Lithuania maps circular innovation opportunities in key sectors

A new analysis by Innovation Agency Lithuania maps the country’s value chains and highlights three sectors with significant circular economy potential: textiles, plastics, and renewable energy technologies. However, weak recycling infrastructure, limited cooperation among industries, and insufficient circular procurement continue to hinder progress. By pinpointing where Lithuania’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and how they could connect across borders, the analysis will help shape upcoming sub-missions and pilots within the European Circular Economy Innovation Valley (ECIV) project. 

Textiles in Lithuania generate about 47 000 tonnes of waste annually, most of it unrecyclable, while plastics remain a dominant waste stream with much exported due to low domestic processing capacity. Meanwhile, Lithuania’s solar capacity has surged nearly 30-fold in five years, creating a growing stock of photovoltaic panels that pose future recycling challenges. The report recommends pilot projects in key sectors, the creation of a national circular economy platform, and the integration of circular criteria into procurement and planning. 

Source: www.eciv.eu