Analysing European Union circular economy policies: words versus actions

The EU’s Circular Economy Policies are comprehensively reviewed and analysed in a new academic paper published in the journal Sustainable Production and Consumption. This research examines the 25 new CE directives, communications and regulations enacted by the Junker Commission and evaluates their sustainability implications based on a typology of circularity discourses. Results show a dichotomy between words and actions, with a discourse that is rather holistic while policies focus on “end of pipe” solutions. To address the abovementioned limitations, the paper proposes a set of 32 science-based policy recommendations which can help strengthen CE policies both within and outside the EU. This research thus brings key insights for practitioners and academics seeking to better understand the EU’s CE policies and how to improve CE implementation at both national and international level. To find out more about these results, insights and recommendations please see the open-access article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2020.11.001