The European Commission has adopted an ambitious Circular Economy Package to help European businesses and consumers to make the transition to a stronger and more circular economy where resources are used in a more sustainable way. With this plan to make Europe’s economy cleaner and more competitive, the Commission is delivering ambitious measures to cut resource use, reduce waste, and boost sustainable production and consumption.
With this project, the Commission aims to bring assets (e.g. knowledge, networks, and tools) via the right support infrastructure, organisations, and associations to SMEs so that these enterprises can start to benefit from the advantages of the circular economy including cost reductions, new/increased revenue streams, and improved environmental performance.
This guide has been drafted as background and reference materials for the training of SME support organisations. These training sessions aim to help establish programs for delivering services related to resource efficiency, circular economy, and eco-innovation. Training modules are divided into five sections:
- Introduction to the subject
- Introduction to existing support channels
- Sector deep dives
- Core elements of SME support programs
- Implementation support