Amsterdam stands to take full advantage of emerging opportunities that present themselves, such as developing circular criteria in tendering processes for construction projects or creating data exchange platforms to promote materials with high re-use potential.
The City has adopted an adaptation of British economist Kate Raworth’s doughnut model as its circular strategy for businesses and itself, taking into account all perspectives within urban ecosystems.
Embracing the Circular Model
Amsterdam launched its vision to become fully circular by 2050 in 2015 and since then has used an open and collaborative approach, yielding many projects, ideas, insights and learnings.
To facilitate this journey, the city has developed a policy framework used by the entire municipal government and outlining five strategic choices for the city: polycentric development; growth within limits; healthy and sustainable mobility; rigorous greening efforts and making the city together.
Implementing the circular model requires an unprecedented shift in mindset. This involves producing locally, extending product lifespan and reusing or recycling wherever possible; furthermore it involves changing our society from being one that simply throws things away to caring for and fixing things over time.
Amsterdam has made strides towards this shift thanks to local entrepreneurs’ work. An example is Marineterrein Living Lab, constructed on circular principles. As a result of these principles’ application, waste and CO2 emissions were both reduced substantially - providing an example for other parts of Amsterdam and metropolitan region.
Additionally, the municipality has initiated a crowdfunding program that offers start-up funding to those working to address urban challenges through innovative solutions. This allows entrepreneurs to more quickly bring their solutions to market with greater impactful solutions.
Establishing an optimal business climate for the implementation of circular models is another essential element. To do so, the city is introducing rules which promote innovative purchasing and cooperative initiatives among companies, and is supporting its “free zones” to allow experimentation with novel ways of collecting, sorting and processing waste.
Building for the Future
Reusing waste as a resource through recycling and reuse is one method for closing the circle, but this also requires reconsidering how buildings are constructed. That is why the City of Amsterdam and Circle Economy have joined forces on a project designed to support circular startups who develop solutions in areas like food, mobility, digitization and biobased or circular construction.
This will involve supporting startups by speeding up research and initiating joint research initiatives with them, as well as encouraging their use in new construction and renovation through making circular solutions a part of urban planning policies - for instance, Alliander in Duiven has been converted to an energy neutral building by working closely with partners to transform into one that meets both criteria.
Promotion of circularity will also be essential in residential neighbourhoods, and will require consultation with residents about renovation options that utilize recycled building materials such as replacing concrete aggregates with recycled aggregates.
Finally, providing more space for greenery will be essential. This includes turning busy roads into green avenues and making public spaces as green as possible - including adding small parks or strips around town to allow residents to take pleasure from its presence - adding small parks or strips around towns can make cities less hot and dry; climate resilience requires this as a precondition.
Using Waste as a Resource
Amsterdam has already taken steps to reduce food waste by employing various strategies to decrease its amount while increasing edible production.
Amsterdam plans to implement its strategy more efficiently through several measures, such as revising its city strategic vision and roadmap in accordance with circular economy principles, developing Local Green Deals with local businesses and organisations to implement the European Green Deal locally, using digital tools for more effective implementation, investing in energy-efficient architecture and building construction, smart infrastructure for renewable electricity distribution and energy storage, as well as investing in recycling systems of the next generation.
Amsterdam is currently revamping its waste and water management, and planning for a future where primary raw material usage will be reduced by half while energy production becomes decentralized, fully shared mobility increases exponentially, locally produced food, biogas production increases significantly and urban agriculture maximizes use. Amsterdam also aims to increase resident participation in designing and managing their neighbourhoods - for instance creating space for sustainable initiatives - with their aim being increased citizen involvement.
As part of its efforts to accelerate circular solutions, Amsterdam Circular was developed. A two-month cost-free program supporting entrepreneurs’ search for private and public capital. According to Guy Vincent, Programme Lead of Amsterdam Circular, pre-seed/seed stage entrepreneurs often struggle to secure private funds; while abundant public capital sources exist. It’s the goal of Amsterdam Circular to help connect startups to both sources of financing while setting an example for other European cities.
Closing the Loop
It is imperative that we use less resources on Earth, and one way we can do so is by adopting circular products. One method could include encouraging individuals to repair existing clothing or power tools themselves or opening library-like clothing stores that let customers rent products from each other.
Amsterdam is taking steps to increase product circularity through setting up repair shops and educational campaigns, but also by developing markets for products designed for longevity that make recycling simpler.
This task will require cooperation with the private sector to enhance product design and make them more easily reusable, as well as to ensure all materials can be recovered at the end of their lives. Amsterdam is working closely with private parties to establish innovation-oriented purchasing as the norm, reward circular private developments and encourage knowledge sharing.
Amsterdam faces another difficulty when it comes to dealing with its water needs. They plan to implement a closed water cycle in buildings in order to reuse as much of it for reuse, which should help decrease their consumption rate by roughly 52,000 litres annually. They’ll also partner with utility companies in extracting nutrients - like phosphates - from wastewater which will later serve as fertilisers in urban and semi-rural agriculture.
To achieve its circular economy strategy, the city will need to take significant steps over the coming years. This includes creating a Circular Monitor - a system which monitors all material flows within its borders - as well as plans to scale up high quality food waste processing, increase separate organic collection from businesses and households and expand high quality processing of organic waste.
Encouraging Circular Consumption
Amsterdam needs to encourage its residents to produce and consume more eco-friendly materials in order to reach its goal of becoming a fully circular city. As part of this endeavor, Amsterdam municipality is working toward making circular procurement standard practice on public projects and services, and encouraging businesses to design products which can be reused multiple times.
The city aims to broaden and increase successful business cases related to textile recycling and reuse, including high value recycling and reuse, redesign, refuse and use options as well as refuse, redesign and use options. Furthermore, it works with companies to reduce energy consumption in built environments while encouraging them to create resource-efficient facilities; additionally it seeks ways to lower food and beverage emissions through alternative proteins (meat versus dairy alternatives for instance).
Another key part of the city’s strategy is encouraging a sharing economy. This may involve sharing household items, space and transport modes while providing infrastructure that facilitates these activities - helping reduce consumption while at the same time strengthening social ties within its borders.
Amsterdam’s efforts at becoming a circular metropolis have been recognized with several awards, including the Earthshot prize. Their circular economy model can serve as an example for others to learn from, while helping manage water resources more sustainably in the Netherlands, which have seen their use double since 1970s. Amsterdam and Rotterdam are employing circular economy tools as tools for better managing future water consumption.
In Conclusion
Amsterdam’s vision to become a fully circular city by 2050 is an ambitious one, but the city has made significant strides towards achieving this goal. From embracing the circular model in its policy framework to developing local green deals with businesses and organizations, Amsterdam has taken a holistic approach to implementing circular strategies. The city has also made significant investments in circular startups and initiatives, offering funding and support to entrepreneurs working on innovative solutions to urban challenges.
While there are certainly challenges to implementing a circular economy, Amsterdam’s approach demonstrates that it is possible with a shift in mindset and a collaborative effort from all stakeholders. By continuing to promote circularity in all aspects of urban life, from construction to waste management to consumption, Amsterdam is setting an example for other cities to follow. As we face increasing pressures on our planet’s resources, the circular economy offers a promising solution for creating a more sustainable future.