Vlaanderen

Vlaanderen Circulair

Circular ports

Circular Ports

Supporting port professionals, businesses and communities in their circular economy transition. 
Become more circular
12 Indicators to get started
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What is the circular economy?

In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in use for as long as possible in at their highest possible value, whilst eliminating pollution. This reduces the need for raw materials and creation of waste.

By shifting from a linear to a circular model, we can ease pressure on natural resources, foster sustainable growth and jobs, and address pollution, climate change, and biodiversity loss, whilst keeping resource use within planetary boundaries.

With critical raw materials becoming scarce and prices volatile due to overconsumption and geopolitical tensions, investing in the circular economy offers both competitive and financial advantages for our region and its businesses.

Decarbonisation, combined with circular economy, can combat climate change and drive sustainable development. Afterall, circular economy holds the potential to reduce direct carbon emissions, as well as embodied carbon related to extraction, processing and manufacturing of products. The production of renewable energy and the efficient use of energy, are not included in the circular economy categorisation system. Yet, they have a key role to play.

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Why circular ports?

Ports are uniquely positioned to drive the circular economy transition. Their strategic location and expertise in logistics, storage, and waste management make them ideal hubs for circular flows. As diverse industrial ecosystems, they enable collaboration and symbiotic exchange, where one company’s waste becomes another’s resource. With ample space available, circular activities can be developed and scaled on-site.

Port Authorities can accelerate this transition by adapting concession policies to attract circular innovators, facilitating industrial symbiosis, and building networks within and beyond the port. Shared infrastructure, services, and dedicated areas, such as circular hubs or eco-industrial parks, can further boost circular growth.

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Circular strategies

In the circular economy, the value of products, materials, and resources is maintained within the economy for as long as possible, minimizing waste and reducing the need for raw materials. To achieve this, various circular strategies can be implemented to close the loop and move away from the linear take-make-waste model.

Decarbonisation, the process of reducing or eliminating carbon emissions, combined with the circular economy offers a powerful way to fight climate change. Circular strategies help cut both direct and embodied emissions, while supporting the shift to clean energy.

Learn more in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s report.

Go to the Circular Strategies

CE monitor

Circular Flanders’ CE centre launched the Circular Economy Monitor Flanders. It consists of a set of over 100 indicators, to measure the maturity of the circular economy in Flanders and the speed at which it is progressing. The Circular Ports Monitor is being developed to be complementary, and is dedicated to circularity in the port ecosystem. Its indicators are not specific to Flanders and therefore useable for ports globally. However, some indicators might only be relevant for specific types of ports. The Circular Ports Monitor will allow ports to benchmark themselves internationally, as well as monitor the progress within their own port. The Circular Ports Monitor consists of 12 indicators.

Go to the Circular Port Monitor

How circular is your project?

The CE Compass is a free analysis tool that indicates which accents of the circular economy are placed in a circular project. The instrument was developed in 2018 by Circular Flanders and the CE center. The Compass scores a circular project on 2 dimensions: chain steps and R-strategies.

Go to the CE-Compass

Cases

Discover our Circular Ports case database, showcasing innovative projects and initiatives that are transforming ports into circular hubs.

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We’re proud to partner with

Present partners

Former partners

Endorsers

Theo Notteboom

Professor of Port and Maritime Economics

Theo Notteboom is Professor of Port and Maritime Economics. He is Chair Professor ‘North Sea Port’ at Maritime Institute of Ghent University, and a Professor at Faculty of Business and Economics of University of Antwerp and Antwerp Maritime Academy. He previously held positions as professor and foreign expert at universities in Dalian and Shanghai, China, and as MPA visiting professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He is Vice-President (2022-ongoing) and past President (2010-2014) of International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME). He is co-founder and co-director of Porteconomics.eu and member of the Risk and Resilience Committee of International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). He published widely on ports and maritime economics and is co-author of the handbook ‘Port Economics, management and policy (Notteboom, Pallis & Rodrigue, 2022; Routledge). He is one of the most cited maritime economists in the world. Theo Notteboom has been involved as promoter or co-promoter in more than 100 academic research programs on the port and maritime industry and logistics topics.

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Theo Notteboom

Professor of Port and Maritime Economics

Ports are stepping stones towards a circular economy. However, the path ports follow is often covered with uncertainty, challenges, and lack of clarity. The Circular Ports initiative of Circular Flanders offers a much-needed holistic view of the wide array of issues at play for circular economy in ports. By combining research insights and best practices, it offers a unique insight into what circular economy means for the strategy, governance, and operations of ports.

Jan Blomme

Flemish Port Commissioner

As Regional Port Commissioner, Jan Blomme reviews on behalf of the Flemish government the decisions of the port authorities (Antwerp and Zeebrugge, now merged to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, North Sea Port Flanders and Ostend) for compliance with the legal regulations. In addition, the Port Commissioner also approves port authorities who intend to invest in third-party companies. He stimulates, coordinates, and mediates collaboration between ports and port authorities. Jan Blomme was previously General Manager of ‘Port of Antwerp International’ and Head of the ‘Strategy and Development’ department at the Antwerp Port Authority. Until last year, he was a visiting professor at the University of Antwerp, where he taught the ‘Port Strategy’ course.

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Jan Blomme

Flemish Port Commissioner

At a time of change, when port communities are increasingly faced with a declining resource base and ecological limits, the concept of a circular economy is becoming a crucial dimension of port strategy. As hubs for major logistics flows and locations of key industries, ports – perhaps more than elsewhere – can become drivers and places for facilitating the transition to a more circular economy. The Circular Ports initiative offers an opportunity to share approaches and insights between ports and identify opportunities for collaboration. It also serves as a go-to place and can simultaneously record and catalog progress in this field.