Traditionally our economy has worked in a linear way, where products and materials are made, used, and then thrown away.
In the West Midlands, we’re helping businesses adapt their practices so they can be part of the circular economy. This is an approach designed to reduce waste and pollution by reusing and repurposing products and materials that would normally be discarded.
As well as reducing the environmental impact of the economy, this also creates new opportunities and jobs in resource recovery, remanufacture and pay-per-use platforms.
West Midlands Resource Reuse Network
Find out how the network is supporting businesses with a regional facilitated programme to encourage and enable the sharing of waste and resources across the region
West Midlands Circular Innovation Pipeline
Find out how the WMCA is unlocking material and resource efficiency in the West Midlands through the Circular Innovation Pipeline
Circular Literacy Training
Register your interest for our Circular Economy Literacy Training and discover how the circular can help your business today
Repurposing to Zero
Find out about the significant environmental, social and economic benefits to the reuse of buildings in the West Midlands
The West Midlands Circular Economy Routemap
To accelerate the development of a circular economy in the region and celebrate the leadership that our businesses and universities are showing already, we have created the West Midlands Circular Economy Routemap in collaboration with partners throughout the region.
The Routemap identifies three initial priority sectors, where the region can accelerate the uptake of circular economy practises. The sectors identified are:
- Circular Manufacturing – Building on the legacy of the West Midlands as the workshop of the world.
- Circular Construction – Unlocking brownfield sites for development and embedding circular design in our construction developments.
- Circular Food – Utilising our unique and diverse network of community groups to re-design our food system.
The Routemap identifies a number of opportunities for the West Midlands across these sectors, building on the existing work being done in the region.
Circular Economy Routemap Three Year Review
Since the publication of the Routemap in 2021, the WMCA has made significant progress in moving the priorities of the Routemap into delivery. In 2024, the WMCA has commenced the delivery of a nationally significant industrial symbiosis pilot, the West Midlands Resource Reuse Network, and supported the delivery of the regions first construction materials reuse hub in the Reuse Hub, Wolverhampton. Additionally, through the Community Environment Fund, the WMCA has been able to support community groups to delivery the circular economy, through repair cafes, materials recovery projects, and community sharing initiatives.
We need your help
We’re working with experts to help deliver a circular economy plan for our region, but we’re looking for your ideas too. If you have any thoughts on how we can make better use of our resources, email environment@wmca.org.uk