Progress and Challenges of Circular Economy in Selected EU Countries

Klaudia Nowak-Marchewka, Emilia Osmólska and Monika Stoma ()
Additional contact information
Klaudia Nowak-Marchewka: Department of Power Engineering and Transportation, Faculty of Production Engineering, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-612 Lublin, Poland
Emilia Osmólska: Department of Power Engineering and Transportation, Faculty of Production Engineering, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-612 Lublin, Poland
Monika Stoma: Department of Power Engineering and Transportation, Faculty of Production Engineering, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-612 Lublin, Poland

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 1, 1-35

Abstract: Circular economy (CE) is a model that is gaining significance in the context of sustainable development and environmental protection, focusing on minimizing waste generation and maximizing the use of available resources through recycling and extending product life cycles. The implementation of CE in various European Union countries demonstrates diverse approaches to resource management, waste production, and energy efficiency improvement. These differences primarily stem from varying strategies, national policies, levels of social awareness, and technological advancements. The article identifies the key challenges and barriers associated with CE implementation in selected countries—Poland, the Netherlands, and Romania—and highlights specific areas requiring improvement and adaptation. It emphasizes the critical role of aligning national policies with the EU guidelines, promoting ecological education, and investing in innovative technologies and solutions that support sustainable development. Additionally, it points to the need for developing appropriate waste management infrastructure and encouraging businesses and consumers to change habits and engage in pro-environmental actions.

Keywords: circular economy; eco-innovation; sustainable development; the EU countries; education about circular economy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/320/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/1/320/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:1:p:320-:d:1559912

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().