Program

High Level Plenary Opening session: in the presence of her Majesty the Queen,
Advocate of the UN Sustainable Development Goals: 'From a global vision to transitions at work' *

• Ms. Henny De Baets , CEO Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM)
• Prof. Bruno Oberle, President World Resources Forum
• Mr. Koen Van den Heuvel, Minister of Environment of Flanders
• Welcome remarks by Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

• Dr. Janez Potocnik, Co-Chair UN International Resource Panel, former EC Commissioner

WRF Workshop Parade - moderated by Mr. Bas de Leeuw

Parallel Global Sessions 1  

Cities and regions as laboratories for circular change

Soil and Land as a valuable resource *

The global recycling challenge of plastic and textile *

Making digital technology as driver for circular change *

Exploring the future role of ports in a circular economy *

Interactive Deep-Dive Sessions 1

1. From city blight to urban might: Using circular urban design strategies to reuse and
refurbish empty buildings (BBL and OVAM) *
2. Digital business innovation stimulating a circular economy (TNO)
3. Making waste smart – How EPR systems are closing the loop (EXPRA + Ecoembes) *
4. How can knowledge on secondary raw materials from EEE, batteries and vehicles
be improved? (UNU Berlin) *
5. Making textile circular (European Commission)
6. Towards stewardship and circular use for sustainable land and soil management - Part I
(Deltares - RWS - U Hasselt)
7. Make and take design principles and solutions for closed material loops in construction
(VUB Architectural Engineering - VIBE)
8. Plastic for Lunch – How to Best Address the Issue of Marine Litter?
(FSLCI /IUCN)

Special session

• Mayors and Municipalities for Circular Economy (ISWA - IMM)

Coffee break

Interactive Deep-Dive Sessions 2

9.    Setting binding targets to diminish waste and increase re-use as leverage to accelerate
changes towards circular economy (KOMOSIE/RREUSE) *
10. The UrbanWINS approach: citizen-driven priority action for waste prevention, resources
management and innovative circular business models (ICLEI) *
11. How can (digital) tools foster circular economy business practices? (EY) *
12. Glass, the End of Waste success story in Europe (Ferver)
13. Towards a strategy for a circular resource management system in road engineering (UA)
14. Redefining value - The manufacturing revolution, remanufacturing, refurbishment,
repair and direct reuse in the circular economy (IRP) *
15. Global reporting standard for sustainable materials and waste management (GRI)
16. Towards stewardship and circular use for sustainable land and soil management: Part II
- Circular use (Deltares - RWS - U Hasselt)
17. Circular Economy: Stimulating new business models in the building and real estate sector
(German Sustainable building council)

Plenary: WRF Wake Up session *

• Mrs. Dianne Dillon Ridgley, Executive Director, Women’s Network for a Sustainable Future
• Dr. Hans Bruyninckx,  Executive Director European Environment Agency
• Mrs. Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President Club of Rome

Interactive Deep-Dive Sessions 3

18. Plastics, a sustainable material for the future (ESSENSCIA/CATALISTI)
19. Global electronics waste flows: How to improve high-quality recycling?
(Eurometaux, EERA, WEEE Forum)
20. Marketing tailor made compost and digestate-based products
(European compost Network) *
21. Benefits of Responsible Research and Innovation for successful transitions
(Federation of German Scientists - FGS) *
22. Wood as a sustainable resource to a better climate change (VITO)
23. There is no such thing as waste - true or false?  Union of International Associations (UIA)
24. Electromobility and Circular Economy
(Marie Curie Circular European Economy Innovative Training Network ‘Circuit’)
25. Circular Europe: the future of circular economy programming (H2020 Cicerone)

Interactive Deep-Dive Sessions 4

26. Generation Plastics: infinite resource of innovation (The Shift)
27. Copper and the Circular Economy: Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions
(International Copper Association)
28. COCOON landfill management: from landfill to useful resource (Cleantech Flanders) *
29. E-Circular: innovations to unlock waste prevention and circularity (Climate KIC)
30. Circular procurement and Green Deals - (Next) Challenges (RWS/OVAM)
31. Extracting value from slags: the case of non-ferrous metals industry (VITO/Umicore)
32. Unlocking the potential of urban resources through new use of urban spaces
(Eurocities + Urban Agenda Partnership on Circular Economy)

Parallel Global Sessions 2

   Circular economy as enabler for climate policy

   Sustainable Lifestyles - key in the transition towards the circular economy

   Different perspectives on global metal flows in the circular economy

   Circular bio-economy - circular by nature

Coffee break

Sustainable Fashion at the Circular Catwalk

Interactive Deep-Dive Sessions 5: Circular stories from Flanders and Belgium

33. The importance of quality assurance and data in closing the C&DW loop
(VCB - Tracimat)
34. Antwerp, a city where circularity matters (City of Antwerp)
35. Blue Gate Antwerp - When a blackfield turns into a sustainable business parc
(DEC/DEME)
36. The eternal life of shrink hoods (VALIPAC) *
37. Plastics2Chemicals: converting plastic waste into raw materials for the chemical
industry (INDAVER)
38.  A disruptive e-waste collection engine (Recupel)
39. Circularity in action:  Plastic packaging waste, a 360° approach on collecting,
sorting and recycling (Fostplus)
40. How to develop, implement and continuously improve a bio-waste strategy in the
circular economy? (VLACO) *
41. Inspiring OVAM! (OVAM) *

9:00 - 14:00

Circular visits