Experts, enthusiasts and inventors from over 70 cities from 37 countries took part in the international event to exchange ideas and numerous prototypes of the circular economy of tomorrow. Two years ago, the French/German founders of the association Circular came up with the idea behind the events. More than 900 participants came to this year’s OSCE Days in Berlin. The challenges of the circular economy were discussed in presentations, podium discussions, exhibitions and work groups. This year’s focus was on designer fashion from recycled textiles or the second life of wood waste. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation presented a study on the current state of the circular economy in Germany.

The founders of the Berlin association Circular have big plans. They imagine a world without any kind of waste. “We want to see the economy as circular, instead of a value chain, as it’s currently viewed,” explains Simon Lee, who studied maths in Berlin and now wants to set up an experimental field for the circular economy of the future. “We’re talking about using raw materials in the best way possible, and to also continue to utilise the product lifecycle.” With this idea in mind, Lee launched “Circular Economy Lab” (CRCL Lab) on the Berlin Agora collective premises.

Berlin brewery reborn as an experimental field for circular economy

A laboratory focused on the circular economy and sustainable solutions will be built on the site (1000 square metres) of the former Berliner Kindl brewery. The idea behind it sounds simple at first: creative minds want to put an end to the throwaway society by developing innovative products. Similar laboratories already exist in London and Utrecht, and now an open space for artists and entrepreneurs will be built in the German capital. The conversion of the Kindl brewery will be financed by the foundation Edith Maryon Foundation, among others. The foundation buys up properties worldwide for speculative building, and subsequently makes them available for social projects.

Small businesses will soon move into the basement of the Berlin property and there are already plans to build apartments on other floors in two years time. Until then, the initiators want to continue pushing forward the idea of a sustainable economy, and anchor their vision in the minds of fellow campaigners as much as possible. “The term circular economy is unfortunately associated with recycling,” says Lee. However, the focus of a circular economy is not just on waste recycling, but also on a fresh approach of product composition and product design. Open Source is also of great importance, says Lee. Ideally, there would be no more waste; the items are either re-built or broken down without residue into the biosphere.

OSCE Days: debating ideas for a circular economy

But how can companies earn money in a circular economy? What incentives have to be set up so that new business models can emerge? What waste streams can be utilised more efficiently today? Questions like these were at the centre of the Open Source Circular Economy Days, which took place in mid-June in more than 70 cities in 37 countries. It was only two years ago that the Berlin-based founders had the idea for a series of events with open workshops, in which anyone can take part. Due to the success of the first OSCE Days, the founders decided to repeat the event concept this year. From 9th to 13th June, the organisers working with Simon Lee welcomed more than 900 participants to the Kindl site in the Berlin district of Neukölln. District mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD) stressed in her opening speech, the waste issue is of great importance for the city, but also for each individual. “We have to ask ourselves what we want to do with the waste and how we want to live,” she said.

FES study on the circular economy:Germany still has a long way to go

Many other mini-seminars also took place over the four days. Whether edible natural cosmetics, sustainable financing strategies or Open Source business models, the variety of the topics discussed was large. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) used the event to present a current study on the state of the circular economy in Germany. It summarises the results of a FES technical discussion series, which was carried out with experts from politics, science, administration, business and trade unions on behalf of the FES’ working group for structural policy. According to the study, Germany is, in terms of its recycling rate, world champions. “However, there is still a long way to go before the circular economy is achieved,” according to Henning Wilts from the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, who led the study.

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