The area of activity significantly contributes to the city`s strategic goal “Green transformation” and provides a substantial input to the strategic goals “Home that includes the street”, “Creative global city” and “Kind community”.

Green transformation – A circular economy, where economic development is based on innovative technologies and business models, founded on more efficient resource and energy use, longer product lifetimes and material recycling. Thereby, Tallinn reduces waste generation and CO₂ emissions as well as preserves its green spaces.

Home that includes the street – Applying circular principles to both existing buildings and all phases of new buildings — from design and construction to use and end-of-life — helps significantly reduce the material volumes generated by the built environment.

Creative global city – Through green and circular procurement, Tallinn stimulates demand for circular, low-carbon and safe products and services (including construction), fosters innovation, generates new economic opportunities and jobs, and serves as a model for other cities.

Kind Community – The creation of circularity centres and repair workshops promoting reuse and repair culture expands people’s opportunities to take part in society and thereby strengthens communities. The spread of do-it-yourself skills and community cooperation increases society’s resilience and ability to cope with crises.

Principles for implementation of the field

The principles for implementing a circular economy are often described through the so-called “R-strategies”. R-strategies provide a good basis and framework for a hierarchy of circularity within production and consumption systems. Considering Tallinn’s role in promoting the circular economy and the focus themes of the circular economy in the city, the following R-strategic levels can be identified for Tallinn:

Use and consume less – R-strategies: refuse, rethink and reduce. City activities and investments are guided by the principle of using resources more efficiently and avoiding waste generation. It is important to give up unnecessary purchases, reduce waste and prefer circular solutions such as circular products and services.

Promote reuse and repair – R-strategies: reuse, repair. To enhance resource use efficiency, the city promotes the extension of product lifetimes via reuse and repair. Repairing, sharing and reusing systems help create a sustainable consumption culture.

Use waste as a resource – R-strategies: recycle, including biological recycling, and recover. The city creates preconditions for separate waste collection, materials and waste recycling, and recovery. This allows for treating waste as a resource, maximising the use of existing materials and reducing demand for new natural resources.

Goals of the field

1. By 2035, the entire city organisation will operate in line with the principles of the circular economy.

   The city organisation will act purposefully and systematically, implementing circular economy principles in all areas. The city’s strategic decisions and actions support the sustainable use of resources: Tallinn will reduce the level of primary material consumption and increase the level of material recycling, focusing on innovative solutions. In doing so, it contributes to the higher future-oriented goal that the city as a whole is circular and climate-neutral by 2050.

   INDICATORS

   • The target levels of all indicators of the action programmes have been achieved.

Action programmes

1. A city organisation and citizens competent and knowledgable in circular economy

   The transition to a circular economy presupposes that all participants are ready to engage in circular activities. Tallinn’s city organisation has the necessary resources (including financial means and the competence of employees) to lead and direct the transition to a circular economy. All residents, entrepreneurs and organisations have the knowledge, skills and favourable attitude to implement circular economy principles in daily activities. Tallinn has an overview of the state of the circular economy in the city, including resource and waste flows, their usage and volumes.

   Key courses of action: 1) increasing circular-economy competence and awareness of the city organisation, 2) improving the circular economy knowledge, skills and attitudes of stakeholders outside the city organisation (residents, entrepreneurs, organisations, etc.), 3) developing a monitoring system for the circular economy in Tallinn.

2. A city organization implementing the principles of green and circular procurement

   Tallinn promotes a sustainable and circular consumption model and has developed a system to support circular products and services. Such a consumption model is a prerequisite for achieving circular economy and waste-reduction goals. Tallinn is a forward-looking developer of circular products and services and a strong advocate for reuse, sharing and repair culture, offering residents, entrepreneurs and visitors comprehensive opportunities to contribute to the circular economy. Entrepreneurs in Tallinn can test and develop novel circular solutions and business models, setting an example for other municipalities in Estonia and internationally.

   Key courses of action: 1) planning of green and circular procurement, 2) increasing the capacity to carry out green and circular procurement, 3) involving market participants and increasing their readiness.

3. A city consuming and promoting circular products and services

   Tallinn on kestliku ja ringse tarbimismudeli edendaja ning seda toetavate ringsete toodete ja teenuste süsteemi looja. Ringne tarbimismudel on ringmajandusega ning jäätmetekke vältimise ja vähendamisega seotud eesmärkide saavutamise eelduseks. Tallinn on edumeelne ringsete toodete ja teenuste arendaja ning korduskasutuse, jagamis- ja paranduskultuuri edendaja, kes pakub linlastele, ettevõtjatele ja külalistele igakülgseid võimalusi ringmajandusse panustada. Ettevõtjad saavad Tallinnas katsetada ja arendada uudseid ringseid lahendusi ja ärimudeleid, olles eeskujuks teistele omavalitsustele nii Eestis kui ka rahvusvahelisel tasandil.

   Key courses of action: 1) avoiding and reducing single-use products, 2) promoting product reuse and repair, 3) promoting management systems and labels supporting the circular economy, 4) promoting circular-economy entrepreneurship.

4. A sustainable food and nutrient recycling system

   By making food consumption more circular, Tallinn strengthens the sustainability of the entire food chain – from production to use – and enhances the efficient use of food as a bio-economic resource, including regenerative) nutrient cycling. These efforts make a significant contribution to reducing the city`s climate impact. The entire city organisation, residents and entrepreneurs contribute to preventing and reducing food waste and loss. In Tallinn, there are extensive opportunities for composting, recycling of biowaste and urban gardening.

   Key courses of action: 1) preventing and reducing food waste and loss, 2) promoting nutrient recycling.

5. Urban space and built environment developed on circular principles

   Tallinn’s urban space and built environment are developed and constructed according to circular principles. The city’s spatial planning prioritises efficiency in land use and enhances urban nature through thoughtful design. Resources are used optimally and circularly. In the design, construction, renovation, reconstruction and demolition of city infrastructure and buildings environmentally friendly and circular materials are used as much as possible, while non-circular materials are avoided. Buildings are designed to be multifunctional and adaptable for various uses.

   Key courses of action: 1) circular planning of urban space and the built environment, 2) circular design of buildings and infrastructure, 3) circular construction, including renovation, reconstruction and demolition.

6. Waste hierarchy-based waste management

   Tallinn’s waste management system is efficiently organised, providing the necessary conditions for the separate collection of waste, in order to recycle and recover materials. The entire city organisation, residents and entrepreneurs play their part in waste prevention and separate collection, thereby increasing waste-recycling rates.

   Key courses of action: 1) efficient functioning of organised waste transport, 2) promoting separate collection of waste.