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Circular Circuits Summer School 2025: Industry & Policy Insights into the Circular Economy
As part of the Circular Circuits Summer School 2025, a series of interactive sessions gave PhD and graduate students unique insights into the real-world applications of circular principles in both industry and policy. Two highlights of the program—a visit to Reconext in Zoetermeer and a guest lecture by Rijkswaterstaat at TU Delft—offered complementary perspectives on lifetime extension and regulatory frameworks driving the circular economy.
Rijkswaterstaat Lecture on Extended Producer Responsibility – TU Delft (Tuesday, May 20th)
On May 20th, Mr. Arjen Brouwer from Rijkswaterstaat Leefomgeving delivered a presentation at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, TU Delft on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
He outlined how EPR is organized in the Netherlands and its role in transitioning to a circular economy. The discussion also covered the legal foundation provided by the Waste Management Contribution Agreement (AVV) and concluded with a timely update on changes to the export regulations for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), effective from January 1, 2025.
This policy-focused session encouraged deep engagement from the students, who asked critical questions that led to a stimulating afternoon of dialogue about the role of regulation in circular product lifecycles.
Presentation and the recording of the meeting are available on Project Plaza.
From Practice to Policy: Understanding Circular Electronics
Visit to Reconext – Zoetermeer (Tuesday, May 27th)
On May 27th, six PhD students and one graduate student visited Reconext, a global leader in the repair, refurbishment, and repurposing of electronic devices. With facilities around the world, Reconext exemplifies how businesses can extend the lifetime of electronics and reduce waste through smart service models.
The visit demonstrated how companies like Reconext align with the key themes of the Circular Circuits program, including:
- Design for refurbishment
- Lifetime-extending technologies
- Business models and closed-loop value chains
- Separation and recycling technologies
- Tracking material flows across the EU
Students engaged in in-depth discussions with three Reconext professionals, raising questions about practical challenges in refurbishing, recycling metals from discarded parts, and the logistics of product flow within Europe. The session sparked valuable exchanges between academic inquiry and industrial expertise.
Together, these two summer school activities embodied the core ambition of the Circular Circuits project: to foster systems thinking among researchers by exposing them to both the industrial realities and policy mechanisms that underpin circular innovation.
By connecting with professionals at Reconext and Rijkswaterstaat, the students gained a holistic understanding of how theory translates into practice—and how each actor plays a role in the circular transformation of electronics.