LIFE

LIFE ENVIRONMENT |
LIFE and the circular economy
An Integrated Project for Finland
LIFE Integrated Projects take a holistic approach to major barriers
to implementation, allowing cooperation among heterogeneous
stakeholders. This complementary approach is reinforced
by the mobilisation of complementary sources of public and
private sector funding.
The aim of the LIFE IP CIRCWASTE-FINLAND project is to implement
the Finnish National Waste Plan (NWP). The NWP is a
means of meeting Finland’s obligations under the Waste Framework
Directive (2008/98). Specifically, it includes both waste
management plans and waste prevention programmes.
The LIFE Integrated Project will respond two main challenges:
the removal of bottlenecks to achieving national and EU targets
in waste management, and planning for 2016-2023 to be able
to respond to the requirements of the Roadmap to a Resource
Efficient Europe and Circular Economy Package. To this end, the
project will provide new waste management concepts, enhance
capacity building and cooperation within the waste management
sector and with different stakeholders in order to prevent
waste, keep materials circulating in the economy for longer
and encourage the re-use of by-products. LIFE IP CIRCWASTE-
FINLAND will also take into consideration other environmental,
economic and social impacts, as well as green procurement.
Photo: LIFE15 IPE/FI/000004
The project will take place in five regions of Finland. By covering
both urban environments and sparsely-populated rural areas
where a range of different economic interests are represented,
this LIFE Integrated Project is expected to be able to serve as a
model for other parts of the country and the EU.
together. Indeed, the LIFE programme’s role as a
conduit between smaller businesses and local and
regional authorities was highlighted at a Committee
of the Regions workshop in Brussels in October
2016.
The 2014-2020 programming period provides an
opportunity to finance projects that improve or
extend best practices developed by earlier LIFE
projects in a number of areas relevant to the circular
economy. These include promoting resource
efficient businesses, thus furthering the processes
of upcycling and industrial symbiosis (IS). LIFE can
also help in the development of waste mining and
the recovery of critical raw materials; it can foster
greater innovation in plastics; demonstrate how
the public and private sector can work together to
create markets for secondary raw materials; promote
the repairability, durability and upgradability
of products; and facilitate informed choices by
consumers.
Product design and production
processes
To date there have been 24 LIFE projects on product
design and sustainable production processes,
with a total budget of €38 million (including an EU
contribution of some €19 million). There has been
a notable increase in the number of such projects
funded in 2014 and 2015.
Some €11 million of the €38 million has funded
industrial symbiosis projects for a diversity of industrial
waste streams. LIFE has helped provide
high-quality secondary raw materials to industries
such as plastic, tanneries, food and pulp and paper.
Such projects have also focused on creating
networks to help identify ways of using resources
and by-products through the creation of mutually
beneficial partnerships. New green jobs and green
skills are another important outcome (see box).
Chemical substitution in the production phase has
been another area where LIFE has made its mark,
with five projects mobilising €11 million in total,
including projects to develop new biopolymers and
to help SMEs adapt to regulatory demands (CLP
Regulation, MSDS guidelines).
LIFE has supported ecodesign principles for many
years. A 1999 project for instance, promoted sustainable
product design to industries in Flanders.
The programme has since funded more solutions/
approaches/practices that are transferable to all
industrial sectors.
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