Although Polish entrepreneurs have not yet moved visibly and dynamically to change their own structures towards a circular economy, these changes are evident in the rest of Europe.
Which neighbours can we take a cue from when it comes to implementing a circular economy?
Scandinavia in the lead
A leader in the implementation of the circular economy project is Sweden. There, a sustainable waste management plan can be traced back to the 1990s, when a decision was made in Stockholm to transform a then-industrial district into a green quarter. The project included the creation of 20,000 sites for residential use. Today Hammarby Sjöstad is an icon of green development and an example to its foreign neighbours.
From the outset, the project was centred around the implementation of a circular economy. Therefore, the final idea had to be taken into account already at the engineering and urban design stage. The designers and engineers had to go beyond the risks of existing schemes and adapt the concept to the GOZ. As a result, the city not only gained an ecologically sustainable area, but also took a big step towards the development of modern technologies.
Snowball effect
Hammarby Sjöstad's success has inspired not only managers of other Swedish cities, but also entrepreneurs. A pioneer has been Norway's Sweco Consulting, which conducts analyses and designs „green cities of the future”, focused on implementing the circular economy. The results of these analyses include, among others, Polish manufacturing or energy companies, including subsidiaries, i.e. all parts of the supply chain.
Manufacturers of household chemicals, cosmetics, food and also packaging manufacturers are following suit. Some are managing to achieve the result of producing 100% of environmentally friendly articles, perfectly in line with the circular economy.
The closed-loop economy is already starting in our homes. Proper recycling of waste increases the potential for success of the EC project every day. Entrepreneurs play a huge role in the process. They are the ones who can influence the change process by restructuring of the supply chain and the introduction of eco-design. Concluding new contracts with suppliers should, however, be focused on sustaining the circular process, so it is necessary to ensure not only a change in company policy in terms of GOZ, but also appropriate negotiation training, in order to trade negotiations i negotiated contracts fully embrace the concept of a circular economy.
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