

trolling pests, using no new land, saving ener-

trolling temperature, humidity, lighting, air-

gy, and reducing waste. Lufa aim to create a

flow and nutrient conditions.

sustainable food system through collaboration with partners with similar values of transparen-

Food networks

cy and sustainability. Products are promoted

Finland is currently trialling a sustainable food

through their online platform, the Marketplace,

network, where each region’s own food culture

to offer local a full selection of products. To

plays a large role. The sustainable food sys-

ensure complete transparency for the com-

tem encourages coordination between differ-

munity, Lufa organise community visits and

ent operators to develop and test a food sys-

open houses so the locals can see first-hand

tem based on the resources and needs of their

where the food on their plates comes from.

own region13. This model can be scaled-up or scaled-down depending on the size of the town

Growing Underground, London

or city because the “key aim of the project is to

Growing Underground is a city farming busi-

create a model that is applicable in practice in

ness in London. They occupy a section of WWII

the example area and can be duplicated for use

air-raid shelters in London and supply micro

in other areas.”

greens and salads to supermarkets and restaurants. Their experience has been shown at

Local Food Production

two exhibitions in London and is an excellent

The Plant, Chicago

example of how to utilise redundant spaces

The Plant, Chicago is an ecosystem of small local

in the city. Advantages of underground farm-

producers where the waste of one becomes a

ing include: optimal temperatures so they

resource for another14. The redundant pork-pro-

can generate more harvests. Disadvantages

cessing plant is now used to host 15 entities in-

of this method have been high levels of elec-

cluding a microbrewery, a bakery, several small

tricity needed to power the lights. Howev-

farms that grow plants using hydroponics and a

er, they hope to move to renewable energy.

coffee roaster (see Figure 3.3). The site also organises a farmers market, as well as educational workshops for students and the general public, and hosts various circular economy and urban agriculture research projects15. The next step is to build a ‘digestor’ for the heart of the plant – fed by food waste and the by-products from the companies on the site, the facility will fully recover their energy and heat needs, and their long term goal is to divert tens of thousands of

Growing Underground © Christoffer Rudquist (2017)

What are the benefits of urban farming?

• Products can be harvested all year-round.

• Production close to consumers means carbon emissions related to distribution of products because transport costs are re-

35

food waste from landfill to generate enough electricity to power several hundred homes.

13 Sitra, ‘A regional sustainable food system’, Sitra, 2020 <https:// www.sitra.fi/en/projects/regional-sustainable-food-system/#what-is-it-about> 14 Plant Chicago, ‘What we believe’, Plant Chicago, 2020 <https:// plantchicago.org/> 15 Living Circular, ‘The Plant, an urban farm that runs around in circles’, Living Circular, 2018 <https://www.livingcircular.veolia.com/en/inspirations/ plant-urban-farm-runs-round-circles>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Figure 3.3: The Plant, Chicago. (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017) © Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017)

Circular restaurants

facturers, exporters and importers can con-

Ultima, Iceland

nect with business buyers; the platforms al-

In Iceland, a circular restaurant is promoting new

low businesses to connect and trade with

ways to become self-sufficient and circular. Ulti-

other companies. For example, organic food

ma restaurant aims to: examine how waste can

retailers will be able to connect with local or-

be reduced and nutrients recycled in urban con-

ganic farmers. Trading platforms also ena-

ditions. The restaurant includes a greenhouse

ble “interaction with consumers and industri-

with the capacity to grown 500-800 plants and

al clients that exist within the [same] sphere”17.

16

it will be the world’s first hydroponic watering system built directly inside a restaurant. The res-

Research

taurant owners are coordinating the entire con-

Advancing research and the creation of pri-

cept, however, the hydroponic system has been

vate-public partnerships to establish innovation

designed by a separate company and there are

hubs18 is an advisable resource to invest in.

a series of co-operative partners on the project.

3) Key stakeholders

Funding Capital or loans may be needed for anaerobic

To successfully implement circularity in the

digestion equipment. WRAP have provided loan

food sector, various stakeholders need to en-

funds for biogas plants and have supported the

gage with circular principles and with one an-

rapid growth of the anaerobic digestion and

other, across the supply chain. This is displayed

composting sectors19.

in Table 3.2 on the next page.

4) Resources Online Trading Platforms Business-to-business trading platforms are key to ensure suppliers, producers, manu16 Sitra, ‘Ultima – a circular economy restaurant’, Sitra, 2020 <https:// www.sitra.fi/en/projects/ultima-circular-economy-restaurant/>

36

17 Venture Giants, ‘Organic Food Trading Platform’, Venture Giants, 2020 <https://www.venturegiants.com/proposal-7542-organic-food-trading-platform.aspx> 18 Ellen MacArthur Foundation Food and the Circular Economy, Quote, (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017), <https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/food-cities-the-circular-economy> 19 WRAP, ‘Food and Drink Circular Economy’, WRAP, 2020 <www.wrap. org.uk/food>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Table 3.2: Example stakeholder actions in the food business sector Stakeholder

Example Action

Producers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; agriculture, farmers

Farming is a key part of the loop: ensuring vital nutrients are returned to the agricultural system to grow new crops.

A reduction in the use of fertilisers is promoted.

Manufacturers

Pledges to reduce supply chain waste through agreements such as the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Courtauld Commitment 2025â&#x20AC;&#x2122; can contribute to a reduction in manufacturing costs, as well as releasing resources that can be re-invested (source: https:// www.fieldfisher.com/enie/locations/ireland/ ireland-blog/stakeholders-food-regulatory-sphere-quick-guide)

Suppliers - wholesalers, retailers, hospitality industry, food service industry, independent food businesses, restaurants

Revised supply chains can help reduce food waste e.g. extending the shelf life of products through improved logistics. Changes to products, packaging and labelling can help consumers navigate the best way to reuse or recycle.

Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) provide an agreement for businesses in the hospitality and food service sector, which can help make large financial savings through the reduction of food and packaging waste by committing to send more to be recycled, anaerobically digested or composted. Find out more at: www.wrap.org.uk/hafs

Investors

Investors are key stakeholders in any business.

Investors will play a vital part in the determination of a revised business plan to adhere to the principles of the circular city.

Consumers

Consumers are an important stakeholder, particularly in the food sector which is an increasingly consumer-driven environment and faces an ever-increasing interest by consumers in food quality.

Local Authorities

Waste collection differs between local authorities. However, an increasing number of local authorities are seeking to collect food waste from small businesses.

If this is not already happening in a specific district, local businesses could encourage their local authorities to trail food waste collections for businesses.

Legislators - City governments, Food Standards Incentivise and regulate for circular principles in Agency, Legal Profession the food sector.

Enforce the food waste hierarchy.

Food Standards Agency.

37

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

5) Key actions

Optimise

Below are some suggestions for business-

Take advantage of the wide variety of local

es in the food sector using the six busi-

products available in the UK. According to the

ness actions that businesses are encour-

Food Statistics Pocketbook updated by the UK

aged to adopt to function in the circular city:

Government in March 2020, and as shown in Figure 3.4 below, 59% of shoppers agree that they try

Regenerate

to buy British food whenever they can. Addition-

Consider alternative methods of producing your

ally, 78% of shoppers agree that it is important to

products. The best practice examples above

support British Farmers. There is evidence that

demonstrate the innovative methods for grow-

among consumers there is an appetite to ‘shop

ing foods. Regenerate methods of food produc-

local.’ Figure 3.4 below demonstrates attitudes

tion: smarter technologies are enabling the food

towards British food purchases in the UK.

sector to evolve in new business models that are less resource intensive20. With valuable resourc-

Loop

es and the appropriate implementation, busi-

Close the Loop through networking is a useful

nesses on a wide variety of scales can move to-

tool to form new relationships between actors:

wards operating as a company in the circular city.

between businesses within the same sector and then businesses and external actors – this will

Share

create an effective circular ‘loop.’ Forming/be-

Share data through collaborative data sharing

ing part of a network can ensure minimal waste

platforms – WRAP have created a data sharing

of food at each stage of the supply chain. WRAP

platform and are encouraging businesses in the

are the founders of the ‘Food Surplus Network’

food sector to share insights and experiences

that assists farmers and small businesses to find

on surplus food. This is also a using tool be-

and join with new markets for surplus food. The

cause WRAP produce detailed reports and “ini-

network includes “links to emerging new mar-

tiatives to support more sustainable economies

kets for products made from surplus food, and a

and society” using this research, which may

directory for organisations redistributing surplus

be of use to businesses when creating future

food to charities.”22

businesses plans. To get involved with the data sharing platform, please visit WRAP’s website.21

More information about the network is available at the WRAP website23.

Figure 3.4: Attitudes towards British food purchases in the UK (Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, 2020) 20 Schulze, Günther, ‘Short Assessment of the Report - Growth Within: A Circular Economy Vision for a Competitive Europe’, Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, 2016 21 https://www.wrap.org.uk/content/food-waste-primary-production-data-sharing-platform

38

22 WRAP, ‘Food Surplus & Waste in Primary Production Costs UK more than £1 billion’, (WRAP, 2019), <https://www.wrap.org.uk/content/food-surpluswaste-primary-production-costs-uk-more-%C2%A31-billion> 23 https://foodsurplusnetwork.wrap.org.uk/

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Virtualise

gests the following (also shown in Figure 3.5 be-

Expand the business ethos to the internet. Mar-

low):

keting tools to spread the word about healthy

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

food options are important – this can be done through social media, websites and online advertising. Online menus that provide information on where the foods have been grown are likely to entice the consumer. Creating a brand built on local and trustworthy grounds will be beneficial to the longevity of a business. More information

Prevent surplus and waste in your business Redistribute surplus food.

Make animal feed from former food.

Recycle food waste - anaerobic digestion.

Recycle food waste - composting.

Recycle food waste – land spreading.

Incinerate to generate energy.

Incinerate without generating energy.

Send to landfill or sewer.

on the benefits of online platforms for businesses can be found later in this handbook.

Decisions about food surplus and waste may depend on cost and facilities available. Actions

Exchange

should be applied in the order they are listed,

The circular food system sees food as having

but it may not always be possible to do so24.

a function beyond the plate – a food system where by-products can be used to fuel oth-

Find out more about applying the Food Waste

er elements of the circular city, for example,

Hierarchy using the following weblink: https://

food waste can be transformed into energy.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/food-

Food production and food waste are inherently

and-drink-waste-hierarchy-deal-with-surplus-

connected. The food waste hierarchy is a good

and-waste/food-and-drink-waste-hierarchy-

starting point for businesses to consider the ‘af-

deal-with-surplus-and-waste

terlife’ of their product, where surplus food can be used. National Government guidance sug

Figure 3.5: Food and Drink Hierarchy © WRAP (2020) 24 Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs, ‘Food and drink waste hierarchy: deal with surplus and waste’, GOV.UK, 2018

39

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

6. Summary: why make the food business sector circular?

circular principles, the transition to a desirable

The Food Business Sector is an ideal candidate

ing circular economy principles within a city

for operating in the circular city because circu-

framework can benefit both the producer and

lar principles can be applied at all stages of the

the consumer in a variety of ways, as well as

business process. As stakeholders relating to

harvesting social, economic and environmental

the food sector harvest necessary resources for

impacts across the city.

closed loop system will be achievable. Employ-

businesses in the circular city and implement

Key message: •

The supply chain in a circular city is potentially more transparent, and benefits stakeholders at each stage of the loop, rather than one stakeholder gaining while others struggle.

•

Connectivity is key, whether this be between manufacturers and exporters or producers and suppliers.

Business-to-business conversation can harness trust and between business entities and ensure longevity of trade.

•

Food products have more than one use in the food sector; food waste is produced in the loop but is also a producer (e.g. of energy).

•

There are many food businesses across the U.K. which are championing the closed loop food system within the circular city. Key actions for implementation include regenerating, sharing, optimising, closing the loop, virtualising businesses and exchanging.

40

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

3.4 Food in the Community 1) Why it matters

Estimates suggest that in England, malnutrition

Centres of both high levels of consumption

cost the NHS £19.6 billion during 2011-12, ex-

and waste production, cities are traditional-

ceeding “the total public expenditure on health

ly dependent upon imported food. Although

and social care” by 15%4. Therefore, building

food production is possible within urban ar-

sustainability into our food system requires

eas, scale is limited due to the scarcity and

moving towards a more plant-based diet. Al-

high value of land. Localising supplies through

though cultural and behavioural changes are

‘looping’ of surplus and wasted resources is

necessary (Figure 3.5, bottom), prices can pro-

therefore essential for increasing food securi-

hibit purchases of salad and fresh vegetables

ty . Social entrepreneurship can be an effec-

and yet ironically, these comprised 28% of ed-

tive way of promoting awareness of waste as

ible food waste during 20125 (Figure 3.6, below),

1

a resource and empowering communities with practical ways to make beneficial use of this.

Cities are areas of intense socio-economic and political complexity, comprising myriad lifestyles, social practices and health conditions.

Arising from low income, poor transport networks, knowledge and skillsets, food poverty has been linked to life-impeding illnesses, including diabetes, cancer and coronary heart

* Includes rice, pasta, cakes, desserts, confectionary, fats, oils and sauces

Figure 3.6 Composition of edible food wasted by UK householders during 2012 (WRAP, 2020)

disease2. Statistics show that during 2017, over 70% of UK adults ate less than five portions

Whilst broader scale political and econom-

of vegetables and fruit daily , resulting in re-

ic reforms are essential, technology-led and

duced intake of fibre and essential nutrients,

grassroots community-led surplus food re-

affecting both health and life opportunities.

distribution initiatives can instigate change

3

and

reduce

perceived

risks

and

stigma.

Figure 3.5 Estimates by disposal reason for edible food wastage by UK householders during 2018 (WRAP, 2020)

1 Joanna Williams, 'Circular Cities', Urban Studies, 56 (2019), 27462762 2 FoodCycle, ‘Frequently asked questions’, FoodCycle, 2020 <https:// www.foodcycle.org.uk/who-we-are/faqs/> 3 NHS, ‘Dietary statistics’, NHS, 2019

41

4 British Dietetic Association, ‘Malnutrition’, British Dietetic Association, 2020 <https://www.bda.uk.com/news-campaigns/campaigns/malnutrition. html> 5 WRAP, ‘Food surplus and waste in the UK – key facts’, WRAP, 2020

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

When

this

cycling able

to

is

not

through loss

to

possible,

composting landfill

or

nutrient

re-

community cohesion through direct provi-

prefer-

sion of weekly 3-course vegetarian hot meals

incineration.

across 43 areas of deprivation within England,

is

2) Best practice case studies

feeding 1,500 beneficiaries.

In partnership

with local organisations and charities, e.g. Age

Online food sharing platforms

Concern and Mind, the projects target low in-

Founded in 2016 and now operating in more

come and vulnerable people8. To-date 1M+

than 30 countries with over 40 business part-

meals have been served, saving 425 tonnes

ners , OLIO is one of a range of communi-

of food. Leftovers are boxed and given to din-

ty-based applications designed to connect

ers to take home9, as research indicates that

people with local surplus fare, including pet

72% of guests skip a meal on a weekly basis10.

6

food, from either businesses or households through image sharing. Inclusive and sim-

Comestibles donated by wholesalers, super-

ple to use, tailored alerts enable consumers

markets and independent grocers are cooked

to register interest in items which, if accept-

by volunteers within halls and community cen-

ed, they collect from the donor; the applica-

tres. Table grouping encourages communica-

tion also allows requests for specific items.

tion between diners and volunteers, reducing isolation and encouraging inclusion across the

Restrictions are few but baby formula milk, alco-

social spectrum. With more than 50% of visi-

hol and produce past its ‘use-by-date’ are reject-

tors living alone, this has proved successful as

ed and payment cannot be requested. Opened

“over 80% of guests say they have made friends

packets and home-cooked meals are permitted

and feel more a part of their community” as a

but donors are advised that these should be ed-

result of meal sharing11. Seeking to minimise

ible and not of a lower standard than the suppli-

waste, stretch householders’ budgets and to

er would accept. The success rate ranges be-

improve long-term nutritional health, many of

tween 70-90% , with perishables, such as bread

FoodCycle’s projects also offer cookery classes

7

and vegetables, popular items for redistribution.

Urban harvesting Guidance on safe conduct for both collection

The Brighton Permaculture Trust has run an

and handling are offered but it is advised that

annual ‘scrumping project’ for over 10 years.

consumption is at the consumers own risk. Us-

Surplus and discarded fruit is harvested by

ers can rate each other and a reporting mech-

volunteers, with consent from landowners and

anism for complaints is provided. The service

farmers, from parks, gardens and orchards with-

is free to individuals and small businesses but

in a 25-mile range of the city. In some years, two

larger businesses, working in partnership with

tonnes have been intercepted from orchards12.

OLIO’s volunteer collectors or ‘Food Waste Heroes’, incur charges as redistribution can assist

Growers may deliberately discard fruit due to

in achieving zero company food waste targets.

contract failure, if considered under/over-sized, misshapen or due to harmless but unsightly fun-

Community meals Operating since 2009, FoodCycle is a charity aiming to reduce food poverty and facilitate 6 OLIO Exchange Limited, ‘Frequently Asked Questions’, OLIO Exchange Limited, 2020 <https://help.olioex.com> 7 WRAP, ‘Surplus food redistribution case studies: OLIO and J. Sainsbury’s’, WRAP, 2020, <https://www.wrap.org.uk/content/surplus-food-redistribution-case-studies>

42

8 Ashoka Changemakers, ‘Foodcycle: Using surplus food to strengthen communities’, Ashoka Changemakers, 2017 9 FoodCycle, ‘Foodcycle’s impact’, FoodCycle, 2020 <https://www. foodcycle.org.uk/who-we-are/foodcycles-impact/> 10 FoodCycle, Working with FoodCycle: an invitation to partner, (London: FoodCycle, 2016) <http://www.foodcycle.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/ FoodCycle-partner-booklet.pdf> 11 FoodCycle, ‘Foodcycle’s impact’, FoodCycle, 2020 <https://www. foodcycle.org.uk/who-we-are/foodcycles-impact/> 12 Brighton Permaculture Trust, ‘Fruit Factory: Scrumping HQ’, Brighton Permaculture Trust <https://brightonpermaculture.org.uk/orchardsand-fruit/5679-2/>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

gal infections such as ‘apple scab’. The Trust’s

public consultation is undertaken before im-

members turn the fruit into a range of pre-

plementation. Assuming no serious objections

serves, chutneys and jams, fresh and pasteur-

have been raised, padlocked bins construct-

ised juices, vinegars, cider and perry, which are

ed from recycled wood, itself a composta-

sold within local markets and specialist grocers.

ble material, are supplied and members of the group issued with the security code. Con-

The project is not self-financing and currently

trolling the supply of waste materials is es-

operates in partnership with Brighton and Hove

sential, both to prevent attracting rats and to

City Council (BHCC), located on council-owned

deter inclusion of unsuitable waste elements.

land. A successful crowd-funding campaign, coupled with material and financial donations

Through composting tea and coffee residues,

from local construction-related businesses has

along with uncooked vegetables and fruit, a

enabled the creation of a new ‘Fruit Factory’

symbiotic process is undertaken, closing the

building, which will provide storage and could

nutrient loop. When ready, the compost is in-

potentially process up to 40 tonnes of fruit

itially offered to members; some schemes have

per annum; equivalent to 0.25 million apples .

supplied “parks, community gardens and food

13

growing projects in local schools” with their Community composting

surplus16. As an alternative or in combination

According to Brighton and Hove Food Partner-

with this type of composting, communities

ship (BHFP), 39,000 tonnes of food is annually

could install food digesters, wormeries or Bo-

discarded by residents and almost 50% is com-

kashi bins. A Japanese system, Bokashi bins

prised of vegetables and fruit . To combat this,

are lidded and require the addition of a mixture

a joint venture between BHCC and the BHFP,

of bran, yeast and bacteria. This aids fermen-

a small non-profit enterprise, was launched in

tation to produce liquid fertiliser and transform

2011 to establish community composting sites,

difficult food waste, such as small bones and

as due to cost-efficiency concerns, BHCC do

dairy products, into compostable ingredients17.

14

not collect domestic food waste separately. Almost 40 schemes are currently in opera-

3) Key stakeholders

tion and during 2017, 80 tonnes of food waste

Whilst grassroots activists may initiate, own and

were recycled . Opportunities to work with

lead community projects, these ventures rare-

gardening clubs and to offer skills training to

ly operate in isolation as extermal funding and

the wider community could be considered.

advice from other sectors is often necessary.

15

Early engagement between stakeholders can Once a suitable site has been found, the land-

establish trust and help manage expectations.

owner’s permission granted and the Environ-

Community leaders should be consulted and

ment Agency notified, applicants can apply for

may be obvious candidates for spearheading

funding – either from BHCC or other funding

projects, identifying local needs and fostering

streams.

BHFP provides management guid-

commitment. Throughout the lifecycle of the

ance, advising that at least 10 people are need-

initiative, the local environment should be con-

ed for a successful scheme, with two of these

sidered as a stakeholder and all undertakings

responsible for monitoring and management.

should aim to minimise packaging, water usage, emissions, etc. Table 3.3 offers an initial stake-

43

Local Authority collaboration requires that

holder analysis for a food redistribution project.

13 ibid 14 Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, Food Strategy Action Plan 2018-2023, (Brighton: Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, 2018) 15 Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, ‘Community composting’, Brighton and Hove Food Partnership, 2020

16 ibid 17 Dore, Jeremy., ‘Bokashi - Composting Cooked Food Waste for Your Garden’, GrowVeg, 2010 <https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/bokashi-composting-cooked-food-waste-for-your-garden/>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Table 3.3: Example stakeholder actions for food in the community Stakeholders

Stake

Staff, volunteers, food-related businesses, household-

Direct involvement

ers and charities

It is essential that all parties directly involved in the enterprise should fully understand and engage with circular principles.

During the inception stage, stakeholders should agree and communicate scope, timeline, resources and roles.

Local Authorities, charitable trusts and foundations,

Funders

donors and sponsors

Investment from key stakeholders may come through private, public or charitable sources.

As donations may be subject to seasonal variations, regular contributions will make it easier to project cash flow, budgeting for leaner periods.

Householders and homeless people

Beneficiaries In the food surplus model, beneficiaries take the role of consumers.

At an early stage, contact should be established, processes explained, and reassurance of safe food handling practices offered to potential recipients.

National Government, Local Authorities, NGOs, the

Policymakers & Legislators

legal profession, the Food Standards Agency

Laws and statutory regulations set the standards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and restrictions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that should be adhered to.

Policymakers incentivise and regulate for circular principles.

Lobby groups, social and mainstream media

Influencers Lobby groups seek to influence legislators.

Media commentators and influencers can provide both good and bad publicity. Devising a communications strategy could assist in developing a good public relations approach.

Charities, healthcare providers, social services and

Interested Parties

relevant local interest groups

The effects of diet on concentration, energy levels, and physical and mental health have been proven.

Stakeholders interested in project outcomes are likely to include a range of organisations seeking to address the needs of a diverse demographic, which may include low-income households, including pensioners, children, students and refugees, as well as those without homes.

44

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

4) Resources

the viability of transporting foodstuffs. Whilst

Food is the key resource and is either deemed

sustainable travel options should be consid-

edible or is composed of inedible elements, e.g.

ered, it is likely that vehicles will be required.

eggshells, teabags, husks. However, capabili-

Suitable packaging should be obtained as con-

ties such as project management, networking

sistent temperature levels are essential for a

and negotiating skills are also key to mobilisa-

range of produce and certain comestibles are

tion and should be embedded within the enter-

easily damaged. Other issues to be determined

prise’s governance structure. Funding streams

include agreeing which party is responsible for

such as grants from government, trusts, foun-

transporting the product, collection and delivery

dations or charities; crowdfunding; and individ-

timeframes and how consumers will receive it.

ual or business donations should be considered by the governing organisation, as income from

5) Key actions

(re)sales is likely to be minimal. In addition to

The following themes are relevant to all initia-

financial support, donors may offer goods,

tives, regardless of scope, scale or aims of the

equipment, specialist services such as legal or

project.

technical assistance, volunteers, land or premises. Forming links with educational establish-

Communication

ments may yield these or other benefits, as well

Establishing and maintaining contact with both

as access to data sources and current research.

producers and prospective consumers should be undertaken from an early stage during de-

Initial set-up costs and future overheads should

velopment. This is necessary to coordinate sup-

be calculated, and a business case produced

ply and demand, building trust between parties.

to include: A communication strategy should be formulat-

• Administration costs, legal fees and insurance premiums.

• Equipment purchase, maintenance and repair costs.

ed to address the frequency, format and level of detail required by each stakeholder. The most effective way to communicate and promote the enterprise should be adopted, e.g. via a dedi-

• Volunteer expenses for collection/distribu-

cated application or website, social media, re-

tion travel costs and staff salaries (if appli-

ferral from local interest groups or charities.

cable).

• Land or premises for storage, distribution,

Traditional methods such as posters and direct

food processing, education or cooking and

leafletting of local households may be more im-

serving meals.

mediately effective for schemes such as com-

• Hosting, registration and licensing fees relating to websites or applications.

• Quality control and food safety certification for those involved in food preparation or

munity composting, where householders may not be directly searching for or considering this option.

Whereas urban harvesting schemes

would be better promoted through social media.

processing.

• Risk and change management.

• Phased targets within feasible timescales.

• Collection and distribution logistics.

Legislation and regulation Professional advice should be sought before ‘going live’. For example, redistributors could offer an ‘at your own risk’ disclaimer and investigate

45

The last item is particularly important for redistri-

insurance cover to minimise legal risk. Similarly,

bution schemes as stakeholders should assess

approved food training courses may be neces-

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

sary to ensure safe handling and storage. A project policy could be developed to ensure that no surplus is received without ingredient listings

resilience into cities. Grassroots initiatives can

and preparation methods in order to identify al-

expedite this by intercepting and recirculating

lergens, meet religious practices and other di-

surplus food waste and recycling inedible aris-

etary requirements.

If necessary, restrictions

ings. Employing circular economy principles

could be placed on acceptable donations, as

within a city framework can benefit individuals

demonstrated by FoodCycle’s ‘flesh-free’ policy.

and communities in a variety of ways.

Monitoring, coordination and accountability

Individual

Whilst processes should be consistent, predict-

• Skills can be developed, such as gardening,

able and easily replicated, variable and irregular supply of goods is probable. A glut of one product may be difficult to fully utilise. Therefore, contingency arrangements should be considered, e.g. working with other community groups or charities to redistribute or exchange items.

cooking or project management.

• Nutrient intake can be improved by access to healthier foods.

• Household budgets may go further.

• Awareness of the societal and environmental value of food is improved.

• Social integration is encouraged, improving Spoiled goods may be received, highlighting

physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

the need for monitoring and to generate an audit trail of what has been received and when, and

Community

where and who it was redistributed to. This en-

• Local economies are less dependent upon

sures accountability, manages risk and provides

importing resources.

feedback to suppliers, facilitating process refine-

• Localised resource looping involves shorter

ment. A good example of this is offered by OLIO’s

transportation distances, reducing embod-

food share app ratings and complaints systems.

ied carbon levels.

6) Summary: Why implement a community food waste initiative?

• Organisation networks within the local community are built and strengthened.

• Community inclusion is enhanced by creat-

Embedding sustainable practices through lo-

ing opportunities for people from different

calised resource looping can effectively build

cultural and socio-economic backgrounds to eat and work together.

Key message:

• Community food waste projects can intercept arisings from all stages of the food system, from production to processing, sales to surplus.

• Local economic stability can be improved, with potential to redeploy public-sector expenditure within health, welfare and waste disposal services.

• Established health, economic, environmental and social benefits encourage collaboration between public, private and third sector organisations.

• Resource looping facilitates nutrient valorisation and reduces dependency on importing resources into cities.

• Localised food redistribution and composting schemes are relatively simple to implement and provide measurable targets.

46

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

3.5 The Sharing Economy and the Library of Things 1) Why it matters

Library of Things. The product-service economy refers to consumers being able to ‘rent’ second-hand products from a company, or in this case, a Library of Things. Library of Things (LoT) is a storage facility in which donated household items and tools (ranging from lawnmowers to board games) can be made available for ‘rent’ by other members of the local community. This becomes a hub in which second-hand items can be exchanged among the community on a temporary basis. Therefore, customers can use the product while the LoT retains ownership of it and when it is returned it can be utilized by

Figure 3.7: The Sharing Economy (Sullivan and Stanley, 2019)

The Circular City aims to reduce waste and pollution by maximising the lifespan of products and materials. This can be done by processes in the technical cycle including prolong (repairing, maintaining and sharing products), re-use, refurbish and recycle. At community scales, the sharing economy provides an innovative opportunity to implement the technical cycle.

The Sharing Economy is defined by three key factors: i) consumer to consumer interaction ii) temporary access and iii) physical goods1.

This is a form of ‘collaborative consumption’ where people offer and share underutilized resources in creative, new ways. This has become increasingly popular in sectors such as transport, accommodation or space, services and second-hand objects. Uber and Airbnb can be noted as particularly successful examples of this (as mentioned in Chapter 2.2).

As a result, the sharing economy industry is expected to be worth £230bn by 2025 (PwC)2.

This section of the report will focus on a particular branch of the sharing economy, the product-service economy, and how this can be implemented on a community scale through the 1 Frenken, Koen. and Juliet Schor, ‘Putting the sharing economy into perspective’, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, vol. 23, 2017. pp.

3-10.

2 Wosskow, D, Unlocking the sharing economy: An independent review, (London: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2012).

another customer. This enables consumers to have temporary access to under-utilised physical objects which are still in a good enough condition to be used for a longer time, also known as ‘excess capacity.’ Books, toys, appliances, tools and furniture are all items which can be utilized for much longer than they usually are, for example, on average a drill is only used for 13 minutes throughout its lifetime3. As a result, the LoT can be an opportunity to make product consumption and waste ‘circular’ on a community scale, creating a circular micro-economy of ‘things.’

Library of Things is aimed at reducing hyper-consumption and wastefulness, leading to a decline in demand for new goods and wasted products. This would lead to less energy and resources needed in the manufacturing, shipping and landfilling processes of new products.

This creates a ‘circular’ system of products, both reducing environmental effects of production processes and landfill waste from products and goods. Therefore, LoT can be an exciting opportunity to integrate local communities and residents into the circular city. By establishing a LoT, this promotes a culture of ‘stranger sharing’ as it enables new social networks which facilitates sharing between people who do not know each other within the community via a

3 SHARE:Frome - A Library of Things, ‘What is SHARE?’, SHARE:Frome, 2020 <https://sharefrome.org/>

47

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

product-service hub4. This allows members of

nity new skills, this can enable long-term ‘do-it-

a community to reduce their day-to-day con-

yourself’ implementation of the technical cycle

sumption and waste. It presents an opportunity

e.g. repairing items instead of disposing of them

for residents to actively reduce their pollution,

can both prolong the lifespan and refurbish an

carbon footprint and implement a more sus-

item. As a result of Crystal Palace LoT’s active

tainable way of living. It can also be cheaper

efforts to integrate the community into a circu-

and more efficient to ‘rent’ out items from the

lar product-service economy, 60% of borrowers

LoT rather than purchase new goods which

are more likely to repair or recycle items and

can support those in poverty via economic

15,900kg of waste has been saved from landfill.

coordination within communities. For example, 90% of borrowers from the Crystal Palace

How did Crystal Palace Library of Things get

LoT in South London say they now have more

started?

money to spend on things important to them .

Crystal Palace LoT is a social enterprise owned

5

by the non-profit company Things Trust. The

2) Best Practice Case Studies

project was implemented in collaboration with Crystal Palace Transition Town (Non-govern-

Crystal Palace Library of Things6

mental organisation) and Upper Norwood Library. Initially, the project gained funding by crowdfunding of nearly £10,000 in collaboration with the Mayor of London, Barclays Life Skills and B&Q Sydenham. The project has proven to be successful in many different aspects including encouraging sustainable lifestyles, economic coordination and increasing social connections within the community. It is a sigCrystal Palace LoT team (Library of Things, 2020)

nificant step towards creating a circular prod-

Set up in 2017,

the Crystal Palace LoT pro-

uct-service economy on a community scale.

vides a range of items that can reserved on

Expanding from the success of the Crystal

the website for collection. These items are

Palace LoT, the Things Trust is aiming to raise

categorised

clean-

£1 million from social investors to support the

ing, hosting, DIY, hobbying and gardening.

growth of the LoT movement in new locations

All items can be borrowed for up to 7 days and prices range from under £5 up to £20.

in London and beyond. To find out more, visit: https://www.libraryofthings.co.uk/new-sites

Alongside the primary function of the LoT, the or-

SHARE: Frome Library of Things7

between

adventuring,

ganisation has expanded the services provided in order to enhance the impact on the community. This includes hosting a range of skill-sharing events at the LoT such as a wooden-planter building workshop, repair party and mending meet-ups. By teaching members of the commu4 Frenken, Koen. and Juliet Schor, ‘Putting the sharing economy into perspective’, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, vol. 23, 2017. pp.

3-10.

5 Library of Things, 'Browse the things', Library of Things, 2020, <https://www.libraryofthings.co.uk/why> 6

Library of Things, ‘Crystal Palace’, Library of Things, 2020 <https:// www.libraryofthings.co.uk/crystalpalace>

48

SHARE LoT in Frome, Somerset was established in 2015. The LoT currently has almost 1000 items on offer ranging from arts and craft, DIY, kitchen equipment to electronics and much more. The items are available to rent from the price of 50p to up to £15, rates vary depending on membership options. For example, with £3.33 a month a customer can have 50% discount on LoT borrows and discounts from partners includ7 SHARE:Frome - A Library of Things, 'History of SHARE', Library of Things, 2020, <https://sharefrome.org/history-of-share/>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

ing Cheese and Grain (local music and events

3) Key stakeholders

venue). This ensures long-term funding and

Table 3.4, on the next page, demonstrates some

support for the LoT from the local community

of the key stakeholders invovled in the sharing

.

economy, and example actions.

SHARE LoT also hosts ‘repair cafes’ supported

by Frome Town Council. The skill share session

4) Resources

enables a team of volunteers to teach mem-

Physical resources

bers of the local community how to mend

• Funding: The set-up of the LoT will require

items such as electronics, clothing, bikes, small

funding. This can be done via collaboration

furniture and toys. Each ‘repair cafe’ teaches

with existing NGOs, social enterprises, busi-

something new to borrowers and users of the

nesses or crowdfunding among the local

LoT such as upcycling activities and demos.

community networks8.

This has provided an opportunity for members

• Storage facility: A suitable storage or com-

of the community to change patterns of hy-

munity space will be needed in order to

per-consumption and excess product waste,

store donated items. It is important to con-

reducing their carbon-footprint and contributing

sider the location of this space (based on

a circular product-service economy in Frome.

demand from the community) and if it can also be utilised to host events.

How did SHARE Library of Things get started?

• Donation catalogue: In the set-up process,

SHARE LoT was implemented by a commu-

it is important to advertise to the local res-

nity enterprise organisation, Edventure. It was

idents (wider area and businesses) in order

led by a group of eight young apprentices

to encourage donations of items wanted for

within two months as part of specialist training

the LoT. It can be useful to specify what type

for community entrepreneurship. The project

of objects you need for the LoT depending

was established with partnerships between

on storage available, what you already do

Frome Town Council, Sustainable Frome and

and do not have etc. Items would have to

Cheese and Grain .

be catalogued and a pricing system would

Since its establishment,

SHARE Frome LoT has continued to focus on

have to be established.

improving and expanding its impact on the

• Online software system: Software such as

community. The LoT was revamped in 2017

LendEngine or MyTurn can make the man-

with a new shop layout, appearance and stor-

agement and tracking of items easier9.

age space enabling the LoT to further grow in popularity among the Frome community.

Human resources10

• Volunteers: Encourage members of the local community to help with the setting up and maintenance of the LoT; this can be done by connecting with other NGOs.

• Paid workers: Following the success of the LoT, it can be established that regular workers or leaders of the initiative should be paid.

SHARE: Frome (2020)

49

8 Johnson, Cat., ‘How to Start a Library of Things’, Shareable, 2016 <http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-start-a-library-ofthings> 9 See: http://www.lend-engine. com/ 10 Johnson, Cat., ‘How to Start a Library of Things’, Shareable, 2016 <http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-start-a-library-ofthings>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Table 3.4: Example stakeholder actions for the sharing economy

Stakeholders

Example Actions

Business partnerships and advisors

LoT initiatives highly benefit from business partnerships and advisors. This can range from direct funding,

providing

resources

and

business

ad-

vice from professionals in certain industries. As well as funders and partnerships, Crystal Palace LoT also has a team of external advisors ranging from communications, Social enterprises in sustainability

HR

and

accountant

advisors.

LoT initiatives can be of interest to social enterprises and can play a key role in the set up of the LoT and bringing in business connections and funding. For example, the Things Trust played a key role in setting up Crystal Palace LoT.

Local council

Local councils can also be eager to be involved in LoT initiatives. As a stakeholder, they can support the establishment of the LoT and ensure connections with local businesses and funders. For example, SHARE LoT was supported by Frome town council .

Community members, volunteers and ‘individual he-

Every LoT requires volunteers and members of the com-

roes’

munity to get involved in the initiative. This can sometimes be led by ‘individual heroes’ i.e. a group of people especially passionate about setting up the LoT. This can further be expanded to include more volunteers, community members and potentially paid workers.

Funders and storage partners

The LoT will require specific partnerships focused on funding to start up the LoT; for Crystal Palace LoT, this included a range of crowdfunding and stakeholders. It is also beneficial to partner with companies specialising in storage e.g. Big Yellow Storage.

50

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Roles required can include:

potential funding sources. Insurance options

• • • • •

Project manager/team leader

should also be investigated. At some point, it

Librarians

is important to establish a team of volunteers

Finances

passionate about the LoT. The next steps would

Online website and social media manager

be creating a project timeline and developing

Others (general maintenance and support)

a marketing strategy to prepare for phase 2.

Business and marketing resources

• Community

network:

connect

with

other

es

members

and

Resources needed:

Advertise NGOs,

of

the

and

businesscommuni-

• Volunteers • Business partnerships • Community network

ty to get involved with the initiative.

• Establish connections and partnerships:

Phase 2: Set up and establishing the Library of

Connect with other NGOs in order to share

Things

resources (e.g. funding, volunteers) and

Phase 2 is focused on setting up the library of

encourage businesses to get involved by

things in terms of physical resources. This will in-

donating items to the LoT in order to re-

clude collecting donations, setting up the stor-

duce waste and contribute to the circu-

age facility and getting the community involved.

lar city. Creating long-term partnerships

Set up insurance, code of conducts or ‘borrow-

will support the maintenance of the LoT .

ing promise’ for the LoT. The launch of the LoT

• Online platforms: The sharing economy has

will require social media and marketing strate-

boomed as a result of the internet, so it is

gies in order to encourage the local community

important to utilise online platforms to ad-

and encourage visitors to visit and use the LoT.

11

vertise and raise awareness of LoT to the local community. This includes creating

Resources needed:

a website, blog or social media accounts

•

Funding

to engage with your customer base .

•

Storage facility

•

Donation catalogue

•

Online software system

•

Online platforms

12

5) Key actions

13

The final section details key actions to implement a successful Libray of Things, across three phases.

Phase 3: Maintenance of the Library of Things Phase 3 is focused on the maintenance of the

Phase one: Research and developing a business

LoT. This will include the continued maintain-

plan

ing and management of ‘things’ in the library

Phase 1 will be focused on conducting mar-

and an established loaning system. You should

ket research to determine if this is a suitable

aim to expand your volunteer cohort and con-

initiative for your community e.g. is there a de-

sider hiring permanent paid workers for the

mand for a LoT among residents? This will be

LoT once deemed successful. In order to at-

followed by establishing stakeholder connec-

tract users, consistent social media marketing

tions with both NGOs and businesses to gain

will be required across online platforms. Part-

interest and awareness, especially in terms of

nerships across NGOs and business should be

11 ibid 12 Wosskow, Debbie., Unlocking the sharing economy: An independent review, (London: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2014).

13 Johnson, Cat., ‘How to Start a Library of Things’, Shareable, 2016 <http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-start-a-library-ofthings>

51

maintained, and new ones can be established.

Resources needed:

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

•

Paid workers

Individual:

•

Online platforms

• Reduce carbon footprint and environmental

•

Community networks

6) Summary: why implement a Library of Things Once the dicussed phases have been imple-

impact.

• Save money by ‘renting’ items for temporary use.

• Enhance ‘stranger to stranger’ social connections.

mented, the LoT should be well-established

Community:

within the community and will help to stabilise

• Create a circular product-service economy

a sharing economy. This will help to facilitate a

within the community.

circular product-service economy, contributing

• Economic coordination and availability of a

to the wider goal of the circular city. This can

wide range of affordable products for resi-

provide a range of benefits for both individuals

dents.

and the community.

• Contribute to the wider goals of a circular city.

• Grow local social capital in the community.

Key Message:

• LoT is a small-scale, innovative opportunity to get a community involved in the sharing economy by adopting more sustainable day-to-day practices.

• LoT can be successful when effectively integrated into the local community and resident networks.

• Stakeholders, partnerships and community connections are the key focus for obtaining the resources required for a LoT and for the successful maintenance of the initiative.

• A successful LoT can stabilise the sharing economy, create a circular product-service economy and contribute to the long-term vision of a circular city.

52

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Chapter 4: Implementing the Circular City 53

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

4.1 Introduction This section will focus on three key steps that

Finally, in order to assess whether the circular-

are integral to successfully implementing the

ity has been achieved, it must be monitored.

Circular City. First and foremost, with circu-

Monitoring the Circular City is vital for CC imple-

larity needing to be achieved across multiple

mentation in the public, NGO and private sec-

scales and sectors in order to become circu-

tors for ensuring transparency, promoting trust,

lar at the city-level, engagement and coopera-

and securing funding for further CC practices.

tion between stakeholders is vital. Stakeholder

Methods for monitoring are recommended de-

engagement occurs when public, private, and

pendent on the scale of implementation; both

NGO sectors of the city come together and take

macro and micro-scale monitoring frameworks

an active role in the process of engaging in im-

utilise indicators that join together the core

plementing circularity. Stakeholders need to be

goals, principles, and building blocks of the CC.

identified and organised based on their sector, expertise, and relationship with each other.

Then they should be informed and educated about the objectives of circular city to enable their early participation in the development, and be empowered to partake in decision-making, and freely express and discuss their opinions.

Finally, it is crucial to motivate to continue to engage and participate, and ambitiously continue their activity in becoming circular.

An innovative way to encourage wider engagement and participation for Circular City implementation is through the use of online platforms. Online platforms are an essential key when implementing CC actions as it enacts as a free, easy and interactive portal to allow communication and collaboration, and serves as a solution against the obstacles that prevent the CC vision. Online platforms can be considered a powerful tool for promoting the awareness, innovation and connectivity that are required for successful implementation of the CC. Best practice examples show that combining the use of online platforms with interesting and up-to-date social media platforms enables circular economies to come alive to other stakeholders, businesses and the wider public. This section presents an example of good practice that can be implemented efficiently within other cities and further provides helpful tips to guide the implementation of the Circular City.

54

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

4.2 Bringing Stakeholders Together 1) Introduction

create fruitful, fair, well-organized, and efficient

As highlighted in previous sections of the re-

participation and cooperation of stakeholders

port, making cities circular has several ben-

leading to approaching the circular city goals:

efits to society. However, implementing circularity is a complex and interdisciplinary

Identify, classify, and investigate the relationships

process that requires flexible and transpar-

between stakeholders

ent decision-making. This involves a variety

Stakeholder analysis is a way to systematically

of different stakeholder knowledge, values,

represent the relevant sectors involved in CC

and expertise in engaging with one anoth-

development. The first step is to identify relevant

er. Stakeholder participation in the process of

stakeholders that should be involved in the de-

transition to circular city is crucial and it is not

velopment. This process involves the following:

possible to approach this goal single-handed and without stakeholders’ engagement1.

• Looking for systems (social, natural, economic) that will be affected by the circular city transition.

This stakeholder engagement refers to the process where public, private, and volunteer

• Based on the above identify sectors that

sectors of a society decide to get together to

are involved in these systems or can affect

take an active role in sharing knowledge, op-

them.

tions, decision-making skills, and utilise their

• Prioritise sectors based on their probable influence on the development.

varying expertise in a collective manner to achieve development for all. Stakeholder participation in development yields positive results:

Following this, it is necessary to illustrate the relevant stakeholders’ relationships in approaching

• High quality decisions based on more com-

circular city goals. Studying the pattern of com-

prehensive information inputs.

munication between the different sectors (how

• Greater endurance for decisions.

• Stakeholders empowerment.

• Stakeholders connection and trust.

they trust and influence each other), in addition to figuring out the methods and level of information flow between them can enable better understanding of relationships between actors.

The quality of participation, and its outcome in achieving circular cities, utterly relies on

Clear objectives for the development

the quality of the stakeholders’ participation

After identifying stakeholders, it is essential to

process. So, it is important to consider the es-

clarify a consensus regarding the objectives of

sential elements of what makes successful

the project. Stakeholders can be very influential

participation, starting with the very first stag-

in the process of choosing strategies that help

es of moving toward circular city transition.

to reach their individual objectives and can reflect their interests and experiences while ne-

2. Stakeholder participation: best practice2

Based on a review of previous experiences pub-

Early participation

lished in scientific papers and reports, there are

It can be game changing if stakeholders partic-

several aspects that need to be considered to

ipate in the development process from its initi-

1 Le Feuvre, Meryl and others, ‘Understanding stakeholder interaction in urban partnership’, Cities, vol. 52, 2015. pp. 55-65.

2 Reed, Mark., ‘Stakeholder participation for environmental management: A literature review’, Biological Conversation, vol. 141, no. 10, 2008. pp.

2417-2431.

55

gotiating how to achieve circular city objectives.

ation and engage both in early decision making and concept developments, and throughout the implementation process. Studies show that

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

stakeholders can actively play an effective role

can monitor the results of their decisions together

in data collection and analysis, in addition to

and decide on any potential change accordingly.

their usual roles. This early presence can en-

Integrating local and scientific knowledge

sure the long-term success of the project, cre-

One of the essential aspects of the transition

ate trust and understanding between different

to circular city is using scientific information

stakeholders, and create the opportunity for fu-

and analysis to inform stakeholders. Scientif-

ture collaborations and cooperation. It also links

ic knowledge, in addition to local knowledge,

the sectors to the governance system of the city.

can deliver a comprehensive understanding of complex and dynamic nature of a circular city.

Stakeholders empowerment, equity and trust

By combining local and scientific knowledge, it

Empowerment can be achieved through par-

can be possible to point out the uncertainties

ticipation. After creating a system that enables

and assumptions in order to develop a thorough

all stakeholders to effectively engage in the de-

understanding of circularity in cities. However,

cision-making process, it is important to make

it is important to know that local knowledge

sure that participants have the rights and power

might not be accurate and should not be ac-

to make influential decisions that can affect the

cepted unquestioningly. It is argued that deci-

project in different ways. There is little point in

sions, which are made based on the outcomes

bringing stakeholders together if they cannot

of this knowledge collaboration, are likely to be

have their desired influence on the objectives

more rigorous.

or there are not effective strategies in place to achieve them. Such limitations need to be

High skilled facilitation

identified from the beginning, so that actors will

After encouraging stakeholders to participate

have the opportunity to bring their own ideas

in the circular city transition process, it is cru-

and perspectives to the project. Participating

cial to motivate them to stay around the table

in decision-making is not enough though; to

and continue their activity in becoming circu-

effectively empower stakeholders, they also

lar. So, it is important that stakeholder meet-

should be encouraged to participate in the

ings are well-organized, under control, and

implementation stage, probably after being

fruitful. Highly skilled facilitation is needed to

supplied with information regarding meaning-

lead open-minded conversation, de-escalate

ful engagement in the transition to circularity.

potential conflicts and disagreements, handle offensive or dominating parties and create

Every sector, with their diverse backgrounds

balance, comfort, and respect. This helps en-

and professions, should be able to participate

sure that all parties feel free to come-up with

in the project in the best way, and the promot-

their thoughts and ideas, receive each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

ers are responsible for creating a fair platform

comments and negotiate in an efficient way.

for considering stakeholders specific limitations in positive communication and sharing data. So, it is important that they all feel comfortable in the system, in order to represent their ideas.

3. Conclusion Stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; participation in transition to circular city will enhance the quality of decisions as

56

Finally, it is important to create a platform that

they add their knowledge and experience to the

ensures two-way learning between stakehold-

project. However, it is importance to consider this

ers. This communication can result in long-term

participation as a process that should start soon

participation by generating trust and under-

and be well organized to motivate stakeholders

standing among participants. At this stage, they

to join and stay involved. There are several as-

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

pects that can help in bringing stakeholders together. Firstly, relevant stakeholders should be recognised and classified, to try to understand the various stakeholder relationships, and create a reasonable stakeholder network. It is then important to inform the stakeholders of the objectives of the circular city. It is better to engage stakeholders early so they can help in data collection and concept development. Stakeholders should have the power to make influential decisions and each sector, from various backgrounds, should feel comfortable and confident in giving their thoughts and ideas. Finally, all should be able to share knowledge and information with each other. Using scientific knowledge, in addition to local knowledge, in the process of transiting to circular city, delivers a comprehensive understanding of complex and dynamic nature of a circular city which can result in robust decision making. Finally, it is crucial to motivate stakeholders to continue their role ambitiously toward circular city. Organising stakeholder meetings professionally, de-escalating conflicts, and making sure that negotiations are following the meetingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; agenda can result in fruitful conversation between different sectors.

Stakeholders participation in the process of transition to circular city is crucial and it is not possible to approach this goal single-handedly and without stakeholdersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; engagement.

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The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

4.3 Online Platforms: Benefits and Lessons 1. Introduction

er engagement, public participation and en-

Stakeholder engagement is often identified as

act as a knowledge sharing platform. It has

critical within circular city examples and man-

become a crucial mechanism for those want-

agement. Organisations within cities must estab-

ing to build long-term, dynamic relationships

lish effective engagement opportunities in order

with other stakeholders. It enables a message

to be successful in becoming circular, smart and

to be targeted and delivered to various stake-

sustainable through communication, collabo-

holders that may be relevant to them, in order

ration, involvement and stakeholder support.

to enable the circular city mechanisms. Online platforms can provide businesses/organ-

2. Obstacles

isations with a wide range of communication

The obstacles that hinder circular economy

tools throughout the circular city which will

motions in practice are pinpointed below:

create links amongst key stakeholders to enable opportunities. Using online toolkits will help

• The absence of collaborative spaces where

minimise risks associated with consumer re-

people from the companies can meet and

jection, build trust amongst organisations and

converse.

improve the quality of decision making, these

• The circular economy can create a vicious

steps will lead the way to innovation. There

circle of different actions leading to a part-

are also competitive advantages gained by or-

nership of the mechanisms that feed isola-

ganisations already building long-term online

tion and prevent moving forward, there is a

engagement with stakeholders demonstrat-

lack of a tool that can spur communication

ing that the web is the most effective way for-

and involvement.

ward for successful corporate communication2.

• There is a general lack of awareness of the circular economy and its mechanisms, ben-

Online platforms can be used via different on-

efits and opportunities.

line software (such as Wordpress or eNgageSpace3), which are specifically designed sys-

These obstacles highlight the importance of

tem for research and discussion, and online

using the internet as a tool as an online plat-

consultations, also known as eConsultations. Or

form for stakeholders to engage. The first

alternatively stakeholders can utilise social me-

place a person will go for information is the

dia platforms such as LinkedIn as the discus-

internet, especially with constant techno-

sion forum. Stakeholders can engage with both

logical advancements and mobile phones.

platforms for maximum involvement opportuni-

Everyone can be connected to the internet at

ties, which often involves using an online plat-

any point, highlighting that this this is where

form software with a Twitter or LinkedIn feed

the circular economy needs to be present .

displayed on the homepage of the platform.

3. Online platforms for stakeholder engagement: the benefits

Online platform engagement can lead to face-

1

to-face engagement and spark interest to get

The circular/sharing economy allows the pub-

more stakeholders to attend circular city events.

lic to share resources, property, time and skills

Working online with local businesses can high-

across the online platform. Online platforms

light opportunities/gaps/waste by devising

can be utilised as a useful tool for stakehold-

‘groups’ of stakeholders managed by key partners. It is ultimately a starting point to future

1 Staicu, Daniela., and Oana Pop, ‘Mapping the interactions between the stakeholders of the circular economy ecosystem applied to the textile and apparel sector in Romania’, Management & Marketing. Challenges for the Knowledge Society, vol. 13, no. 4, 2018. pp. 1190-1209.

58

2 Roshdi, Erika., ‘Stakeholder engagement: exploiting online opportunities’, Business Green, 2019 <https://www.businessgreen.com/sponsored/2033906/stakeholder-engagement-exploiting-online-opportunities> 3 See: https://wordpress.com/ and https://www.engagespace.co.uk/

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

business. It also grants the opportunity for ‘open

The European Circular Economy Stakeholder

innovation’ to allow customers/businesses/

Platform displays ‘Looking for a good practice,

stakeholders to be involved at the earliest phas-

a contact, a study…?’ on the homepage which

es of product/cycle in order to generate valua-

also the displays the link for stakeholders to en-

ble input into research and design processes .

gage on the discussion forum. However, at the

4

top of the homepage displays ‘#CEstakeholderEU’ which acts as a link into the Twitter social media platform that shows conversations and news of the circular economy on a global scale6.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation uses a ‘join in’ link that displays activities, resources and communities that allows the public to learn more about the circular economy. The ‘Communities’ link uses the social media platform LinkedIn as an online platform for updates, news and opportunities for involvement. The Figure 4.1 The benefits of online platforms

4. The power of social media Awareness, education and research promoted through social media can be viewed as a powerful tool for promoting the online platform and what it represents. Advertising the platform can attract stakeholders and businesses to collaborate online, such as Future Peterborough, to discuss the possibilities of the circular city. In order to captivate a large stakeholder society, the media and social media should promote a strong portfolio of case studies that contribute positively to the circular city that improve quality of life – “Case studies can help shed light on the preconditions of successful stakeholder engagement”5 for instance, “A case study bank” from a wide variety of stakeholders alike to Future Peterborough (within seven themes).

An online platform should promote connectivity through keeping a regularly updated Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. It can further benefit through being present in local newspapers and business magazines.

4 Von Krogh, Georg., Sebastian, Spaeth and Karim Lakhani, ‘Community, joining, and specialization in open source software innovation: a case study’, Research Policy, vol. 32, no. 7, 2003. pp. 1217-1241.

5 Hoffman, Christian. and others, ‘Public Service Media in the Digital Age| Diversity by Choice: Applying a Social Cognitive Perspective to the Role of Public Service Media in the Digital Age’, International Journal of Communication, vol. 9, 2015. pp. 1360–138. .

59

organisation has set up three different LinkedIn groups to follow for different types of involvement such as ‘Circular Design Guide LinkedIn Group’, ‘Circular Economy Teaching and Learning LinkedIn Group’ and ‘Circular Economy Knowledge Transfer LinkedIn Group’7.

Future Peterborough display communications under their ‘Contact Us’ a display of conversations that the public have published via Twitter and Wordpress about the Peterborough Circular City past and future conferences and events.

This use of this platform can allow the public to learn about the circular city on the social media platform of Twitter, which may target the younger generation and Wordpress which can target start-up businesses. Using a variety of social media and other media platforms can connect stakeholders across a wider array of platforms..

These examples illustrate good social media practices. It is important for news, events and contacts of the circular city to be published on multiple platforms for stakeholders to become well connected to develop circular opportunities and discover gaps in soci6 European Union, ‘European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform’, European Union, 2020 <https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/> 7 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, ‘Join in’, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2020 <https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/join-in>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

ety to avoid a linear economy. Online and so-

• To make the online platform accessible and

cial platforms act as the bridge in the system

welcoming the platform should use visuals

that connect innovative ideas with the relevant

and diagrams to attract other stakeholders

businesses to allow good practice to happen.

to the website with clear and concise infor-

5. Recognition and awards

mation.

tice of their circular city activity for organisa-

8. Example of good practice: Future Peterborough online platform

tions within their Case Study Bank. Not only

• Stakeholder engagement viewed as a cri-

does this promote publicity and recognition but

tique which highlights the importance of

it further sparks ideas for other organisations8.

online platforms to maximise connectivity.

Future Peterborough showcases businesses on their platform of examples of good prac-

• Appealing visuals and diagrams used on When using an online platform, the promotion

the platform – making it accessible and

of local awards and recognition can promote

welcoming.

the success of the business community for the stakeholders.

• Promote a portfolio of case studies called

This can promote positive

the ‘Case Study Bank’ that portray examples

public publicity and cause for other stakehold-

of the seven themes of focus for Future Pe-

ers to compete advantageously. Examples of

terborough. Under every case study it offers

awards could involve: ‘Most successful start-

a submission box to enter your organisation

ups’ and ‘Most creative and innovative idea’.

details and circular economy activities to

6. Incentives An incentive to using online platforms is that it is can be free and easy to register when opening up a discussion forum for opportuni-

share with stakeholders.

• Offers links to circular economy conferences and events.

• Free and easy to register, offer contacts and communication links.

ties. In addition, all circular city events should generally be kept free to attend and acces-

9. Conclusion

sible for all to attend, such as in the morn-

It is important to realise the power of the inter-

ing or evening (out of business hours) or

net and the success of being present online.

hosting events such as breakfast seminars.

Online platforms promote communication, con-

7. Helpful tips when using a website/online platform

required for success. The combination of an online platform in conjunction with a regularly up-

• The aim of the online platform is to demon-

dated and interesting social media platform can

strate useful examples, pitch new ideas,

act as a combination of good practice to allow

and open up a discussion forum for com-

for circular economy activities to come alive.

munication for businesses and stakehold-

These steps can then lead to the benefits of

ers to collaborate in order to mobile the

being online and then recognition and awards.

circular city.

• Online platforms should be free and easy to register, it also should be obvious where the button/link is to sign up easily and get involved.

8 Future Peterborough, ‘Case Study Bank’, Future Peterborough, 2020 <http://www.futurepeterborough.com/circular-city/case-study-bank/>

60

versations, innovation and connectivity that is

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

4.4 Monitoring the Circular City 1. Introduction

Incentives for NGO Sector

This section explains why monitoring is an

• Accountability: there have been calls for

integral part of creating a successful circu-

NGOs to become more accountable to

lar economy, how the circular economy can

maintain a credible reputation4, and moni-

be monitored by providing overarching prin-

toring the outcomes of CC implementation

ciples that make a successful monitoring in-

provides data to display transparency and

dicator framework, as well as how to tailor

regain trust of investors and the public.

them to different stakeholders within the Cir-

• Funding: some businesses within the

cular City by outlining which specific indica-

non-profit sector are heavily reliant on

tors/indicator sets are most relevant for each.

funding from private donors or investorsdemonstrating successful implementation

2. Why is monitoring a vital component in the circular economy?

through monitoring could help to secure future investment.

Monitoring the progress of the Circular City is

• Contractual obligation: due to external fund-

an essential part of the implementation pro-

ing, some funders may require NGOs to

cess, and currently stakeholders throughout

monitor circularity as a condition for invest-

the Circular City acknowledge a need for new

ment.

tools to support them in monitoring the transition from linear to circular economy prac-

Incentives for monitoring in the Private Sector

tices1. However, it is first important to under-

A 2018 report the WBCSD5 succinctly summa-

stand how incentives to monitor differ between

rises the 5 main reasons for why businesses

sectors; incentives specific to the public, pri-

should measure their circularity:

vate and NGO sectors are outlined below.

Incentives for monitoring in the Public Sector

cularity in business can act as a value driver;

• Legal requirements: for many public sector

monitoring outcomes can help recognise

bodies monitoring outcomes for reporting

financial opportunity in re-evaluating busi-

is a statutory requirement or it forms part of

ness models, and guide and motivate fur-

the terms and conditions for funding provi-

ther implementation.

sion2

2. Justify achievement externally: it is also

• Influence policy decisions: monitoring and

important in the private sector provide ev-

reporting outcomes of the CE has the po-

idence of success to their competitors as

tential to provide useful information to influ-

well as their investors.

ence policy decisions

3. Integrate circularity across the business: the

• Transparency: effective reporting is impor-

circularity has been shown to drive inno-

tant to make the public sector stakeholders

vation and make companies more efficient

accountable and transparent in their work.

and competitive.

There is heightened interest from MPs in

4. Manage risks associated with the linear

government accounts to understand per-

business model: circular business arguably

formance of public bodies, and members

help to mitigate linear ‘risks’ such as com-

of the local community are also keen to see

modity price volatility, resource supply se-

how their taxes have been spent3.

1 Saidani, Michael. and others, ‘A taxonomy of circular economy indicators’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 207, 2019. pp. 542-559.

2 Byrne, Adrian., Reporting on Public Sector Performance: Assurance on Non-financial Information in the Public Sector, (London: ICAEW, 2012) 3 ibid

61

1. Drive business performance or strategy: cir-

4 Burger, Ronelle. and Trudy Owens, ‘Promoting transparency in the NGO sector: Examining the availability and reliability of self-reported data’, World Development, vol. 38, no. 9, 2010. pp. 1263-1277.

5 WBCSD. ‘Circular Metrics: Landscape Analysis’ WBCSD, 2018 <https://www.wbcsd.org/Programs/Circular-Economy/Factor-10/Metrics-Measurement/Resources/Landscape-analysis>

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

curity, brand value and reputation and business continuity.

5. Know and understand the impact of their circular

activities:

making

4. How to monitor the Circular City A 2018 study by the WBCSD10 on the current

stakeholders

situation of monitoring within businesses, found

aware of their role within the Circular City

that nearly 75% of the companies that were in-

and its broader impacts.

terviewed used their own frameworks to meas-

3. What are monitoring frameworks and indicators?

ure their circularity performance. This section identifies tools that suggest how stakeholders could build their own monitoring frameworks,

Simply, the central objective of a monitoring

as well signposting to existing indicator toolkits

framework is to serve stakeholders by assessing

and online frameworks.

the impact of CE interventions in order to determine whether actions need to be taken, and

A vast number of indicator-sets and frameworks

if so, what actions will help to improve or steer

already exist and are widely discussed within

their CE . As well as providing feedback to strat-

the context of the CE11. However, there remains

egy and planning development, they should

a lack of well-established indicators or monitor-

also make actors at different levels of the CE

ing guidance, especially something that can be

aware of their role within it, and provide feed-

transferable to different stakeholder contexts.

back on their specific contributions too.

This has been a barrier to CE implementation

6

that this guide attempts to overcome by tailorIndicators join together the core goals, princi-

ing guidance specifically to each scale of imple-

ples and building blocks of a CC to create the

mentation.

monitoring framework, acting as a tool that can show progress towards both strategic or internal

There is a global consensus among academ-

objectives across different actors in the Circu-

ics, industrialists and politicians that there is a

lar City . Indicators are able to ‘summarise, fo-

need to measure the CC at the scale of the or-

cus and condense’ complex findings on Circular

ganisation (the ‘micro’ scale) as well as broader

City progress into a more manageable amount

industrial and city scale (‘meso/macro’ scale)12.

of meaningful knowledge . For example, indi-

In order to design an appropriate monitoring

cators have multiple functions that will help to

framework, it is important to understand the

monitor the CE, ranging from being used as

difference between these levels of the circular

managerial and policy instruments to report or

city. The meso-level of the Circular City refers

pilot activities, to communicating progress ex-

to the implementation of circularity through in-

ternally .

dustrial eco-parks13, which are a more specific

7

8

9

initiative that are not considered in this hand-

62

Hence, using indicators makes it easier to un-

book. Eco-industrial developments also argua-

derstand and communicate the progress of the

bly act more as a marketing label to differentiate

circular economy.

projects than being a substantive strategy for

6 Alaerts, Luc., and others, ‘Towards a more direct policy feedback in circular economy monitoring via a societal-needs perspective’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 149, 2019. pp. 363-371.

7 Howard, Mikey., Peter Hopkinson, and Joe Miemczyk. ‘The regenerative supply chain: a framework for developing circular economy indicators’, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 57 no. 23, 2019. pp. 7300-7318.

8 Saidani, Michael. and others, ‘A taxonomy of circular economy indicators’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 207, 2019. pp. 542-559.

9 Ibid

10 WBCSD. ‘Circular Transition Indicators V1.0: Metrics for business, by business’, WBCSD, 2018 <https://www.wbcsd.org/Programs/Circular-Economy/Factor-10/Metrics-Measurement/Resources/Circular-Transition-Indicators-V1.0-Metrics-for-business-by-business> 11 Kristensen, Heidi. and Mette Mosgaard, ‘A review of micro level indicators for a circular economy–moving away from the three dimensions of sustainability?’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 243, 2020. pp. 1-20.

12 Saidani, Michael. and others, ‘A taxonomy of circular economy indicators’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 207, 2019. pp. 542-559.

13 European Commission, Communication from the commission to the European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a monitoring framework, (Strasbourg: European Commission, 2018) .

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

cross-sector circularity14, and thus meso-level

Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) tool, which is

indicators are not considered in this handbook.

believed to be the most ambitious attempt yet at developing a product-level circularity metric17.

The following sections give an overview of monitoring recommendations for the micro

The MCI assists companies in identifying ad-

and macro scale of the CC, defining each scale,

ditional, circular value from their products and

summarising who is associated with which lev-

materials, and to mitigate risks from material

el, what indicators they focus on, and how circu-

price volatility and material supply18. By inputting

larity is and can be monitored.

material data into EMF’s MCI formula, compa-

4.1 Monitoring the Circular City at the micro scale

nies are able to thoroughly review the circularity of their material flows for selected products19.

A key incentive for using the MCI monitoring

Defining the micro-scale of the Circular City

tool is thus because it highlights the circulari-

The micro-scale of the circular economy, refers

ty of product materials and design, to highlight

to the operation of the CE at product, company

areas in need of improvement, or to help in-

or consumer-level. Previously, there had been

form future in material procurement decisions.

a significant lack of research on CE assessment and indicators generally, and micro-level indi-

However, it would not be practical for many

cators in particular were less developed than

businesses to use tools such as the MCI as-

those at the macro level . So, this will highlight

sessment for all of their products. Instead, The

key areas that should be focussed on for mon-

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF)20 recom-

itoring.

mend taking a reference product approach,

15

meaning that the MCI only needs to be comGood micro indicators should :

puted for a list of reference products, where

• Provide detailed information for specific de-

each represents a variety of similar products.

16

cision processes at business or local level or concerning specific substance or individual products.

• Zoom through disaggregation on a specific

4.2 Monitoring the Circular City at the macro scale Defining the macro-acale of the CC

material category or emission to describe

The macro level refers to the CE operating at the

the economic, environmental and social

city, province, region or country level . Therefore,

performance of circular city at the product

the key stakeholders at this level would include

or company level.

policy-makers within the circular city. Currently, within CE literature, the macro level is usually

Hence, indicators used to monitor the CE at the

limited to include the national level, with the

micro level, should look at the circularity of indi-

intention to add global as an additional scale21.

vidual sectors and products within the CC. How: using existing micro-scale monitoring tools The use of online platforms within the CE extends to circularity monitoring too; the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) have developed a 14 Domenech Aparisi, Teresa., Social aspects of industrial symbiosis networks, (Doctoral dissertation, University College London, 2010).

15 Saidani, Michael. and others, ‘A taxonomy of circular economy indicators’, Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 207, 2019. pp. 542-559.

16 Vercalsteren, An., Maarten Christis and Veronique Van Hoof, ‘Indicators for a Circular Economy. Research Report of the Policy Research Centre Circular Economy’, ce-centre.be, 2018

63

17 Linder, Sarasini. and Patricia van Loon, ‘A metric for quantifying product-level circularity’, Journal of Industrial Ecology, vol. 21, no. 3, 2017. pp.

545-558.

18 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, ‘Material circularity indicator: Assessment tool for companies to improve product design and material procurement’, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2018 19 ibid.

20 Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Circularity Indicators: An Approach for Measuring Circularity, (London: EMF, 2015).

21 Moraga, Gustavo. and others, ‘Circular economy indicators: What do they measure?’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 146, 2019. pp. 452461.

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

1. Align indicators with principles of the Circular

What Macro level indicators are used to support de-

City

cision making in sectors such as economic,

A common finding in literature on the Circualr

trade, and environmental policy integration,

Economy, is that monitoring frameworks fail to

or national waste management and resource

link indicators explicitly to the Circular Econo-

conservation policies . At this level, the circular

my's objectives. Therefore, it is imperative that

economy is emphasised in material exchanges

when selecting indicators, one ensures that they

between the economy and the environment

reflect the key Circular Economy principles, so as

such as in international trade and on material

not to design the framework in isolation of them23.

accumulations in national economies instead

In defining ‘What is a Circular City’, this guide

of focussing on flows within the economy .

defines the circular city as sustainable, resil-

22

ient, resourceful, fostering innovation, providHow

ing jobs, and promoting health and well-be-

There are various existing monitoring frame-

ing. Hence, the indicators selected must

works at the macro-scale, including methods

actively monitor how the circular economy

such as the Material Flow Analysis (MFA),

achieves these elements of the circular city.

and Input-Output Analysis. More recently,

Examples of indicators that reflect these prin-

the European Commission

ciples:

proposed a CE

monitoring framework that aims to measure progress toward a circular economy in

• % of circular jobs created • % of food waste recycled

a way that includes various dimensions and stages of product and resource lifecycles.

2. Close the loop Linking to the idea that indicators should re-

This

guide

has

points

flect key Circular Economy principles, the main

from the literature on Circular City and Cir-

principle of the Circular City as outlined in the

cular

frameworks

introduction of this report, is the closure of

at the macro scale into 6 key principles

loops, and a move from linear to circular pro-

that help stakeholders to design their own

cesses. However, frameworks often omit indi-

framework for monitoring the Circular City.

cators that reflect this goal as being regener-

Economy

summarised monitoring

key

ative and self-sustaining. Therefore, indicators 6 key principles for designing a successful moni-

in the monitoring framework should demon-

toring framework at the macro scale:

strate how resource and material flows within the city or Circular Economy are being retained.

Examples of indicators that reflect whether the loop is being ‘closed’:

• % of recycled waste contributing to raw waste demand

• % increase in water butt installation • Sum of circular material productivity24 (revenue divided by the total mass of linear

Figure 4.2 The key principles for macro-scale monitoring 22 Vercalsteren, An., Maarten Christis and Veronique Van Hoof, ‘Indicators for a Circular Economy. Research Report of the Policy Research Centre Circular Economy’, ce-centre.be, 2018

64

23 Howard, Mikey., Peter Hopkinson, and Joe Miemczyk. ‘The regenerative supply chain: a framework for developing circular economy indicators’, International Journal of Production Research, vol. 57 no. 23, 2019. pp. 7300-7318 24 WBCSD. ‘Circular Transition Indicators V1.0: Metrics for business, by business’, WBCSD, 2018

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

flow)25

• % of food waste collected/ redistributed for community use

6. Flexibility of indicators As a result of principle 5- availability of data- it is also important that monitoring frameworks use

3. Make indicators accessible

indicators that are flexible, in that they can be in-

Ensuring that an indicator set is simple and

terchangeable with new and more appropriate

easy to use is one of the key attributes identi-

indicators where necessary. Indicators should

fied in the Circular Economy literature as con-

not be fixed in the framework, as the outcome

tributing to a successful monitoring framework.

of what they monitor, or the data available for

For example, Turcu

monitoring may help to determine the appropri-

26

believes that indicators

should not be too complex as these tools re-

ateness of the indicator.

quire more resources and are often hard to use. The easier they are to understand, the more likely it is that stakeholders will be incentivised to invest in Circular Economy practices.

4. Clear visual communication

5) Final recommendations and importance of cross-scale and cross-sector collaboration Ultimately, whether one is choosing to create their own framework to monitor the CC/CE, or

Building on the idea of accessible indicators, an

utilising online toolkits to conduct this research,

important attribute of a well-designed indicator

the most important takeaway from this section

set is having clear visual communication. This

is that the monitoring process must link to the

further enables the findings to be easily com-

core principles of the CC/CE objectives for it to

municated to, and interpreted by key stakehold-

truly measure its success.

ers, such as businessmen, investors, or councillors27.

Clear visual representation enables

Furthermore, there is a need for both thematic,

comparisons between circular and linear eco-

bottom-up indicators that can monitor the CE at

nomic models to be made more easily. For ex-

specific scales, but also overarching indicators

ample, Morely et al. suggest using a traffic light

that run across different themes, such as in try-

system to show how indicators monitored in a

ing to monitor the success of industrial symbi-

Circular City compare to the national average.

osis29. Hence, this reiterates the importance of

28

5. Availability of data It is important to be able to consistently up-

stakeholder cooperation within and between scales CE implementation, as expanded on in the section on stakeholder engagement.

date the indicator as per the chosen monitoring timescale. This requires reliable data to be readily available and regularly updated. This does however limit the scope of what data can be selected, making it imperative to select indicators that can be appropriately addressed by the datasets available.

25 The greater the circular material productivity, the greater the success of decoupling financial performance with linear resource consumption 26 Turcu, Catalina., ‘Sustainability indicators and certification schemes for the built environment’. In: Routledge Handbook of Sustainability Indicators. ed.

by Simon Bell and Stephen Morse. (Oxford: Routledge, 2018) pp. 156-175.

27 Morley, Amber., Emelyne Looi, and Chenxiao Zhao, ‘Measuring the Circular Economy: Developing an indicator set for Opportunity Peterborough’ Future Peterborough, 2018, <http://www.futurepeterborough.com/wp-content/ uploads/2018/08/Final-Report-Measuring-the-Circular-Economy-of-Peterborough-2-1.pdf> 28 ibid

65

29 An approach that brings together companies from different sectors to encourage the valorisation of waste, improvement of resource efficiency and reduction of environmental impact.

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

66

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

Concluding Remarks Thank you for reading the Circular City Handbook. This handbook was written with the confidence that readers can utilise the information provided to pursue circular city initiatives, enabling governanment, business and NGO sectors to contribute to a more sustainable future. To find out more, readers are encouraged to explore the reference list that follows, as well as the key links provided below: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/what-is-the-circular-economy https://www.bioregional.com/resources/the-circular-economy-cracking-the-challenge https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/government/EMF_TFPM_FullReportEnhanced_11-9-15.pdf

67

The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

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The Circular City Handbook Governance for Urban Sustainability Project 2020

This Handbook has been prepared by MSc students on the Governance for Urban Sustainability: Project module within the Bartlett School of Planning, UCL. This module focusses on the implementation of Circular Economy principles at the city scale. For the last six years, it has been run as a collaboration with Peterborough City Council, who have espoused the Circular City as a goal. The Handbook seeks to bring together the fruits of that collaboration together with new research to provide a resource for key urban stakeholders in the public sector, in business and in the community.

For further information, please contact Professor Yvonne Rydin at y.rydin@ucl.ac.uk Authors of the report: Ewan Clegg Isabel Cordwell Danielle Dempsey Olivia Dickie Patrick Franklin Caroline Gaboriau Emma Hulland Edona Korenica Sara Parsadoust Molly Purcell Victoria Shiu Jacqueline Streur Published May 2020

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