On September 24, 2024, Austrian Standards and Circular Economy Forum Austria hosted an expert talk on Circular Economy, an event gathering decision-makers, project leaders, and standardization experts from business, education, and government sectors to discuss the critical role of circular economy practices in addressing resource scarcity and climate change.
Valerie Höllinger, CEO of Austrian Standards, opened the discussion by emphasizing the importance of the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan (2020), which aims to create a cleaner and more competitive Europe. She underlined the urgency for businesses to adopt circular economy principles to help mitigate environmental challenges, while also pointing out the economic opportunities that this transition can bring through innovation and new business models.
A key takeaway from the event was the role of standards as enablers of circular economy processes. Standards provide the common frameworks that allow businesses to harmonize their sustainability efforts, ensuring transparency, traceability, and the ability to reuse materials effectively. This approach simplifies complex processes, fostering innovation and making circular economy practices more accessible across industries.
Speakers, including Höllinger and Harald Friedl from the Circular Economy Forum Austria, called on participants to actively shape a future where businesses thrive while respecting planetary boundaries. They stressed that for the circular economy to succeed, stakeholders must leverage standards to guide the transformation toward sustainable practices.
For Reincarnate, the insights from this event directly align with the project’s mission. Just as standards provide the foundation for a functioning circular economy, Reincarnate seeks to apply technical and social methodologies to maximize the lifecycle and reuse potential of buildings and materials within the construction sector. Team members Ilija Ilic and Iwona Wagner-Gajewska who attended the event, noted the relevance of these discussions to Reincarnate’s goal of promoting sustainability and circular practices in construction.