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Dossier

Dossier

Circular economy

It still sounds like utopia that we operate in such a way that no waste is generated and resources are reused again and again. In Europe, this scenario is now becoming more real, not least thanks to European promotional banks that are joining forces to support contributions by companies and municipalities to a circular economy. The aim is to turn individual examples into a movement. In our dossier, we present the European Joint Initiative on Circular Economy, and projects that pursue the principle of a closed-loop economy.

Image-Reference

On our website, pictures taken, among others, by the following photographers/photo agencies are used:

Agentur photothek.net, Deutsche Messe Hannover, Andreas Arnold, Jörg Böthling, Dominik Butzmann, Carsten Costard, Susanne Esche, Charlie Fawell, Rendel Freude, Torsten George, Gaby Gerster, David Greedy, Peter Himsel, Barbara Högner, Frank Homann, Fred Hoogervorst, Steffen Jagenburg (BRANSCH EUROPE), Thomas Klewar, Studio Kohlmeier , Florian Kopp, Georg Lopata, Jürgen Lösel, Kirsten Milhahn, Rüdiger Nehmzow, Rolf Obertreis, Rubén Arnaldo Farina Ortiz, Holger Peters, Joachim Röttgers, Mika Schmidt, Bernhard Schurian, Jens Steingässer, Pietro Sutera, Uwe Tölle, Jan Zappner.

Fotolia.com: amandare, Yuri Arcurs, Kitch Bain, Ingo Bartussek, Sergio Donà, drizzd, Dmitry Ersler, eyewave, Zoltán Futó, Eric Gevaert, Fotolia XXV, Friedberg, goodluz, Dirk Hoffmann, imageteam, Christian Jung, Abdelhamid Kalai, Sergej Khakimullin, Vladimir Kolobov, krizz7, Kzenon, lumen-digital, marog-pixcells, Mindwalker, Miredi, mirpic, Nebuto, Tino Neitz, Christian Pedant, Franz Pfluegl, prognone, Gina Sanders, Henry Schmitt, spree berlin, SVLuma, Kheng Guan Toh, tom, Torbz, typomaniac, VRD, Joachim Wendler, Sreedhar Yedlapati.

To the animated film
Graphic with texts saying, among other things, population growth and disposable production.

How to protect resources

A circular economy is considered as the solution to the global waste problem, it helps reduce resource consumption and carbon emissions. But what exactly is circular economy, and how can it be achieved? Our film gives some answers.

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Read article about start-up LuxChemtech
Wolfram Palitzsch and Dr. Ingo Röver (from left), founders of LuxChemtech, pose with a silicon block and a solar panel

High-tech recycling

The manufacture of photovoltaic modules requires pure silicon. But it is scarce and costly. LuxChemtech has developed technologies to recycle silicon and other semiconductor materials and return them to the manufacturing cycle.

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Read article about start-up Wildplastic
Plastic granulate

A bag tidies up

Around five billion tonnes of plastic are in the environment – especially in countries without adequate recycling systems. Wildplastic collects this waste and uses it to produce rubbish bags. For its environmental and social idea, the company received the Special Social Entrepreneurship award in KfW’s business competition.

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Laptop and smartphone with Rebuy website open

"We are always on the lookout for goods"

Rebuy Managing Director Philipp Gattner talks about carefully tested mobile phones, the great importance of sustainability and the needs of customers.

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A man and a woman stand smiling at the banisters

Clean business

The Stuttgart-based start-up Concular is recycling old building materials and revolutionising the industry in the process. For this, the company was awarded the KfW Entrepreneurs Award.

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Portrait of the three founders wearing hoodies with Circunomics logo

What to do with electric vehicle batteries?

Circunomics has developed a system that can put the batteries from electric vehicles back in circulation. The Mainz based start-up was crowned the federal winner 2021 of KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award for its concept.

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Bracelets in different colors, made from old fishing nets

Protecting oceans with jewellery

Madeleine von Hohenthal and Benjamin Wenke salvage abandoned fishing nets and then use them to manufacture bracelets and other products. Their company, Bracenet, was honoured with the special Social Entrepreneurship prize as part of the KfW Entrepreneurs' Award.

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Infographic on circular economy

Circular economy holds the key

In order to stem global resource loss and climate change, there is a need to catch up on issues such as recycling-friendly product design or material efficiency. KfW expert Anke Brüggemann sums up how the transition to a circular economy can be achieved.

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To the interview
portrait of Denzer-Speck and Kiehl

A waste-free economy

If we want to live in a future where the environment remains intact, we will need to drastically reduce the amount of waste we produce. This is why KfW and other partners are now investing billions in a European circular economy.

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Palestinian olive farmers Khaled Mkheimer

Farmers rely on treated wastewater

In the West Bank, only a few crops thrive that have adapted to the extreme summer-like dry conditions in the region. But for the farmers west of the city of Nablus, a new source of water has now been found that will reduce their dependency on rain.

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Contact plant at Aurubis in Hamburg, in which the extracted heat is generated

Steamy liaison

The metal company Aurubis and the energy supplier enercity are making industrial history in Hamburg. HafenCity Ost ("HarbourCity East") is the first city district to be supplied almost completely with waste heat that is virtually carbon-free.

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To the award-winner portrait
production of Unicaps

Coffee capsules without aluminium and plastic

UniCaps has developed a capsule made from renewable raw materials and fills it with organically grown coffee and tea. The Brandenburg-based company was presented with the KfW Entrepreneurs' Award 2019 for this sustainable idea.

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Bag from Meehr

From a fishing net to a shopping bag

What was once used to pull fish out of the water is now used to carry groceries. The student start-up Meehr produces bags made from used fishing nets in order to offer an alternative to plastic bags and combat plastic waste in the sea.

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Visit the award winner’s profile
Foundress Claudia Valder

Pure plant power

The healing power of plants is used in creams, medicinal teas or cough syrup. Strict rules apply to the use of medicinal essences or preparations. Claudia Valder from Systema Natura is committed to traceable manufacturing, and this work led to the company winning the regional KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award 2019 for Schleswig-Holstein.

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Neustadt municipal utility

Recycling in construction

The administrative location of Stadtwerke Neustadt in Holstein in Germany is setting standards for the municipal energy transition. The passive house also incorporates recycled components consistent with the principles of a circular economy and was awarded the "EnEff.Gebäude.2050" prize.

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Ilsfeld's town sign: European energy and climate protection municipality

A plus for both the climate and balance sheet

The community of Ilsfeld wants to cut its ties to fossil-based sources of energy. The local heat network in Ilsfeld uses the heat from purified waste water and supplies the community with environmentally-friendly energy.

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Bio-Lutions plate

Disposable tableware without plastic

A company is tackling the plastic waste challenge: Bio-Lutions buys unused crop waste from Indian farmers. The German start-up uses the raw material and produces disposable tableware and packaging, which are fully compostable.

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Superseven

Cellulose film against plastic waste

While the world is being littered with plastics and microplastics that do not decompose, the start-up Superseven, winner of the KfW Entrepreneurs’ Award 2018 in the “people’s choice”, is offering an environmentally-friendly alternative. And the interest in it is tremendous.

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Uwe D’Agnone is founder of Creapaper.

Better paper

Uwe D'Agnone has developed an alternative procedure to manufacture paper which helps protect resources in the sense of a circular economy: his company Creapaper makes paper and cardboard from grass. Large companies already use it as packaging material for online trade.

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Energy transition 2.0

Rita Feinkohl and Ludger Sens can both supply and receive mains power. They live in a KfW Efficiency Houses 40 Plus. Thanks to their digital connections, they are already equipped for swarming – one of the most important concepts for the future.

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Animated picture: family standing in front of a house

How to save energy

Germany can drastically reduce its energy consumption, using environmentally-friendly methods to produce both electricity and heat. A change of direction that is necessary to successfully facilitate the energy transition and put the brakes on climate change. This film shows how this works.

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Heating with server racks

Twice the benefits

The Cloud & Heat company uses the exhaust heat from server racks to heat buildings. Professor Dr Christof Fetzer on the development of a green energy solution.

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Betterspace founders

Hotels of the future

It all started with intelligent heating control systems. Today, Betterspace offers an extensive portfolio for the digitalisation of hotels. The portrait of a start-up that continues to be in demand, even in times of corona crisis.

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Laser at work

Wilms Metallmarkt puts stock in fibre laser

Wilms Metallmarkt produces metal parts made to measure in single piece or series manufacturing. In future, the parts will have even cleaner contours and sharper edges. Because the family-owned company has invested in an energy-efficient fibre laser.

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Production line Flensburger brewery

Climate protection on the production line

Flensburger Brauerei, a brewery in northern Germany, is investing in energy-efficient technology. With the help of KfW loans, it has once again updated its production facilities. And this is paying off – for the environment and for the company.

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”There's no alternative to using exhaust heat“

The traditional bakery Müller & Egerer had its production processes scrutinised by an energy consultant. It quickly became clear that using the exhaust heat from the oven held enormous potential for savings.

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