Ellen MacArthur Foundation finds circular economy policies largely overlook bio-based materials
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “Circular by Nature” report finds 13 national circular economy strategies largely ignore bio-based materials.
Photo by DS stories on Pexels
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation published “Circular by Nature: A Policy Agenda for Bio-Based Materials in a Circular Economy” on June 10, 2026, a bio-based materials circular economy report analyzing 13 national circular economy strategies and 18 bio-based materials policy frameworks worldwide. The report concludes the two policy agendas “run in parallel but rarely intersect,” leaving what the foundation and trade press have called a policy blind spot. The European Commission’s European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform presented the report at an “EU Circular Talk” webinar on July 15, 2026, describing the session as the report’s European launch.
What counts as a bio-based material
The foundation defines bio-based materials as those “derived from renewable biological resources and used in durable applications,” specifically naming wood, pulp and paper, natural textile fibres, rubber and leather, and applying the category to construction, furniture, fashion and automotive uses. The report explicitly excludes consumable biological resources such as food, fuels and cosmetics from that definition. Trade outlet Just Style reported on July 14, 2026 that the report states circular economy policies “remain largely silent on upstream land-use pressures, biodiversity impacts and nutrient cycles” tied to producing these materials – a gap the foundation argues limits both agendas’ effectiveness.
| Report scope | Figure |
|---|---|
| National circular economy strategies analyzed | 13 |
| Bio-based materials policy frameworks analyzed | 18 |
| Policy pillars recommended | 5 |
| Publication date | June 10, 2026 |
| EU launch webinar | July 15, 2026 |
Five pillars to connect the two policy agendas
The report sets out five policy pillars intended to bring circular economy and bio-based materials policy together: designing for circularity with regeneration as a core standard; enabling safe and effective material circulation, including reviewing waste classifications that push bio-based materials into low-value treatment prematurely; promoting suitable financial and economic incentives, including redirecting agricultural subsidies and using eco-modulated extended producer responsibility; investing in innovation, skills and infrastructure, from biorefineries to composting facilities; and collaborating across institutions, sectors and borders on shared standards. Resource Media’s June 12, 2026 coverage and Just Style’s July 14, 2026 report both reproduced the pillars in near-identical wording, with no discrepancies found between the two.
European Commission hosts the report’s EU launch
“EU Circular Talks” is a recurring webinar series run by the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, described on its own event page as a joint initiative of the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee. Its July 15, 2026 session, held online from 13:00 to 14:00 CEST, was billed as the European launch of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s report, more than a month after the report’s original June 10, 2026 publication. The report was prepared with input from the Latin America and Caribbean Circular Economy Coalition, according to Just Style, indicating the foundation is positioning the findings for policy audiences beyond Europe as well.
The report builds on approaches Winss Solutions has covered in circular economy strategies for small and medium-sized businesses and in coverage of broader sustainability trends to watch in 2025 and 2026, extending the circularity discussion from individual businesses and consumer habits to the national policy level.
About the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation was established in 2010 by British sailor Dame Ellen MacArthur, following her round-the-world sailing career, and is based in Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK. The foundation works to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, partnering with businesses, academia and policymakers to develop and promote circular economy principles globally. Its past initiatives include the New Plastics Economy, launched in 2016 to build a circular economy for plastics, and Make Fashion Circular, launched in 2017 to redesign the fashion industry away from a take-make-dispose model. “Circular by Nature” extends that work from plastics and fashion into the policy frameworks governing wood, natural fibres, rubber and leather, arguing that national governments need to treat circular economy and bio-based materials policy as one connected agenda rather than two separate tracks.
Sources: Ellen MacArthur Foundation; European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform; Just Style; Resource Media
Featured image: photo by DS stories on Pexels (free Pexels license).
For more on this topic, see our explainer on what a digital product passport actually contains, and which products are first.
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
