Box 5.1: Case study – Using a circular strategy to transition towards full circularity in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Amsterdam started its transition towards full circularity with a Circle City Scan, which focused on the built environment, food and organic waste, and consumer goods value chains to make the circular economy concept tangible to local stakeholders (Circle Economy 2015). Implementation of the Learning by Doing and Circular Innovation programmes helped boost the market, with the city’s completion of over 100 projects in recent years helping to further contribute towards a circular economy. Evaluating the impact of these projects on jobs, emissions, economic value and raw material use indicates that a circular economy not only leads to environmental gains, but can also have positive socioeconomic impacts. This has helped build local support for the concept and align various actors towards achieving shared goals (Circle Economy 2015).
With the approval of the Amsterdam Circular 2020–2025 Strategy in April 2020, Amsterdam is now focused on scaling up and accelerating its existing circular projects, employing all of its available municipal tools and including businesses and residents in the process. In addition, the municipality lobbies at the national and European levels for certain financial, fiscal and legal frameworks, making the city a champion of the circular economy (Circle Economy 2015).
Figure 5.4: Example of a material flow diagram used to explain the urban metabolism of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
FLOWS THROUGH THE METROPOLITAN REGION
HOUSEHOLDS
INDUSTRIES
OFFICES
OTHERS
RETAIL
Source: Circle Economy 2015
5.2.1 Materials circulation
To achieve a circular city and understand a city’s urban metabolism, it is crucial to know and understand the flows of physical materials (for example, water, fossil fuels, metals, biomass) that cities use. Although recycling has received significant attention in recent decades, circular cities present opportunities to avoid waste and create and maintain value throughout the value chains of the materials that a city uses. These opportunities can have a greater impact than “end-of- pipe” approaches and may also be more financially viable.
The Indian city of Alappuzha offers lessons in fostering social justice through circular initiatives, while improving working conditions for urban waste workers.
The case study of Alappuzha demonstrates how multilevel governance, engagement processes and sufficient resources can create conditions for long-lasting change. Although the immediate outcomes in this case are limited to organic waste recycling (a small component of circular economies), the adoption of a decentralized model, local innovation and citizen engagement all signal a more fundamental transition towards a system that is capable of handling bigger environmental shifts in the future. It is helpful to contrast this with efforts in other cities in India that focus solely on technological solutions, such as waste-to-energy plants, to reduce the size of landfills, and that do not invest in more process- focused change.
Achieving Urban Transformation: From Visions to Pathways
101
1,6 MEGAON
SCHIPHOL T
3,933 KILT BIOM 68 MEGAON
AMSTERD T
87M M3WTER A
KILT 712 KILT MEALS T
1.534.525 x 1000 M3
TUR
8.096.429 x 1000 kW
INPUT 4,3 MEGATON ELEC Y
TRICIT h
MEOPOLIT TR SHOP AN AREA AMSTERD AM OUTPUT NA AL GAS
114 MILLION M3WTER A
W ASTE OON OON
ASTE 6.910
W
PORT OF AM
1.565 KILT MINER ALS ASS OON
OON KILT
20.480 OON
C2 O 85% LW V UE REUSE
3% DISPOSAL INDUSTRIAL W
15% SEP A O AL
8% DISPOSAL 6% INCINER 1% SEP A
ARTION A TION
ARTION ASTE
27% REUSE 24% C
34% INCINERTION OMPOSTING
DOMESTIC W A ASTE
IMPORT
LIQUID BULK 19 MEGA
T DR ON 45 MEGAON
Y BULK T
GENERAL CAR 3,3 MEGAON
T GO
5,9 MEGAON T
THE NE
31 MEGAON
THERL T
ANDS
30 MEGAON
GL AL T
OB EXPORT
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