Circularity & decarbonisation interventions

In the context of the Horizon Europe TRANSIENCE project, researchers from the University College London developed an open database of policies and technologies for industrial circularity performance and decarbonisation. The database includes circular economy (CE) and decarbonisation interventions, across three core sectors: steel, cement/concrete, and plastics. The interventions are categorised based on the 9Rs framework (refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle) and the approach of Narrowing, Slowing, Substituting, and Closing resource loops.

The table below shows a first version of the database (released in December 2024) that explores examples of interventions for different circular economy strategies. An updated version of the database has been released in April 2025 with more detailed interventions for plastics, cement, and steel, as well as information about costs and technologies to implement these interventions.

The latest database can currently be found in the following link in Excel format. An interactive version for the updated database will be developed in the coming months.

Latest database in Excel (April 2025)
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Initial database in Excel (December 2024)
CE strategy
R-strategy
General strategy description
Example interventions: Plastics
Example interventions: Cement & Concrete
Example interventions: Steel
Transversal instruments
Close Recycle Process waste material to replace virgin material in the production of a new product.
  • Mechanical recycling
  • Chemical recycling
  • Recycling of concrete for recycled aggregates.
  • Crushed concrete for roads and infrastructures;
  • Recovery of recycled concrete powder as supplementary cementicious material.
  • Steel scrap utilisation as replacement of iron ore for EAFs
  • Better scrap sorting technologies
Close (Energy) Recovery Incineration of waste material with energy recovery.
  • Direct recycling of captured carbon from incineration, via e.g. CCU?
  • Gasification or pyrolisis to recover calorific value of plastic waste
  • Plastic waste and hazardous plastic waste for alternative fuels in cement production.
  • Not suitable for energy recovery at the EoL;
  • Opportunities for heat recovery in cement production
  • Not suitable for energy recovery at the EoL;
  • Opportunities for heat recovery in steel production;
  • Fuel substitution during clinker production from other waste streams from other sectors.
Narrow Refuse Avoid the production or consumption of a material or product.
  • Ban single-use items (straws, cutlery).
  • Packaging-free products.
Reducing floor space demand (cement & steel) ETS
Narrow Rethink Provide the same function with a different product or service design.
  • Product concentration
  • Redesign products for less packaging
  • Alternative systems of distribution (take back packaging)
  • Design buildings for longer life and repurposing
  • Public and/or non-motorised transport
  • Car sharing
  • multi-functional buildings
  • modular construction
Resources Taxes
Narrow Reduce Produce or consume a product at higher material efficiency.
  • Lightweighting of plastic packaging.
  • Material efficient packaging design
  • More durable product design (extending the the life time)
Light-weight prefab concrete
  • High-strength steels
  • Lightweighting (vehicles, construction structures)
  • Basal Fibers to replace steel (BFRP)
Cross-Border Tax Adjustments Green Public Procurement
RESULTS PER PAGE

References

Potting et al. (2017)
9R framework + basis for strategy description
NCEP
Linking principle CE strategies with 9R framework
Reike et al. (2017)
Ness et al. 2015
Steel reuse
Kupfer et al. (2023)
Concrete/ cement reuse
Kanyilmaz et al. (2023)
Steel reuse case studies UK
Zhang et al. (2020)
Upgrading C&D waste in the Netherlands
UCL
Building Passport aligment alliance