Doing more and better, with less

Resource management and circularity

Transitioning to circular economic approaches can help minimise environmental degradation and resource use, while improving waste management. Here’s how we help our clients and partners in businesses and government to apply circularity and reduce whole life carbon and material waste, while creating economic opportunities.

Why do we need a global circular economy?

Traditional linear economic models of “take-make-dispose” create about two billion tonnes of municipal waste globally every year. In the past 20 years, the global material footprint has increased by 70%.

It is clear that transitioning to a circular economy is urgently needed. Moreover, circularity can play a crucial role in combating climate change and biodiversity loss, while delivering positive impacts on the environment, human health, as well as on air and water quality.

At Ramboll, we help partners decouple their economic growth from the unsustainable management of natural resources by applying principles in circular design, optimised use, and value recovery including reuse and recycling.

Recent estimates put the global economy today at around 9& circular. In the EU alone, the net gain for business from waste prevention, materials recovery, and changing procurement practices is over EU 600 billion. With the adoption of the Paris Rulebook and the EU Taxonomy, the case for adopting a circular approach is growing stronger.

But it will not come by itself. The circular transition requires policy makers to establish circular regulations and incentives, for private sector actors to develop circular business models, and for consumers to change consumption patterns.

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Keys to circularity

Resource efficiency

Durability and repairability

Reduce and substitute materials

Prevent and reduce waste

Recycling

Circular practices help businesses to protect natural capital and minimise resource use in their value chains

Ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns

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    Circular design

    At Ramboll, we help partners decouple their economic growth from the unsustainable management of natural resources by applying principles in circular design, optimised use, and value recovery including reuse and recycling.

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    Scientific, economic, and engineering expertise

    We combine scientific, economic, and engineering expertise to understand the best ways to apply circular principles to fit the operations and dynamics of cities, buildings, industry, manufacturing, energy, water, and commodities.

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    New revenue streams

    By working across our clients’ value chains, we identify new revenue streams, cost efficiencies, and competitive differentiators, whilst mitigating against risks such as supply chain shortages and price volatility.

Explore the ways we help clients and society become more circular

view of Amager Bakke waste-to-energy plant with harbour and boats in the foreground
Wind Farm in Vähäkyrö

Helping clients embed a circular approach

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    Resource efficiency, including in sustainably sourced, bio-based, and other raw materials

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    Durability and repairability of products, particularly in design and manufacturing activities

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    Reducing hazardous substances and substituting substances of high concern in materials and products

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    Use and quality of secondary raw materials, including recycling of waste

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    Prevention and reduction of generated waste from the extraction of minerals, as well as from the construction and demolition of buildings

Explore more

  • The Circular Economy; 5 key drivers in 2021

    With the best interest of the climate and resource scarcity at heart, our sustainability expert Patrick Moloney points to five key drivers for a speedier transition to circular economy in 2021.

    Feb 15, 2021

  • Research shows the business case for circular buildings

    The World Business Council for Sustainable Development, together with Ramboll as Lead Author, is delighted to share a research report that articulates the business case of pursuing circularity in the built environment. 

    Nov 3, 2021

  • Circularity and resource management

    By adopting a circular approach to resource management, we can unlock new economic opportunities. Let’s co-create a new era of circularity.

    Overhead aerial view of containers full of different recycled waste materials