What is needed to compel Europe’s transition to a circular economy?

To compel Europe's transition to a circular economy, addressing skills gaps among people is crucial. A project called Become aims to achieve this by providing learning communities and training for educators and company practitioners. The project, funded by Erasmus+, brings together experts from four universities, two vocational colleges, and four employers across Finland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Bulgaria.

The project first identified existing and missing circular skills in its four regions and then developed modular training materials and training weeks for educators and company practitioners. These initiatives are supported by circular hubs and local learning communities in all four countries.

While Europe has set ambitious targets, such as doubling the share of recycled materials in the EU by 2030 and aiming for a 24% share by 2030, progress has been slow. The European Environment Agency estimates that the EU needs to make more than 1.7 percentage points of progress annually to meet the 2030 target. Additionally, the Circularity Gap Report 2026 highlights that the EU loses €25.4 trillion annually due to linear material use.

Despite these challenges, several member states have made progress. Finland, for instance, has deep expertise and industrial pilots in circular economy practices but has struggled to achieve high levels of circular material use due to its focus on mining and forestry industries. Slovenia, on the other hand, has a higher circular material use rate and better waste recycling rates than the EU average, but its overall circular material use rate remains below the EU average.

Bulgaria has also made efforts, such as implementing a national deposit return scheme, but its household waste recycling rate is still below the EU average.