{"id":1134,"date":"2026-06-16T08:14:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T08:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/?p=1134"},"modified":"2026-06-16T15:55:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T15:55:34","slug":"bio-based-materials-risk-being-overlooked-in-circular-economy-policy-emf-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/16\/bio-based-materials-risk-being-overlooked-in-circular-economy-policy-emf-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"Bio-based materials risk being overlooked in circular economy policy, EMF warns"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Circular economy policies are failing to make full use of bio-based materials such as timber, cotton, rubber, leather and natural fibres, according to a new report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.<\/h4>\n

The foundation said many national circular economy strategies focus on finite materials, while treating bio-based materials mainly as substitutes for fossil-based or non-renewable resources.<\/p>\n

However, its report, Circular by Nature,<\/a> argues this approach risks missing the wider economic and environmental benefits of keeping bio-based materials in productive use for longer.<\/p>\n

The report analyses 13 national circular economy strategies and 18 bio-based materials policy frameworks from countries around the world.<\/p>\n

It found that circular economy and bio-based material policies often operate separately, despite both being linked to climate action, biodiversity, waste prevention and resource security.<\/p>\n

According to the foundation, bio-based materials should not simply be seen as renewable commodities to be grown, extracted, processed and then sent to energy recovery or disposal.<\/p>\n

Instead, it argues they should be designed for repair, reuse, refurbishment, recycling and safe return to biological systems where appropriate.<\/p>\n

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The report says bio-based materials are only truly renewable if the ecosystems that produce them have enough time and space to regenerate.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The report says bio-based materials are only truly renewable if the ecosystems that produce them have enough time and space to regenerate.<\/p>\n

It warns that when extraction outpaces recovery, and where soil health, biodiversity or land use are damaged, materials that appear renewable can become effectively finite.<\/p>\n

The foundation said better policy alignment could help countries capture more value from bio-based materials by supporting regenerative production, local processing, recirculation systems and secondary material markets.<\/p>\n

It also said this could reduce pressure on virgin resources, strengthen supply chain resilience and create skilled jobs across agriculture, manufacturing, repair, recycling and biorefining.<\/p>\n

The report sets out five policy pillars for governments, including circular design standards for bio-based materials, safer and more effective material circulation, financial incentives for regenerative production, investment in infrastructure and cross-border collaboration.<\/p>\n

These measures could include reviewing waste classifications that prevent biomass and residues from being used as secondary feedstocks, reducing VAT on repair and secondary applications, and using eco-modulated extended producer responsibility schemes.<\/p>\n

The foundation said stronger traceability and transparency will also be needed to ensure bio-based products are not linked to land conversion, biodiversity loss or poor working conditions.<\/p>\n

The report comes as more than 100 countries have adopted national circular economy roadmaps or action plans.<\/p>\n

However, the foundation warned that many of these policies still do not fully address how bio-based materials are sourced, used across multiple applications and eventually returned safely to natural systems.<\/p>\n

It said aligning circular economy and bioeconomy policies would help shift the focus from replacing one material with another to designing systems that preserve value, reduce waste and regenerate nature.<\/p>\n

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The post Bio-based materials risk being overlooked in circular economy policy, EMF warns<\/a> appeared first on Circular Online<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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