• Replace materials or products​ with more circular alternatives
• Reduce the amount of material​ needed per product, e.g., through optimized product design or more efficient production
• Recycle material​ for new products and thereby reduce the need for virgin material

These approaches, however, are often difficult for individual companies to implement alone. In many cases they involve multiple players at different points of the value chain, and sometimes across industries, that traditionally have limited interaction. Industry collaborations are therefore key to implementing and scaling up circular solutions. ​

For the four focus materials, this means bringing together material producers with large industrial users of these materials, namely from the built environment/infrastructure, transportation, consumer goods, packaging, and machinery/mechanical engineering sectors. In addition to industry collaborations, technological innovations and a favorable policy environment are essential to scaling up circular solutions. ​