Operationalizing regional circularity: Best practices from Turku

At the European level, municipalities are asked to comply with increasingly ambitious recycling rates. However, there is a growing recognition that recycling won’t suffice to address current resource challenges if recycled materials are not used in primary production. On average, recycled materials constitute less than 12 percent of the European Union (EU) demand for materials. Moving to high-value recycling and circular economy practices that address waste challenges at their source has become a priority in the EU. This case study highlights how a public waste company owned by several municipalities in the Turku region became a hub and innovation center for the circular economy.