CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND HEALTH: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

This report explores the policy objective of a circular economy and its implications for human health. While the concept of the circular economy has recently gained increasing prominence in policy development at the national, European Union (EU) and global levels, and in business practices for the promotion of sustainable production and consumption, coverage of its health implications has been relatively limited. This report aims to start to address this gap by framing the concept of the circular economy and its implementation in the context of health, outlining the current evidence on health implications and setting the scene for further policy development, the assessment of research needs and stakeholder engagement. Definitions of a circular economy have two main types: those that are resource oriented and focus on the need for closed loops of material flows and reduced consumption of virgin resources, and those that go beyond the management of material resources to incorporate additional dimensions, such as changing models of consumption. Implementation is therefore characterized by: reducing the use of primary resources, maintaining the highest value of materials and products, and changing utilization patterns. In practice, the actions needed to achieve this transition include: recycling; efficient use of resources; utilization of renewable energy sources; remanufacturing, refurbishment and reuse of products and components; the extension of product life; treating products as services; sharing of products; prevention of waste, including designing out waste in products; and a shift in consumption patterns. Alongside these actions, the phasing down of incineration and landfill as options for waste management is seen as a necessary requirement. To enable the actions and range of investments needed for such a transition, changes in perception and behaviour are needed at all levels, from consumers to producers and policy-makers. A number of global and European initiatives are associated with the circular economy concept. In particular, circular economy principles have been identified as a means to address several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (United Nations, 2018), notably SDG 12: “reduc[ing] waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse (12.5), and “achiev[ing] the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources”. The circular economy concept is also strongly interlinked with and incorporated in the green economy concept, particularly in relation to its low-carbon and resource efficiency focus. The current state of play in the implementation of the principles of the circular economy encompasses a great range of activities across the WHO European Region, although engagement with the concept is much greater in EU countries than non-EU countries. A key development in the EU is the adoption of the EU action plan for the circular economy (EC, 2015b), which sets out a timeline for action on production, consumption, waste management, the market for secondary raw materials, sectoral actions and innovation, with targets for the reduction of waste and a long-term path for waste management and recycling. These aim to continue recent trends towards a decline in waste generation per capita in the EU and an increase in recycled and composted municipal waste, along with decreases in landfilled waste. Business is seen to have a crucial role in progress towards the circular economy, particularly through developing innovative circular approaches to production and consumption. Waste management companies in Europe have widely adopted circular economy practices, and a variety of networks of businesses and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have been established to promote the gathering and sharing of knowledge and experience. Few of these, however, deal directly with health-related issues.

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https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/342218/9789289053341-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y