Circular economy in action: Regional adaptation of global strategies. The case of Georgia. Leila Abdullina

of waste and their negative impacts on the environment [55]. The CE contributes to minimizing pollution and optimizing resource use. The second significant point refers to economic efficiency, which will be promoted by using secondary materials and waste recycling to decrease raw material costs and dependency on imports. Such aspects of social importance as creation of new jobs in recycling and ecological manufacturing contribute to the improvement of quality of life and development of local communities.

      The country of Canada is carrying out the transition to a CE through the establishment of recycling infrastructure, introducing production technologies using minimal waste, and raising public awareness. That is, the construction of new recycling facilities, especially those involved in processing plastics, metals, and organic waste, is to be supported, along with the encouragement of companies to make goods with longer lifespans and with potential for reuse. Key sectors where such changes are taking place include industrial manufacturing, which is introducing closed-loop material cycles, construction that actively uses recycled materials, and agriculture with the application of composting for organic waste reuse.

      Another unique feature of the Canadian way is the emphasis on energy-efficient homes. Because of the northern climate, Canadian homes use a lot of energy. The home and building sectors account for 13% of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions. This figure increases to 18% when electricity is used for cooling, lighting, and household appliances. To this end, the government has pledged to spend $2,6 billion over seven years starting from 2020—2021 to support homeowners in improving the energy efficiency of their homes. Up to 700,000 grants of up to $5,000 are also being provided to support households make energy-efficient changes to their homes.

      The transition to the CE brings tremendous economic benefits. According to Efficiency Canada, in 2018, more than 436,000 jobs related to energy efficiency were created yearly, at an annual growth rate projection of 8% year on year [56]. Between 2017 and 2030, energy efficiency measures would raise British Columbia’s average yearly GDP by $3,8 billion and create an average annual of 18,300 jobs. In Saskatchewan, an average of 3,400 jobs will be created annually, and GDP will increase by an average of $800 million per year. In Ontario, GDP will increase by an average of $12,5 billion, with 52,900 jobs created annually, and in PEI, GDP will rise by $200 million, with 1,500 new jobs.

      A reduction in the volume going into landfills reduces waste management and storage costs, thereby improving economic benefits. For instance, closed-loop recycling cycles at mines enable the reutilization of by-products and reduce environmental costs, thus giving the economy more resilience.

      Some accelerators help Canada move toward the CE. Legal actions like adopting laws that promote recycling. In 2016, the national program framework was built, which included detailed measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and these are foreseen to be reduced by 227 million tons until the year 2030. Investments by public and private sectors in recycling infrastructure and innovative technologies facilitate this acceleration of changes. It is expected that in the coming years there will be an increase in the number of jobs in the clean economy in Canada (fig.14).

      Figure 14. New сlean economy jobs by industry, 2022 to 2032 [57]