Rotterdam, circular city.

Rotterdam is known as a city of doers, pioneers and for its “talk less, do more” mentality. Where every day many people, companies and institutions work together to help each other, and the city move forward. Experimenting is not shunned, rather embraced. Innovation is not scary, it is like the blood that runs through the veins of the enterprising Rotterdammer.

A circular city is a self-regulating city in which raw materials, water, energy and waste are dealt with in a smart and efficient way. The major challenges of today and tomorrow are about sustainability, energy transition and the development of a new, circular economy. Rotterdam is very ambitious on these topics and likes to play a pioneering role. For example, the Maasstad has set the goal that circularity will be the norm by 2030. By 2050, the urban economy should be fully circular.

But how do we do that, how do we change from a traditional linear economy to a circular economy where production and consumption are perfectly aligned and waste no longer exists? There is no one-size-fits-all answer, not even a simple solution. The development of a circular society is a process of joint learning and discovery, trial and error, the courage to stick your neck out and, above all, the passion and will to move forward. Even if the road is a bumpy one. Because together we want to make our city better, more beautiful, healthier, smarter and more honest and because we are striving for a sustainable future.

In April, we will launch a magazine on this page who shows how Rotterdam thinks and acts when it comes to circularity. What is the role of the port? How does sustainability and circularity play a role in events and festivals? What do BlueCity and RDM have to do with it? What about Erasmus MC? Are we heading in the right direction at all?
This magazine not only answers these questions, but you will also find information and inspiration about Rotterdam sheep, a floating farm, responsible beer and a company who makes beautiful things from city wood.