The Circwaste Final Seminar was held on 26–27 October 2023 in Helsinki. © Katja Lepistö
The final seminar of the seven-year "Circwaste – Towards a circular economy" project was held in Helsinki on October 26 and 27. The project has been implemented between 2016 and 2023. The goal has been to pilot Finland towards a circular economy and implement a national waste plan.
The results of seven years of work
The event was opened by Environment and Climate Minister Kai Mykkänen, who shed light on the future of the circular economy and emerging trends.
In the seminar the latest statistics related to waste data and measuring the circular economy were presented. The most impressive results of the Circwaste project were presented from three themes: the work done in municipalities, reducing food waste and bio-cycles, and the circular economy of construction.
At the seminar, within the framework of the Circwaste project, the Circular Award ("Kiertopalkinto") was also handed out for the last time. The circular prize has been awarded annually to good examples of promoting the circular economy that have been entered into the circular economy. The recipient of the award was chosen by environmental adviser Jarmo Muurma from the Ministry of the Environment.
The second day was opened by the head of the Sustainable Resource Use and Industry Unit Daniel Montalvo from the European Environment Agency. On the second day, we heard about the Circwaste project's pilot work for circular economy indicators. In addition, we heard examples from international speakers, when circular economy LIFE projects from Latvia, Denmark, Greece and Italy presented their results.
Presentations and the recording
First day (October 26) in Finnish
Second day (October 27) in English
Opening words, Head of group, Daniel Montalvo, European Environment Agency (pdf)
Introducing the Circwaste-project, Head of group, Project manager Tuuli Myllymaa, Finnish Environment Institute (pdf)
Measuring circular economy
Development of social indicators, Senior researcher Kati Pitkänen, Finnish Environment Institute (pdf)
Circular economy indicators in Finland in DMC, CMU, biogas utilization and municipal waste statistics, Senior statistician Tuomas Kaariaho, Statistics Finland (pdf)
Reaching recycling targets - experiences from EU LIFE projects
Waste management solutions in Latvia, Alise Vecozola, Head of LIFE integrated project implementation division, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Latvia (pdf)
NORDIC PLAST Polymer Materials Testing Laboratory, Armands Skutelis, Ltd. Nordic Plast (pdf)
Polymer based waste as a resource for composite materials, Ģirts Salmiņš, Ltd. Econova Latvia (pdf)
LIFE-IP CEI-Greece: Main project outputs towards CE implementation in Greece, Dimitris Homatidis, Green Fund (pdf)
Experiences from Danish Citizens’ Assembly on Sustainable Consumption, Ditte Vesterager Christensen, The Capital Region of Denmark (pdf)
PAYT systems and communication as tools to reach the recycling targets: ETRA and LIFE REthinkWASTE project, Riccardo Venturi, Etra S.p.a. - Energia Territorio Risorse Ambientali, Italy (pdf)
Highlights and challenges of waste management policies in Finland, Senior Specialist Jouni Nissinen, Ministry of the Environment (pdf)
Increased efficiency for biogas production and nutrient recycling, Research Scientist Ville Pyykkönen, Natural Resources Institute Finland (pdf)
New composite products from plastics and fiber waste, Professor Mika Horttanainen, LUT University, Finland (pdf)
Relevance of the LIFE IP concept as a tool for implementing EU strategies - experiences from Finland, ministerial adviser Pekka Harju-Autti, Ministry of the Environment, Finland (pdf)
More information
- Project manager Tuuli Myllymaa, firstname.lastname@syke.fi, 029 525 1437
- Researcher Hanna Savolahti, firstname.lastname@syke.fi, 029 525 1592
- Project assistant Waltteri Heikkilä, firstname.lastname@syke.fi, 0295 251 021