A circular economy enables Wallonia to gain in prosperity while providing a solution to the societal challenges it faces, whether that is poverty, climate change, the loss of biodiversity or the depletion of natural resources.
Over the past few years, a variety of initiatives and measures have been launched in Wallonia with the aim of achieving greater circularity. These include:
- The Walloon Waste-Resources Plan, which guides and structures Walloon policy on waste prevention and management, considering waste as a vector for resource preservation;
- The Social Economy sector, which supports projects for the re-use of waste, products or product components;
- the Green Deal Circular Procurement, which aims to network buyers and facilitators in the circular economy;
On 4 February 2021, the Walloon Government adopted Circular Wallonia, the first circular economy deployment strategy in the Walloon Region.
A Global Strategy for Wallonia
Circular Wallonia intends to coordinate, reinforce and increase the regional dynamic in circular economy. The strategy comprises 10 goals translated into 60 specific measures aimed at facilitating the circular transition of Wallonia's economic players. It is based on participative and flexible governance to ensure the effective implementation of actions.
Through its Circular Wallonia strategy, the Walloon Region is tackling today's environmental, economic and societal challenges. Against a backdrop of resource scarcity, supply risks and volatile raw material prices, it plans to move towards an economy that is:
- carbon-neutral;
- regenerative in its use of resources and through preserving biodiversity;
- resilient and inclusive;
- stimulating for innovation and digital transition.
Circular Wallonia focuses its actions on 6 priority value chains:
- Construction and buildings;
- Plastics;
- Textiles;
- Food and food systems;
- Water;
- Metallurgy (including rare metals and batteries)...
- and on one cross-cutting chain: the bio-based economy.
Coordinators ensure the operationalisation of actions tied to value chains, as well as the maintenance of a sector-specific network. They are listed in the image on the left.
5 action areas
Circular Wallonia is centred around 5 action areas which are the production and provision of circular goods and services, the consumption and demand for circular goods and services, the mobilisation of stakeholders, waste management and priority value chains.
To find out more, you can read the following pages: