Circular economy opportunities: from idea to action

From idea to action: how to make a park’s circular economy opportunities happen

What does it take for the circular economy opportunities identified in a park to move from an idea to concrete action? Yazmin Cruzatti, National Administrator of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) Colombia/Peru, answers.

Identifying circular economy opportunities in an industrial park is an important first step. These opportunities can range from using one company’s waste as another’s input to sharing water, energy or services among the companies in the park. However, the real challenge lies in putting them into practice. In this instalment, Yazmin Cruzatti shares the keys to turning those opportunities into results for companies.

This interview is part of a series in which members of the Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme share their views on the challenges of a more sustainable industry.

Planning to turn circular economy opportunities into action

To turn a circular economy opportunity into concrete action, it is essential to have proper planning to assess its feasibility, prioritize the initiatives with the greatest potential, and define objectives, responsibilities, resources and timelines.

Comprehensive project management

Comprehensive project management brings together financial, human and operational resources. It also makes it possible to coordinate, efficiently and on time, the administrative processes, procurement and contracting needed to carry out the planned activities.

Likewise, coordination between companies and the stakeholders involved, together with technical support and continuous follow-up, helps facilitate implementation and overcome potential barriers.

More than managing resources: creating the conditions

Effective management is not just about managing resources; it is about creating the conditions for opportunities to become concrete actions that generate economic and environmental results and benefits for companies, driving the sustainable development of Eco-Industrial Parks.

In other words, circular economy opportunities gain value when there is management that supports them from planning to implementation.

Yazmin Cruzatti · National Administrator · Global Eco-Industrial Parks Programme (GEIPP) Colombia/Peru