{"id":4432,"date":"2021-06-03T13:30:30","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T10:30:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogit.lab.fi\/labfocus\/?p=4432"},"modified":"2023-09-28T07:50:38","modified_gmt":"2023-09-28T04:50:38","slug":"bio-and-circular-economies-complementary-concepts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogit.lab.fi\/labfocus\/en\/bio-and-circular-economies-complementary-concepts\/","title":{"rendered":"Bio- and Circular Economies \u2013 Complementary Concepts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Both concepts of bioeconomy (long tradition) and circular economy (rather a new concept) are well-known in the EU though the latter one more on paper than in practice (Carus & Dammer 2018). Bioeconomy is steered by environmental challenges and resource scarcity, circular economy (CE) is driven by innovation. Despite their different origin, both complement each other. As the circular economy has huge potential, the synergies of both concepts are arising. (European Environmental Agency 2018.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"BIOREGIO
Picture 1. BIOREGIO in a nutshell. (Picture: Katerina Medkova)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BIOREGIO story<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Interreg Europe project BIOREGIO – Regional circular economy models and best available technologies for biological streams<\/a> has been developing bio-based circular economy in six European regions. As the project is approaching its final stage, a final dissemination event was organized in May 2021. The event was acknowledged as a partner event of the EU Green Week 2021<\/a>. You can read more about the event from BIOREGIO High-level Dissemination Event<\/a> article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2017, when BIOREGIO cooperation started, the first focus was on defining the term of bio-based CE as several synonyms exist, e.g. circular bioeconomy, bio circular economy. The Butterfly diagram of Ellen MacArthur depicts the biological or technical materials flows. BIOREGIO has focused on biological materials (Picture 1). (Medkova 2021.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bioeconomy and circular economy share some targets and these concepts are overlapping, but neither are fully part of the other. Therefore, the bio-based circular economy can be explained as an intersection between bioeconomy and CE, i.e., bioeconomy with integrated CE principles (Picture 2). <\/strong>(Carus & Dammer 2018.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Different
Picture 2. Defining bio-based circular economy. (Picture: Katerina Medkova)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A comprehensive circular economy is not possible without the bioeconomy and vice versa. BIOREGIO took the opportunity to take part in the public consultation on Europe\u2019s 2012 Bioeconomy strategy update in 2018 and supported the need for the bioeconomy to have sustainability and circularity at its heart. Bioeconomy is not always circular by nature, therefore, there is a need for designing the bioeconomy in a circular way. (Medkova 2021.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BIOREGIO aimed to enhance the development of bio-based CE through increased expertise and improved regional policies. That has been achieved thanks to interregional cooperation and through a transfer of knowledge, expertise, and good practices. The main goal was to develop regional policies, therefore, to reach a policy change related to bio-based CE. For that, many activities have been performed, both on the regional and interregional level (Picture 3):<\/p>\n\n\n\n