Imagine a world where nothing goes to waste and nature is thriving. It's a nice thought isn't it? The good news is, you can help make this world a reality!
Welcome to the circular economy – where everyday products like clothes and electronics aren’t simply thrown away when we are done with them. Instead, we cherish them for longer, and we repair, reuse, recycle or even compost them. That's how we reduce waste and pollution, tackle climate change and biodiversity loss, and create green jobs.
This year, the #ForOurPlanet campaign is encouraging everyone to join the circular economy! It doesn’t take much. Just stop to think before you bin it – whether it’s last season’s jumper or the old fridge making a new noise.
Why should you care?
Well, right now, our throwaway culture follows a ‘take-make-waste’ model: we take resources from nature, make products, and then throw them away. But this system is damaging for our planet and bad for us. In fact, 80 % of biodiversity loss and 50 % of climate emissions come from extracting resources and processing. It’s clear this is unsustainable.
The circular economy means taking a different view: keeping value in the economy, rewarding creativity and entrepreneurship. And enjoying your favourite products for longer, guilt free.
This year, #ForOurPlanet is joining forces with the European Training Foundation’s Green Skills Award to launch a new category celebrating outstanding local projects driving progress in the Circular Economy.
Each person in the EU generates over 130 kg of food waste per year
9 % of all textile products on the European market are destroyed before being used
Over 11kg of electronic and electric waste collected per inhabitant in the EU each year
170kg of packaging waste generated per European each year – and rising
Food
Our current linear food system has helped feed a growing population and contributed to economic development all over the world.
But it also comes at a cost: pollution, soil erosion and deforestation mean more floods, greenhouse gasses, and extinction on land and in the sea.
Despite this, in 2022, each person in the EU generated around 132 kg of food waste, and this number is growing by 3 % every year.
When we reduce food waste, we save money and feed people, not landfills.
"Embrace the Nose-to-Tail Philosophy! Try using more parts of the animal in your cooking. Instead of only buying standard cuts of meat, consider incorporating offal (like hearts, livers, or kidneys) into dishes"
"Take reusable bags and glass jars and head to a local market, a cooperative or local farmer – a great way to support small producers, reduce packaging, and enjoy the morning air."
"Measure your food waste for one week - it will reveal bad habits you might have"
The Sweet Smell of Sustainability: turning orange peels into opportunity in Skopje. Founded by Marija Burgieva, O-Krug is tackling biowaste and air pollution by transforming a simple fruit waste-orange peels-into valuable, eco-friendly products.
Cultivating Change for a Sustainable Tomorrow. In Sabah, Indonesia, this education program turns schools into eco-hubs, where students learn by doing
Fashion
The fashion industry uses large amounts of non-renewable resources to produce clothes - it is one of the biggest pressures on land and water use.
But many clothes are often only worn for a short period, before being sent to landfill or incinerated. The EU generates around 7 million tonnes of textile waste each year – that’s 16 kg per person.
Even worse, nearly 10 % of all textile products are destroyed before being used - that's hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste each year.
Why do we buy clothes and not wear them? And how can producers help, by using renewable fabrics and designing clothes for easy recycling? Creativity comes to the rescue!
"Look for quality materials - Check the label for fabric composition, country of origin, and stitching – the details say a lot about how long a piece will last."
"Learn how to repair or find someone to do it for you - mending a small hole or sewing back a button can extend the life of the garment. If you don't have time, find a local repair shop or tailor who can do it for you."
Ethical elegance meets circular economy: Cartiera is an ethical fashion lab stitching together environmental responsibility and social inclusion in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region
Electrics and Electronics
The quantity of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (known as WEEE or e-waste) generated every year in the EU is growing rapidly - it's now over 11 kg per person in the EU.
Only around half is collected for recycling.
E-waste contains a mixture of materials, some of which are hazardous, while others are rare and expensive and make us dependent on a few producing countries.
So it only makes sense to retrieve those precious resources from our old mobile phones, computers, televisions, fridges, household appliances and solar panels.
Can you find clever ways to avoid throwing out our trendy gadgets so quickly?
"Think before you buy – Do you really need that new gadget? How often are you going to use it? And if you do buy something - take care of it!"
Repairing Devices, Restoring Lives, and Rethinking Waste. Empowering asylum seekers and refugees in Greece by equipping them with valuable green skills - while reducing e-waste through smartphone repair and reuse
Focus on fun! Support young people to collect friends and experiences, not things. Be guided by their interests: they may already have a lot of passion or knowledge and be keen to explore, learn, or campaign around a particular area.
Home
Household waste makes up nearly 10% of all waste in the EU. You can help reduce this by "going circular" at home!
Proper waste sorting is a great start, ensuring that materials can be recovered and reused. In Europe, 1/3 of our waste comes just from packaging - which generates as much CO2 as a small country.
Your choices matter.
Buy eco-labelled or recycled products for your home, support brands with take-back schemes, and choose items with minimal or biodegradable packaging.
Repair your old washing machine or television. The EU’s laws, on Right-to-Repair and Sustainable Products, make sure the manufacturer design products to last and repairs them at a reasonable price. It also gives consumers access to spare parts, tools and repair information.
Be creative! Upcycle old objects and give them a new use or turn them into art!
Make sorting waste easy at home and work. Place the right bins in the right spots with fun reminders (like stickers) for kids or even your in-laws! It’ll help everyone sort waste correctly.
A Turkish school initiative is transforming discarded materials from dam construction into blackboard erasers
AlElieh for Science, Environment & Art, founded by Samar Kirresh, is a groundbreaking non-profit and the first Palestinian maker space dedicated to sustainable learning.
Through hands-on workshops, thousands of participants-ranging from students to families and environmental clubs-have learned how to turn waste into artistic expression
Empowering people with disabilities and vulnerable groups through the production of eco-friendly textile products-while helping reduce waste and promote sustainable consumption.
Green Ants School is an educational initiative launched in Türkiye in 2008, combining sustainability education with art and experiential learning to nurture environmental awareness and essential life skills in children.