Paris Circular Economy Plan

The most pressing circular economy challenges for Paris are:

• Control of the food chain ;
• Recovery of sources of organic matter (amendment and energy) ;
• The fight against food wastage ;
• Visibility of the goods supply chain (origin and logistical organisation) ;
• Impacts of the construction industry ;
• Support for innovation and new economies ;
• Solutions facilitating access to and sharing of premises and property;
• Priority to short production and distribution chains.

The Circular Economy is part of a “territorial innovation” approach, defined as “a new solution (or a solution transferred to a new environment) for a problem and/or need that has been collectively identified in a territory, in order to improve well-being and promote sustainable local development”.

Among the key innovations that need to be developed to strengthen the circular economy in the territory of Paris are:

• Development of new technologies (energy recovery and storage, green chemistry, bio-based materials, new recycling processes, integration of digital technology to optimise logistics chains, etc.);
• New modes of organisation between the actors of one or several sectors (pooling of goods and spaces, intermediation platforms, exchanges of flows, etc.);
• Social innovations (participative democracy, recycling centres, etc.);
• Service innovations based on new economic models (short supply chains, functional economy, collaborative economy, etc.).

A second road map was adopted in 2018 on the basis of the 1^st assessment, it adds 15 new objectives to be achieved. This new Road Map was adopted to:

• Include Green IT in the Circular Economy approach
• Increase the recycling and reusing of office furniture etc
• Include new structures: Museums, Theatres, Public Events, Universities and Schools
• Implement lifelong learning for public servants and employees
• Develop storage places for firms etc. 

Key successes:

• Implementation of a storage place and workshops for all public services of the city, which enable the reuse items including furniture and work clothes
• Circular Economy criteria has been including in public contracts including a focus on eco-design and local materials
• A new approach to the construction of city buildings based on reuse and local materials
• Repair services in the city are promoted, including the provision of a start-up grant and ‘repair workshops’
• Circular consumption in Paris is promoted included collection of food waste and supporting organisations with social value

Key learnings:

• Need for a global approach, taking into account the full life and journey of materials
• Inclusion of citizens makes it work, communicate with citizens and diversify places for repair workshops etc
• Train public servants on Circular economy to create a virtuous cycle
• Assist companies to understand the changes in public contacts, if this is not does it risks higher prices and no answers

• Adopting a Circular Economy plan has the potential to:

  • Empower citizens and civil servants 
  • Revitalise districts 
  • Promote local productions
  • Support innovation within the administration, firms and associations
  • Save public money for new projects / improving public services

Organisation: City of Paris

How long has the project been operational: The Plan was adopted in 2017, a first assessment carried out in 2017-18 and the second Road Map adopted 2018.