The Circular Economy in Jyväskylä, Finland

Jyväskylä, the regional capital of Central Finland, is characterised by a strong nature conservation identity, as well as a business driven spirit. The region is well known for its four national parks and leadership in innovation and business development. Jyväskylä’s circular economy is framed into a broader “resource-wise approach”, whereby the use of natural resources, raw materials, energy, products and services should take into consideration well-being and sustainable development goals. Within this framework, the city has implemented several circular economy projects since 2013, issued its first Resource-wise Roadmap in 2014, and established the Resource-wise Jyväskylä 2040 Programme in 2019, which was updated in 2022. However, governance challenges remain, including capacity issues for the public administration to translate strategies into practices, scalability of circular projects and financial sustainability over time. This scan provides policy recommendations to accelerate Jyväskylä’s circular transition. It applies the OECD 3Ps framework — People and Firms, Policies, and Places — to enhance the city’s approach to circular economy governance and implementation.