The World Resources Forum 2019 ‘Closing Loops – Transitions at work’ and the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM), will present inspiring keynotes and global sessions, challenging workshops and fascinating site visits in close collaboration with dozens of partners and stakeholders. All with one common goal: showing how to close the loop and make the transition towards a circular economy work.

The World Resources Forum 2019 puts its focus on closing resource loops and circular economy in practice, as a lever to achieve the Agenda 2030 commitments. The challenge we face of a low carbon and circular society is well known. With a view to the post-2020 era, WRF2019 takes stock of solutions and practices taking place in many parts of society to move from a linear and fossil to a circular and low carbon economy. Where are the opportunities, what works, what does not, and why?

ReFreeDrive’s vision of new alternative electric drivetrains free of rare earth elements, focused on materials that are widely available in Europe fits this commitment directly. Both technologies featured in this project make use of copper and steel. A greener, healthier and more sustainable future relies on copper. Its life is infinite—with no end phase—and it is essential across the fields of renewables, energy efficiency and electrified transport. As copper usage increases, it is essential to explore an event tighter loop of reclamation. This includes not only the most efficient reuse of the metal itself, but also the energy consumed through the metal’s life cycle. ReFreeDrive will take part in the “Copper and the Circular Economy: Challenges, Opportunities and Solutions” session, to be held on the 26th of February, and presented by Blanca Araujo, ReFreeDrive Project Coordinator. Want to meet us there? Get in touch with us!

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 770143