Transitioning to a circular economy is vital for reducing industrial emissions, as it focuses on resource efficiency, reuse and closed-loop systems that minimise waste, energy consumption and environmental impact. The European Parliament describes the circular economy as a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. 

In the context of global climate goals, the circular economy also aligns with carbon neutrality targets by promoting carbon capture and (re)use (CCU) – a key topic for IDRIC’s research. Waste carbon – often treated as a pollutant – can become a valuable input in circular systems, such as being converted into building materials or alternative fuels.

Twenty-four of IDRIC’s projects have contributed to the advancement of circularity, with a strong emphasis on ‘waste’ material use and re-use to create new materials (waste valorisation). Whilst the research topics were highly diverse, there were several key themes, particularly in the use and valorisation of waste materials for CCU and platform chemical production, the use of algae in CCU, and the use of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) for CCU. Additionally, several of the projects focused on electrolyser research to develop novel and more efficient routes to the synthesis of e-fuels and e-chemicals, integrating the use of green hydrogen.