Towards a Roadmap for a Resource Efficient and Effective Manufacturing Industry in Sweden

The transition to a resource efficient economy that makes effective use of raw materials and energy is a multi-level dynamic process requiring a wide systems perspective. To operationalize this transition in a holistic manner, the concept of Circular Economy (CE) has been championed by major economies around the world. The idea with CE is to strive towards maximizing the utilization of products, components and materials and their embedded material value throughout the economy, generating the lowest possible amount of loss and waste in relation to the obtained value. This contribution presents the main elements for a transition roadmap towards CE in the Swedish manufacturing sector. This paper presents (i) a baseline of resource efficiency operations in Sweden and existing strategies for CE transition in the EU; (ii) outlines major areas of opportunity for the Swedish manufacturing sector to innovate and create resource efficient and effective solutions; (iii) identifies a variety of stakeholders that are required to intervene in different levels (local/regional/national/international, as well as public/private), scales and timeframes; and (iv) presents a comprehensive set of actions and policies, including monitoring and evaluation, as a direct recommendation to political and business actors in Sweden. Finally, milestones are defined and a timeframe for the roadmap is proposed.