Circular Economy Initiative

The Circular Economy Initiative Deutschland (CEID) is a comprehensive initiative dedicated to establishing a sustainable circular economy in Germany. Founded with the support of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the CEID brings together stakeholders from business, science, and civil society to develop and implement new pathways towards a circular economy.

The main mission of the CEID is to transform the traditional linear economic model ("extract, produce, consume, dispose") and replace it with a circular model that optimizes and closes material and energy cycles as much as possible. This concept aims to unite ecological, economic, and social perspectives to achieve an absolute decoupling of economic growth from resource consumption and to ensure planetary boundaries and sustainability goals[2][3].

The CEID is characterized by a multi-layered structure that includes various committees. The steering committee, consisting of high-ranking representatives from politics, industry, science, and civil society, develops the strategic direction of the initiative and monitors progress. The working groups, where about 130 experts from various fields collaborate, form the core of the initiative. Here, interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral dialogues are conducted to enable and implement circular economic systems[1][2].

The CEID has defined clear goals for the transformation process, focusing on several key areas:

• Circular Business Models and Digital Technologies: The development and implementation of circular business models supported by digital technologies to drive innovation[2][3].
• New Value Creation Networks: Focuses on creating new value creation networks, particularly for batteries and packaging[2][3].
• Framework Conditions for a Circular Transformation: The identification and design of framework conditions that enable the successful implementation of circular economic systems[2][3].

A central outcome of the CEID is the "Circular Economy Roadmap for Germany," which synthesizes insights from the various working groups and summarizes them in a consolidated statement. This roadmap serves as a scientifically grounded action framework that systematically describes the necessary steps for Germany's transition to a circular economy and provides concrete recommendations for action for decision-makers from politics, business, and science[2][3].

The CEID is engaged in various current projects and events, such as the Battery Pass project, which promotes the introduction of digital product passports for batteries, and the Dots & Lines Festival, where the Ecodesign Regulation and digital product passports are discussed. These activities underscore the CEID's ongoing commitment to promoting and implementing circular economic systems[1][3].

• 1 - https://www.circular-economy-initiative.de/en-circular-economy-initiative-deutschland
• 2 - https://www.acatech.de/projekt/circular-economy-initiative-deutschland/
• 3 - https://www.tu.berlin/nu/forschung/laufende-projekte/circular-economy-initiative
• 4 - https://bdi.eu/umwelt-und-nachhaltigkeit/circular-economy
• 5 - https://www.circular-economy-initiative.de/de-circular-economy-initiative-deutschland