During the past 20 years, Europe has achieved significant advancements in material efficiency, with a reduction of 9.4 percent in total material usage from 6.6 billion to 6.0 billion tons. Additionally, the proportion of resources derived from recycled waste has risen by almost 50 percent from 2000 to 2020. Primary materials continue to account for over 87 percent of EU resource consumption, while the generation of waste across the EU is on the rise.
“Squaring the Circle: Policies from Europe’s Circular Economy Transition” analyzes the European Union’s efforts to promote the circular economy agenda and highlights valuable insights that can be beneficial for countries both within and outside of Europe.