Material resources exploitation and the pressure on natural ecosystems have raised concerns over potential future resource risks and supply failures worldwide. Interest in the concept of Circular Economy has surged in recent years among policy makers and business actors. An increasing amount of literature touches upon the conceptualisation of Circular Economy, the development of ‘circular solutions’ and circular business models, and policies for a Circular Economy. However, relevant studies on resource efficiency policies mostly utilise a case-by-case or sector-by-sector approach and do not consider the systemic interdependencies of the underlying operational policy framework. In this contribution, a mapping of the existing resource policy framework in the European Union (EU) is undertaken, and used as a basis for identifying policy areas that have been less prominent in influencing material resource efficiency. Employing a life cycle approach, policies affecting material efficiency in the production and consumption stages of a product have been found to be poorly utilised so far in the EU. Taking this as a point of departure, three policy areas that can contribute to closing material loops and increasing resource efficiency are thoroughly discussed and their application challenges are highlighted. The three policy areas are: (1) policies for reuse, repair and remanufacturing; (2) green public procurement and innovation procurement; and (3) policies for improving secondary materials markets. Finally, a potential policy mix, including policy instruments from the three mentioned policy areas—together with policy mixing principles—is presented to outline a possible pathway for transitioning to Circular Economy policy making.

The transition to a circular economy is a complex process requiring wide multi-level and multi-stakeholder engagement and can be facilitated by appropriate policy interventions. Taking stock of the importance of a well-balanced policy mix that includes a variety of complementing policy instruments, the circular economy action plan of the European Union (COM(2020) 98 final) includes a section about “getting the economics right” in which it encourages the application of economic instruments. This contribution presents a comprehensive taxation framework, applied across the life cycle of products. The framework includes (1) a raw material resource tax, (2) reuse/repair tax relief, and (3) a waste hierarchy tax at the end of life of products. The research is based on a mixed method approach, using different sources to analyse the different measures in the framework. More mature concepts, such as material resource taxes, are analysed by reviewing the existing literature. The analysis of tax relief on repairs is based on interviews with stakeholders in Sweden, where this economic policy instrument has been implemented since 2017. Finally, for the waste hierarchy tax, which is a novel proposition in this contribution, macroeconomic modelling is used to analyse potential impacts of future implementation. In all cases, several implementation challenges are identified, and potential solutions are discussed according to literature and empirical sources. Further research is required both at the individual instrument and at the framework level. Each of the tax proposals needs a more detailed examination for its specificities of implementation, following the results of this study.

Public policy has a critical role to play in supporting business actors towards their transition to more sustainable and less resource‐intensive practices within the context of a Circular Economy (CE). The European Union (EU) CE Action Plan sets a special focus on the role of business in adopting and promoting circular economic principles in their operations, and thus leading the transition towards CE. Companies need to design and adopt innovative business models that enable the capture of residual value in products. Product life extension strategies, such as re‐use, hold the highest potential to retain the materials and energy embedded in products. However, companies that adopt such business practices face multiple barriers deriving from the present socio‐economic conditions and find themselves in need of direct policy interventions to be able to compete with incumbent firms. This contribution identifies supporting interventions that could enable companies engaging in product life extension to scale up and lead the transition to a CE. Empirical evidence was gathered from such companies in five economic sectors in Sweden through questionnaires. Based on the results, an overarching policy framework is proposed, including wide cross‐sectoral policy measures, such as (1) public procurement, (2) increased provision and access to information and (3) government leadership, setting mandatory re‐use targets.

Plastic is a versatile material that has contributed to numerous product innovations and convenience in everyday life. However, plastic production is growing at an alarming rate, and so has the generation of plastic waste. Unsound waste management results in plastic leakage to the environment with multiple adverse effects to ecosystems. Incineration of plastic waste produces excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while plastic as a material is consumed and cannot be used again as a resource within a circular economy framework. For this reason, the European Union (EU) takes measures to increase plastic recycling, introducing higher targets for recycling in its revised waste legislation. Sweden follows suit, prioritising actions for improving the management of plastic waste. In this contribution, three scenarios of future plastic waste management are analysed for their sustainability impacts by 2030. The analysis is enabled by a plastic waste management flow model that calculates environmental, economic, and social impacts. The indicators used in the model to describe the impacts in each axis of sustainability are (1) GHG emissions, (2) monetary costs and benefits, and (3) number of jobs created. The results indicate several trade-offs between the different scenarios and between the different sustainability aspects of future plastic waste management, with their strengths and weaknesses duly discussed. Concluding, the most promising and sustainable future scenario for plastic waste management in Sweden includes high targets for recycling—in line with EU targets—and a gradual phase-out of plastic incineration as a waste management option.

The ever-increasing consumption of natural resources required for the production of consumer electronics, and the growing amount of electronic waste, underline the importance and urgency of extending the lifespan and use of such products. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) remanufacturing is a growing industry, which nonetheless faces several barriers. Consumers often have a perception of re-used and remanufactured products that they are of lesser quality than their new counterparts. To increase consumer confidence, a quality label could be used to communicate quality aspects of re-used ICT equipment. This study investigates the potential of establishing a comprehensive labelling scheme for ICT products, covering criteria on product quality, as a way to support the uptake of re-used and remanufactured products in Sweden. A detailed analysis, through interviews and a literature review of existing re-use certification initiatives in different jurisdictions, highlighted aspects that should be considered for the design and implementation of a labelling scheme, including appropriate marketing, funding sources, establishment of networks, and the necessity of specific quality criteria on ICT products. Interviews with Swedish ICT stakeholders revealed a trade-off between the information communicated by a label of re-used and remanufactured ICT products and the costs to cover and verify these aspects. The Swedish ICT re-use sector is small and it could only benefit from a labelling scheme if there is wide stakeholder participation and government support. Lastly, a quality labelling scheme should be linked to public procurement processes to improve its effectiveness and efficiency.