In 2023, the circularity rate in Europe was 11.8%. The EU uses a higher proportion of recycled materials than other regions of the world, but improvements have been rather limited in recent years.
These data are contained in the briefing “European Circular Economy in Facts and Figures”.
Based on the results of the study, the analysts obtained the following figures:
- Each European uses about 14 tons of materials and generates 5 tons of waste annually. This figure is one of the highest in the world and exceeds sustainable limits.
- Since 2015, resource productivity has exceeded €2/kg, which is more than 2.5 times the global average. According to analysts, this demonstrates high efficiency in extracting value from resources.
- Europe recycles almost half of the waste it generates. The authors of the briefing are convinced that the EU would benefit from promoting high-quality recycling and supporting the efficient functioning of secondary materials markets.
- As of 2022, the EU disposes of only 306 kg per person annually.
- The share of resource recovery continues to increase by 2.6% annually. Waste recycling alone will not be enough to establish circularity in Europe, according to the authors of the briefing.
- The material recovery rate (MRR) in the EU has been growing very slowly over the past 12 years and has remained virtually unchanged since 2016. It is currently around 11.5%.
In recent years, material circulation in Europe has been low and relatively stable, as recycling and material use have remained low since 2014.
The authors of the report stated that companies and consumers are showing the first signs of shifting to new business and consumption models. However, linear systems continue to prevail, and the effectiveness of current efforts remains unclear, partly due to limited monitoring data.
On the positive side, the EU has managed to grow its economy using a stable amount of resources and producing a stable amount of waste, achieving a moderate level of separation.
Analysts have stated that despite this, the global environmental impact of European consumption is growing, and the environmental benefits of circularity have not yet become apparent.
Researchers from various European organizations studying the EU's transition to a circular economy agree that there has been some progress, but there is a clear need for more active policy implementation, financial support, and expansion of circular business and consumption models. For example, the European Environment Agency's 2024 report “Accelerating the Circular Economy in Europe” emphasizes the same balance between recognizing positive progress and the need for bolder action.
The number of national circular economy strategies among EU member states has increased significantly since 2015:
Source: eea.europa.eu.
The figure below shows 4 key indicators that characterize the impact of circular economy efforts in Europe: the EU's material footprint, waste generation, recycling of total waste and circular use of materials:
Source: eea.europa.eu.
What is needed for the transition to a circular economy
According to the authors of the briefing, in order for the EU to fully implement a truly circular economy, the following 4 areas need to be implemented:
- An enabling legal framework that not only facilitates circularity, but also promotes this approach. This means a strong policy is needed, analysts say. Adequate funding for the transition, they say, should come from both public and private financial institutions, and research and innovation should support the transition.
- Businesses need to introduce more circular models of providing goods and services. This will help reduce resource consumption.
- Consumers (private or institutional) should be encouraged to purchase goods sustainably and to use them for a long time, which will help preserve their value.
- Material flows should be reduced to reduce the use of virgin materials and recycle less and less of the waste that is generated.
Earlier, EcoPolitics wrote that according to Anum Sheikh, a policy analyst at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership, the EU is far from achieving its goal of doubling the level of circularity by 2030.
We also mentioned that the EU is investing more than €380 million in projects to support the green transition. In particular, they are aimed at developing the circular economy.
