Public procurements help facilitate circularity and create safer living environments. The state of public procurement has been assessed with a number of surveys, the results of which keep highlighting the same themes: lack of resources and information.

The circular economy is currently a hot topic in Finland. One of the objectives of the recently published Government Programme is to strengthen Finland’s role as a circular economy pioneer. From the perspective of the risks associated with chemicals and hazardous substances, circular economy solutions present both opportunities and risks.

According to VTT, halving the environmental impact of plastic in the next ten years is possible by improving plastic recycling, replacing plastics with renewable materials and changing consumption habits.

The WeFood surplus food supermarket has been granted the first ever CIRCWASTE award for promoting circular economy. WeFood, the first surplus food supermarket in Finland, opened at the REDI shopping centre in Helsinki in September 2018.

The City of Lahti is a Circwaste pioneering municipality and a FISU-municipality and now it is the first Finnish city to be appointed as the European Green Capital.

In Southwest Finland, the problem of food wastage is being tackled by creating a roadmap for reducing food wastage throughout the food supply chain from food production to the plate of the consumer.

In 2020, the new Nova hospital will be completed in Kukkumäki, Jyväskylä. The hospital will minimise the amount of waste through modern waste management systems and rational use of resources.

The Lappeenranta Region’s Environmental Office, with its partners, wanted to increase the awareness of the circular economy and the negative impacts of littering, and to prevent the access of microplastics in the environment. The idea resulted in the story of Plastic Pat, and a challenge campaign for preventing littering in the spirit of circular economy: Trash in nature, circular economy material when picked up: Plastic Pat Wanted.