Making circular economy a reality: ‘We must turn off the tap first’

A few weeks ago, Eva Maria Bille took office as European Environmental Bureau's (EEB) head of circular economy.“I’m still getting to know everyone, and I hope I can add to the team's already stellar work, bringing some working across the board,” she says, welcoming IO+ to her Brussels office. 

Having lived in eight different countries–including China and Lebanon–and worked for the United Nations and as an EU policy consultant, her curiosity and eagerness to learn have always been in her suitcase. With a background in economics, she advocates for a systemic shift involving our daily practices and our economy. To this extent, she is not content with the recently unveiled Competitiveness Compass—a document unveiling the EU's economic policy for the next five years.

As the EBB, you didn’t welcome the Competitiveness Compass positively. What is your take on it? 

“Reading the Competitiveness Compass gave me a blast from the past vibe. It reminded me of an old economics textbook, assuming that productivity gains lead to economic growth and well-being. Many studies have already debunked this myth. We need to hope there will be a stronger commitment to a circular economy in a way that it does not get back on some of the targets laid out by the Green Deal. There should also be more stringent eco-design requirements, reinforcing the path towards decarbonization and resource efficiency.”

The plan did not resonate with you. 

“The fundamental idea behind it is not clear to me. It doesn’t say which sectors are strategic or how simplification will improve society. If we want to remain a strong economy, we will not win this competition by producing more stuff or outgrowing other economies. To use the Commission's words, we will win by firming up our commitments to decarbonization and building an economy that works for the people.”

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What is your definition of circular economy? 

“The circular economy is a systemic shift in how we view resources. While a linear economy presumes infinite resources, a circular economy takes stock of what we have, the planet's boundaries, and how we can work with those.”

How do we kickstart such a radical change? 

“Setting a resource reduction target to push us to use less would be the first thing to do. Think of an overflowing sink: you might try mopping the floor, but it would be useless if you don’t turn off the tap first. Still, all the efforts made to recycle goods and to handle waste better are necessary, but they are a band-aid solution. We must find a way to reduce the usage of virgin resources while giving a second life to what is already utilized.”

What other policy tools should be in place? 

“One simple thing could be the ban on destroying unsold and returned goods. A ban on textile destruction is coming in 2026, but it is still unbelievable that you can destroy, for instance, unsold electronics. 

Another aspect to tackle with policies is overconsumption, primarily through online sales. Many products bought online from other geographies enter the EU without complying with its standards. They may contain hazardous chemicals or not abide by the extended producer responsibility schemes enforced here.

Extended producer responsibility schemes should also evolve into more practical and impactful tools. They are merely a payment scheme for (partially) financing waste collection and treatment. Still, they should further incentivize companies to design for waste prevention, repair, and reuse. As consumers, we all have experienced throwing away perfectly functioning goods and being flooded with throw-away packaging. Companies should start looking into repair and reuse possibilities before recycling, which should remain the last resort.”

The compass's simplification has been criticized, as it could endanger environmental targets. Do you share this concern? 

“I also fear this push for simplification will come at the detriment of environmental and social objectives. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CRSD), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), and the EU taxonomy have many flaws and haven’t gone as far as they could have. Watering down from a relatively low starting point would make these directives meaningless.”

As announced in the compass, a new Clean Industrial Deal will soon be announced. What do you expect? 

“I hope the Clean Industrial Deal will integrate the core principles of circularity, calling member states to set resource reduction targets and build an economic competitiveness model. We can stay competitive by cutting the quantity of goods we use up. Currently, we are overproducing and overconsuming across all sectors.”

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You are new to your position. What are your priorities? 

“In these first weeks, I’m getting to know the EBB team. Currently, we are working on a position paper on the Circular Economy Act, setting a vision of how this legislation should look. Besides, we are thrilled to continue our work with the Ecodesign Forum and contribute to the effort to make products sustainable by design, as well as to keep pushing for the right to repair. 

More broadly, we are active on many fronts—from buildings to electronics, vehicles, textiles, food waste, green marketing, and eco-labeling—to promote waste reduction, product sustainability, and consumer transparency.

Furthermore, we are putting a lot of effort into making the right to repair a reality.”

By 2050, the EU aims to become climate-neutral. How do you look at the future? 

“We have to be hopeful, and it may sound cliché, but there is no alternative, no planet B, and I fear for my children's future. Everyone has already seen the effects of recent extreme weather events; we cannot slow down.”