Carmen Jaca, standing, during her speech. PHOTO: Courtesy

The conference 'Circular economy: opportunities for companies' took place today at Adegi . The conference provided information on what it is and what opportunities are available for any type of company; the situation of companies in Gipuzkoa through the study carried out by Tecnun and, as a tool for the circular economy, the Circular Market platform, where SMEs can demand and offer all kinds of resources, such as surplus and waste or second-use machinery.

The researcher from the Department of Industrial Organisation at Tecnun Carmen Jaca, was in charge of explaining the Circular Market platform. Examples of by-product and waste recovery for companies in Gipuzkoa were also presented.

At a time of rising raw material and energy costs, the circular economy is an opportunity for companies as a source of profitability, where technology is playing an increasingly important role. The commitment to reuse, servitisation and recycling is profitable for companies because it improves the efficiency of products and processes, and enhances the social image.

The transition towards a circular economy represents a great opportunity for economic growth and job creation, in addition to its positive impact on the environment. It is estimated that in Gipuzkoa this sector has a volume of 500 million euros and employs 5,000 people and that in the next ten years it could double these figures.

We attach below the report published in Noticias de Gipuzkoa in which the teacher from Tecnun Marta Ormazábal, explains how to give waste a second chance.