\label{utrecht-province}
The province of Utrecht has a number of projects towards a more sustainable future. These projects are bundled in a sustainability strategy called Utrecht 2040 \cite{Utrecht2040_2014}. This strategy consists of a network, established in 2008, bundles comercial industry, governments and social organisasions. Its key projects are a transisionpathway towards 10% sustainable energy in 2020, an integral development of the A12 zone, counteracting empty buildings, a reduction of CO2 and energy usage in exsisting buildings, electrical commuting and green area development.
Recycling and upcycling are notably absent in these key projects. A pathway towards a circular economy or circular waste management has not (yet) been agreed upon - instead the province focusses on a more anthropological view on sustainability. While this is certainly an important aspect of sustainability it does not paint the entire picture.
It should be noted that recycling is absent in the province. Besides a number of shops buying and selling second hand clothing, furniture et cetera (called ’kringloopwinkels’), the province takes care of central waste collection points at which recycling takes place, also most places future waste seperation possibilities, allowing for plastics and glass to be recycled and organic waste to be composted. These opportunities for a reduction of outflow of waste from the system often happen autonomously or are regulated by national or local regulation. If the province of Utrecht were to set challenging targets in this field this could potentially have major impacts on the provinces waste flows.
The Utrecht Sustainability Institute has set up the project ’Circular Economy Labs’, intended to give the circular economy a significant place on the agenda in a number of key sectors \cite{USI_2014}. So far it has not been implemented in the province’s major targets.