Dutch
Circular Value Chains
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Circular Economy

Circular provinces and regions

Geschreven samen met: Sandra Kolodzinsky Adviseur Circulaire Economie, Energie en Klimaat bij de RVO
The flow of resources often traverses municipal and national borders. As a result, a regional approach is often necessary to promote circularity.

Below are examples from the industrial area Kalundborg in Denmark, the Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe, the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam, and the Association Friesland Circulair.

Kalundborg (Denmark)

Kalundborg is one of the most cited examples of ‘industrial symbiosis.’ Since 1972, this project has been a collaboration between nine public and private companies in Kalundborg, seeking a circular approach to production. The key principle is that one company’s residue becomes a source for another company, benefiting both the environment and the economy. Examples include heat, fly ash (used to make gypsum), and straw (convertible to ethanol).

For more information, visit the Kalundborg Symbiosis website.

Metropolitan Region Amsterdam (Netherlands)

The Metropolitan Region Amsterdam (MRA) is a collaboration between the provinces of North Holland and Flevoland, 32 municipalities, and the Amsterdam Transport Region. MRA aims to transition to a region where waste of resources and energy is a thing of the past, and products are maximally eligible for reuse. Circular commissioning and circular procurement are essential pillars for achieving this.

MRA participants annually purchase goods and services for approximately €4 billion. By 2022, MRA partners aim to make at least 10% of their products, goods, and services circularly purchased. The goal of reaching 50% circular procurement by 2025 is an interim target toward fully circular commissioning.

For more information, visit the website of the Metropolitan Region Amsterdam.

Association Friesland Circulair

The association Friesland Circulair is a collaboration between the Frisian business community, governments, knowledge institutions, and other societal organizations. Friesland Circulair’s ambition is high: by 2025, Friesland aims to be the most circular region in Europe, setting an example for the next generation. The collaboration began in 2015 after Urgenda and Metabolic published a report on the most common resource flows in Friesland, including concrete plans and iconic projects. With five focus areas, including circular learning and tipping points, and numerous projects, Friesland is well on its way to achieving this ambition.

For more information about Friesland Circulair, click here.

Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe

The Unie van Waterschappen (union of water boards), as a signatory of the Raw Materials Agreement, aspires to close its loops by 2050 and convert 100% of Dutch wastewater into valuable products. After successfully achieving climate and energy ambitions in 2020, the Union of Water Boards is now exploring the possibilities for complete energy neutrality in the coming period. (Unie van Waterschappen, 2020).

Taking the Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe as a specific example, it presented its circular economy policy framework in 2018. This framework aims to provide a perspective for employees and partners and includes an effort commitment. Some of the concrete efforts include:

  • Realizing four exemplary circular projects by 2021.
  • Achieving 100% circular procurement from 2025, including for tenders.
  • Making all long-term choices 100% circular from 2025.
  • Reducing the use of primary raw materials by 50% by 2025.
  • Converting 100% of wastewater into valuable substances by 2050.

More information can be found in the policy framework of the Waterschap Vallei en Veluwe (2018).