Circular Economy

Circular Economy Strategy (CES) for Northern Ireland

A circular economy will be a key enabler of the Minister's economic priorities, along with supporting the 2050 legislative target of net zero.

In January 2023 the department launched a public consultation on the draft Circular Economy Strategy for Northern Ireland. The draft strategy has since been updated to reflect comments from the consultation along with developments within the policy area and a strengthening of the evidence base.

The strategy sets out our vision “To create an innovative, sustainable and inclusive economy focused on people, planet and prosperity, with responsible production and consumption at its core”.

Alongside this vision, the strategy sets out 12 proposals for change and associated next steps that will make the transition to a circular economy a reality, along with a target to reduce our material footprint from its current rate of 16.6 to 8 tonnes per person by 2050.

You can read the draft strategy and the public consultation response report at: Circular Economy Strategy for Northern Ireland.

What is the circular economy?

We live in a world where we take valuable resources from the earth and make things that we may use only once before throwing them away. This ’take-make-use-dispose’ model is known as the linear economy. It is unsustainable, costly and, moreover, it is unjust because it is based on a growth model which takes no consideration of the environmental and societal damage caused along the way.

The circular way offers an alternative model, that many countries are pursuing, in which:

• we rethink and reduce our use of earth’s resources
• we switch to regenerative resources
• we minimise waste
• we maintain the value of products and materials for as long as possible.

Proposals for change: How we can transition to a circular economy

The Circular Economy Strategy includes 12 proposals for change which set out how we could kick start the transition from a linear to circular economy.

Collaborate for system change

1. Develop and implement a programme to support and promote behaviour change
2. Create clusters and networks to raise awareness and assist collaboration
3. Develop an outcome-focused circular economy monitoring framework.

Design out waste

4. Embed circular economy principles in public sector procurement
5. Work with businesses to increase circular design.

Manage resources to retain value

6. Create and support platforms and hubs to share goods and materials
7. Maximise the value of materials locally.

Stimulate system change with funding incentives and penalties

8. Establish a circular economy funding programme
9. Create a regulatory framework that supports and incentivises greater circulation of goods and materials.

Invest in innovation, research and skills

10. Invest in research and development to support the valorisation of materials
11. Embed circular economy principles at all levels of education
12. Engage with skills providers to ensure a just transition to a circular economy. 

Developing the strategy

Development of the strategy has involved co-design, with other departments providing input through a Cross Departmental Steering Group. External stakeholders, which included industry representatives, academia and the third sector, were also engaged through a Circular Economy Coalition. 

Developing the evidence base

Developing a strong evidence base has been key throughout the process where there was a commitment within the Draft Circular Economy Strategy for Northern Ireland to develop an outcomes-focused circular economy monitoring framework. 

The Circular economy - developing the evidence base page provides further detail on progress made in this area to support the development of the strategy and the transition to a more circular economy, including completed research and workstreams underway.

IntertradeIreland published a report in March 2024 which examined the circular economy to identify key business opportunities and any barriers to developing such opportunities. 

The report identified specific opportunities for intervention to foster the circular economy across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Contact

For further information contact: circulardelivery@economy-ni.gov.uk