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PROGRAMS

Policy & Advocacy

The Right Policies for a Circular Economy

Philadelphia needs an advocate for policies, laws and regulations that make a circular economy possible.

Right now, there are far too many policies, laws and regulations that either make it impossible to take circular actions or negatively affect a circular enterprise’s competitiveness. Whether it’s health code, building code, tax incentives or making producers pay the true environmental cost of their products, Circular Philadelphia works with lawmakers and regulators in transparent and ethical ways to change these policies and scale circular practices. We do not lobby for an individual enterprise’s interests. Instead, we advocate for collective action to level the playing field for circular enterprises.


Legislation

We work with Philadelphia and Pennsylvania lawmakers to identify key legislation that needs to be created or amended to allow for circular principles to be enacted.

Regulation

We work with Philadelphia and Pennsylvania regulators to ensure that circular enterprises can legally and fairly operate while also complying with our city and state regulations.

Institutional Policy

We work with enterprises, both corporations and small businesses, to assess their internal policies and ensure that every one of their employees is empowered to innovate toward greater circularity.


Policy Advocacy Initiatives

Illegally dumped construction debris on street in Philadelphia

Expanding Access for Construction Debris Recycling

By utilizing the City’s six public sanitation convenience centers to allow haulers to recycle small loads of construction and demolition waste, we can prevent illegal dumping and increase recycling in Philly. Through this initiative, we are working to make construction debris recycling more accessible to small haulers and residents in the city.

A pile of discarded wood waiting for recycling at Revolution Recovery

Construction and Demolition Recycling Legislation

According to the EPA, 40% of all material entering landfills nationwide is construction and demolition debris.C&D waste illegally dumped on vacant lots costs the city millions of dollars annually, and recycling these materials creates jobs, greens our neighborhoods, and grows our local economy. Together we can ensure that construction and demolition waste is properly recycled by creating smart legislation that works for everyone.

Plastic beverage cups with straws

Single-Use Plastic Legislation

Single-use plastics are one of the top environmental issues affecting our city and our planet. They litter our streets, leach chemicals into our food and clog our waterways. Through this policy initiative, we are working to limit their use in Philadelphia in favor of more circular products.

Photo of a vacant lot in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of Philadelphia. Photo: Katie Levesque

Vacant Land Activation

By creating a transparent and easy to use system for businesses that want to use vacant lots to increase economic opportunity and community groups that want to improve quality of life in neighborhoods, we can prevent illegal dumping and strengthen our city.

City Hall in Philadelphia

2023 Mayoral Platform for a Circular Economy in Philadelphia

Philadelphia’s next mayor and city council has an opportunity to grow the circular economy in Philadelphia in a way that works for all Philadelphians, but only if they make it a priority. We have developed a 5-point platform for the next mayor to transform how the city manages waste and materials to prioritize waste reduction, reuse and recovery over disposal. The platform sets the stage for the Philadelphia to drive forward an equitable, circular economy.

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Market Focus Areas

Built Environment
Food Systems
Textiles

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info@circularphiladelphia.org

 

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