We are Circular Flanders
As a successor to Plan C (2006-2012, 2012-2016) and the Flemish Materials Program (2011-2016), Circular Flanders was appointed by the Flemish Government in 2017 to continue and support the circular economy as a region-wide transition priority. The current Flemish Government (2019-2024) confirmed this mandate and expressed its ambition to make Flanders a circular frontrunner by decoupling the material footprint of our consumption from economic growth and reducing it by 30% by 2030.
Circular Flanders is the hub, the inspiration and the matchmaker for the Flemish circular economy. It is a partnership of governments, business and industry, civil society, and the knowledge community taking action together.
How we work
Adapting to changes, creating context for change
At Circular Flanders we recognise that ‘the one thing that never changes is that everything changes’. A premise of collective impact for change is that not all problems are created in the same way – some are simple, some are more complicated and some are really complex. Each type requires a different approach to solving them.
All these years we have focused on system innovation rather than making unsustainable systems more efficient. So we don’t need to keep reinventing ourselves. Moving forward and participating in change ourselves, (re)positioning our support and complementary activities in innovation, and being a bit stubborn, that’s our way forward.
We also find that collective impact is most effective when it builds on what already exists, i.e. recognising current efforts and engaging people and networks, rather than pretending to create a completely new solution from scratch.
What we offer
We developed this site as a go-to place for circular ports
We are constantly developing and improving this site as a point of reference for the circular economy and ports.
At Circular Flanders we have no ambition to be all-encompassing or to replace what the port community is already doing. We primarily provide practitioners with a useful selection of actionable insights and tools to support their journey towards a circular future. We don’t have all the answers either, but we create a context for learning, doing and finding lasting solutions.
The website focuses primarily on the Flemish and Delta port region, but with a view to Europe and beyond. The port community is extremely international, so we all have an interest in working together within the port, between ports, but also across borders. That is why we also communicate in English.
What you can do
Help us improve our offer
Whether you are an interested party, a circularity expert, a port professional, a policy maker or a researcher, you can help us to continually improve what we offer.
But you can also help us in the first place by spreading the word! This means things like: showing the website to your colleagues, staff and peers, sharing posts on social media, linking to reports, posts and tools in forums you participate in, etc. And if you have your own website, linking to Circular Ports would be a great help.
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