Policy Considerations for a Circular Economy

Abstract

Circular economy (CE) policies have been developed at all levels of government and address key actors in diverse ways. Some of the policies have a longer history initiated as elements of predecessors of the current CE policies, while others were implemented more recently. Various studies in the Cresting project have observed impacts of existing policy approaches in these contexts. This chapter takes stock of this by discussing the main lessons and implications for future policies, identified at the various levels of government. We present policy recommendations ranging from the local and regional to national and EU level and the global level. The Cresting studies produce useful insights into possible routes for further enhancement of the CE. Some specific cases have been successful, while other case studies reveal some level of success based on the original policy aims, but turn out to have major shortcomings, when it is assessed from the perspective of the current more far-reaching CE aspirations. The Cresting cases have presented many specific suggestions for a stronger embedding and aligning of the CE ambitions in the wider quest for sustainable development, as promoted by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.