The Circular Award 2019 in the manufacturing category has been won by PaperWise. The awards are an initiative of Nederland Circulair! in collaboration with the government-wide program ‘The Netherlands Circular in 2050’. The awards are presented to the most iconic circular products or projects that demonstrate what a circular economy can mean for the Netherlands. With 120 entries, the competition was strong again this year. The circular economy is very much alive in the Netherlands, which was reflected in both the quantity and quality of the submissions.

The four characteristics of an iconic circular project were:

Circularity:
Maximum reusability of raw materials and materials; minimum value destruction of raw materials and materials; circular in terms of product, technology, and business model;

Scalability:
High impact or potential for it; scalable to the rest of the Netherlands and beyond; clear and appealing vision for a circular future;

Collaboration:
Projects at regional, sectoral, chain level or beyond; collaboration between companies and organizations from various disciplines;

Business model:
Financially sound business model; no (structural) need for subsidies.

According to the professional jury, PaperWise was the most appealing example in the manufacturing category based on the four established criteria and thus secured the victory. PaperWise is environmentally friendly and socially responsible paper & paperboard made from agricultural waste, with applications for office use, printing, and packaging materials.