Closing the loop in the Slovak Republic: A roadmap towards circularity for competitiveness, eco-innovation and sustainability

The use of materials globally has increased over the past century and it will continue to grow with sustained population and economic growth. Such growth also leads to increased environmental pressures, including climate change. While the Slovak Republic has made notable progress in decoupling environmental pressures from economic activity, its economy remains energy-, carbon- and resource-intensive. The urgent need to steer the country towards circularity calls for a national circular economy strategy to help focus efforts where they are needed most. This report identifies and analyses three areas where circular economy policy would be particularly impactful: the use of economic instruments to promote sustainable consumption and production, the construction sector and the food and bio-waste value chain. It also proposes more than 30 concrete policy recommendations supported by an implementation plan and a monitoring framework. Implementing these recommendations can also help the Slovak economy reach its climate change mitigation objectives.