Europe intends to break with the throwaway culture

The concept of a circular economy has gained growing prominence on political, business and social agendas in recent years. In contrast to the traditional linear model—based on producing, consuming and discarding—the circular economy proposes a paradigm shift that aims to minimise waste and resource extraction by redesigning production and consumption systems. “All of this translates, from the design phase, into products conceived to be repaired and reused, or recycled and reintroduced into the value chain. And, naturally, also into schemes that finance innovative projects in this field,” explains Adrián Rivas, a consultant on European projects at Zabala Innovation.

The circular economy is gradually integrating into key sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, energy, transport and construction. The European Commission recognises this approach as essential to achieving climate neutrality by 2050, as reflected in the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan.

In Rivas’s words, “European public funding can play a fundamental role in accelerating this transition.” Via LIFE—the only programme exclusively dedicated to the environment and climate action—the EU funds technologically mature projects that aim to reach, at minimum, demonstration in real-world settings. LIFE can cover up to 60 % of project costs, for both single applicants and consortia.

Within this framework, the Circular economy and quality of life sub-programme aims to support the EU’s sustainability priorities by promoting circular business models, reducing resource consumption, and facilitating a transition to a materials-efficient, non-toxic, climate-resilient economy geared towards resource reuse. This call, among others, targets projects related to the management of waste electrical and electronic equipment such as photovoltaic panels, smartphones, tablets and computers.

Waste with a future

Priority is also given to demonstrators focused on batteries, end-of-life vehicles, construction, plastics, biowaste, textiles, multilayer materials or critical raw materials. Innovative solutions for the identification, traceability, separation, prevention and decontamination of waste are especially valued.

Implementing circular business models in product design is another strategic pillar of the LIFE programme. This includes improving durability, reparability, reusability, recyclability and the incorporation of recycled content, as well as developing digital product passports and circular value chains.

To illustrate the transformative impact of projects supported by this programme, Rivas mentions two examples. “Focused on recovering materials and components from cooktops (induction, radiant and hybrid), LIFE Weeeloop has achieved a 90 % recovery rate and also integrates a digital passport for the recovered components,” he says. The ultimate goal is to industrialise an eco-designed induction cooktop made with recycled materials. This avoids generating 2,000 tonnes of waste and results in a reduction of 4,700 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year.

Another example is LIFE ZeroLandFilling, which is developing an advanced integrated management system for non-recyclable municipal solid waste. This system will process 2,112 tonnes of non-recyclable municipal solid waste, avoiding the emission of 2,069.76 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent associated with landfilling. Additionally, it will produce 458 tonnes of green naphtha and 583 tonnes of solid char, whose processes will avoid emissions of 918.56 tonnes and 1,700.26 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent respectively, compared to conventional methods.

Europe in transition

Beyond LIFE, the Horizon Europe programme also allocates a substantial portion of its funding to projects that incorporate circular economy principles with a cross-sectoral approach. Its Cluster 6—focused on food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment—includes the Circular economy and bioeconomy destination, which addresses this issue directly.

Other clusters also integrate this vision, albeit transversally. In Cluster 4, the topics of Global leadership in climate‑neutral, digitalised and circular industrial value chains and Open strategic autonomy in raw materials, chemicals and innovative materials promote the circular economy applied to energy-intensive industries and the development of new materials.

Cluster 5, dedicated to climate, energy and mobility, also embeds circular approaches across multiple work streams—from sustainable battery value chains to competitive renewable energy supply, energy efficiency in the building stock, and clean, circular solutions for all modes of transport.

“Seizing the opportunities of European funding in the field of the circular economy and preparing proposals closely aligned with EU priorities can make the difference between a good idea and a high-impact project,” warns Rivas. “Having experienced partners in the process, such as Zabala Innovation, can facilitate success in a competitive and highly technical environment, helping organisations to lead the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient future,” he concludes.