Our Circular Economy Action Plan

Our Circular Economy Action Plan complements our Council Plan’s commitment to building a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable city for all our residents, to grow a diverse and sustainable economy and work towards net zero.

Our objectives are:

  1. Maximise council influence to drive circular demand.
  2. Build strategic partnerships for greater impact.
  3. Create the right conditions for circular business growth.
  4. Influence regional and national policy to unlock circular economy opportunities.

More information

View our Brighton & Hove Circular Economy Route Map.

Learn more about the Circular Economy.

Objective 1: Maximise council influence to drive circular demand

Sector: Food

Action: 1. Create opportunities for local, regenerative food producers or those who want to farm in ways that are better for the environment and build the supply chain infrastructure that they can tap into.

Delivery timeframe: Short, medium and long-term.

Outcome: Increased adoption of regenerative farming practices, leading to improved soil and water health, increased biodiversity (linking to City Downland Estate Plan), and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Greater public awareness and support for regenerative farming methods.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • South Downs National Park
  • Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • Brighton & Hove City Council’s tenant farmers

Sector: Food

Action: 2. Reduce household and commercial food waste through the delivery of food waste prevention actions included in the city-wide Food Strategy (2025 to 2030), including the introduction of weekly food waste collections for all households across the city by April 2026.

Delivery timeframe: Short and medium-term.

Outcome 1: Diversion of organic waste from incineration to recycling, improved soil quality, and increased opportunities for local food growing.

Outcome 2: Cost savings for households and redistribution of surplus food to emergency food services.

Outcome 3: Cost savings for food businesses through more efficient use of food resources and reduced disposal costs.

Economic challenges met:

  • improving affordability
  • reducing social inequality
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (Environmental Services)
  • Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
  • Sussex FareShare
  • foodbanks and foodhubs
  • community kitchens

Sector: Built environment

Action: 3. Ensure developments are built to high sustainability and environmental standards and are designed and constructed in line with circular economy principles in construction.

Delivery timeframe: Short, medium and long-term.

Outcome 1: As part of preparing the City Plan 2041, options for the circular economy and whole life carbon requirements of development proposals are explored

Outcome 2: On all new build council housing and major projects, circular economy opportunity assessments are carried out at the feasibility and throughout early design stages with the aim of circulating elements at their highest value. The reused and recycled content in new build council housing is measured and reported, aiming for 20% of all materials by weight. Materials recoverable at the end of the building’s life are measured and reported, aiming for 50% of all materials by 2025 and 60% by 2030. Sustainability outcomes are set based on industry best practice, and whole life carbon assessments are undertaken on all council new build housing and major projects to support designers to choose materials, systems, designs, and methods to meet outcomes.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (local planning authority)
  • developers, including Brighton & Hove City Council
  • Brighton & Hove City Council contractors

Sector: Built environment

Action: 4. Pilot reclamation audits and deconstruction of existing buildings for new build council housing projects, using reclaimed materials on site wherever possible.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome: Pilot projects demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of reclaiming materials from deconstructed buildings at their highest value and support skills development in methods of deconstruction.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (Regeneration)
  • Brighton & Hove City Council contractors
  • SEEH4C

Sector: Built environment

Action: 5. Continue to invest in preventative maintenance programmes to extend the life of highway assets. Monitor and review new carbon reduction innovations through the network of national and regional bodies that have been set up to share best practice, such as the Local Government Technical Advisers Group and Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG).

Delivery timeframe: Short, medium and long-term.

Outcome: Preventative maintenance and innovative pilot projects that result in longer-lasting infrastructure, lower lifecycle costs and reduced environmental impact.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (Highways)
  • Brighton & Hove contractors
  • Local Government Technical Advisers Group
  • Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG)

Sector: Built environment

Action: 6. Continue to explore opportunities to embed the principles of the circular economy and other low-carbon approaches to highway design and implementation as part of the procurement of new and existing call-off contracts.

Delivery timeframe: Short, medium and long-term.

Outcome: The Civil Engineering Design & Transport Planning Services Framework is renewed to ensure capital and operational carbon reduction is considered at the design stages of construction projects through lean design, designing for longevity, flexibility/adaptability and improved material selection. Contractors are required to reduce, monitor and report embodied carbon in transport projects and maintenance programmes.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (Highways)
  • Brighton & Hove City Council contractors
  • SEEH4C

Sector: Water

Action: 7. Develop and begin delivery of a sustainable drainage implementation plan using nature-based solutions to replenish and protect groundwater resources.

Delivery timeframe: Short and medium-term.

Outcome: A sustainable drainage implementation plan is developed and executed, protecting highways and properties from surface water flooding and extreme weather events. This plan also safeguards the chalk aquifer and creates natural habitats for local species, enhancing environmental resilience and biodiversity.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (Highways)
  • Brighton & Hove City Council contractors
  • Environment Agency
  • Southern Water
  • SEEH4C
  • OCOW
  • University of Sussex

Sector: All sectors

Action: 8. Require the use of the council’s Specification writing Tool for Environmental Procurement on all procurements over £1m and monitor the tool’s use and impact on tenders.

Delivery timeframe: Short, medium and long-term.

Outcome: An increasing share of council contracts contains circular economy requirements. This will minimise waste and reduce the material and carbon footprint of council services, as well as promote sustainable procurement practices among local suppliers.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (Procurement, All Service Areas)

Sector: All sectors

Action: 9. Improve the recycling offer of the council’s commercial waste management service and increase the number of materials being recycled.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome: Local businesses are better supported in their efforts to divert waste from landfill and incineration.

Economic challenges met:

  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (Environment Services)

Sector: Climate action

Action: 10. Explore opportunities to create circular use of green waste produced within the city.

Delivery timeframe: Short and medium-term.

Outcome: Green waste diverted from high-emission scenario processing to create a carbon-negative product.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (Net Zero and City Parks)

Sector: Climate action

Action: 11. Deliver the council’s Climate & Nature Action Plan and associated deliverables on reducing waste and consumption emissions.

Delivery timeframe: Short, medium and long-term.

Outcome: Reduced city-wide greenhouse gas emissions. Support the city in transitioning to climate resilience. Restored local nature.

Economic challenges met:

  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (Net Zero and City Parks, Regeneration, Housing, Schools, Transport, Waste)
  • Living Coast UNESCO Biosphere

Objective 2: Build strategic partnerships for greater impact

Sector: Textiles

Action: 12. Establish a city-wide Circular Textiles Forum.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome: Circular textiles actions are identified and progressed in collaboration to support the development of this growth sector.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • improving affordability
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • Sew Fabulous
  • Smarter Uniforms
  • SEEH4C
  • University of Brighton

Sector: Food

Action: 13. Update the council’s Good Food Buying Standards and increase anchor institute membership of the Good Food Procurement Group.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome: Enhanced Good Food Buying Standards lead to healthier, more sustainable food procurement across the city. Increased membership in the Good Food Procurement Group results in coordinated efforts to eliminate food waste, benefiting public health and the environment through reduced waste and better nutrition.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
  • large food procurers, including Brighton & Hove City Council, Sussex NHS Trust, universities, further education institutes, and other large food procurers such as care homes and events venues

Sector: All sectors

Action: 14. Build new knowledge partnerships between academia, public and private sector bodies.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome: Stronger collaborations between academia and public and private sector bodies will foster innovation and knowledge exchange, enabling the development and application of emerging technologies, including AI, to advance circular practices. These partnerships will unlock new business opportunities, support data-driven decision-making, and accelerate scalable solutions for a more sustainable and resilient local economy.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • local universities and FE institutes
  • Brighton Chamber of Commerce
  • Plus X Innovation
  • Sussex Innovation
  • Clean Growth Innovation Hub
  • Circular Brighton & Hove
  • SEEH4C
  • Brighton AI

Sector: All sectors

Action: 15. Formalise a CircularInnovation Consortium to design and deliver innovation challenges linked to city priorities (e.g. construction reuse, local manufacturing, food systems).

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome: Creates a structured workstream for piloting and scaling circular solutions, strengthens city capacity to attract external funding, and builds cross-sector innovation capability.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • optimising commercial spaces
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • Plus X Innovation
  • University of Brighton
  • University of Sussex
  • Brighton Chamber of Commerce
  • Circular Brighton & Hove

Sector: All sectors

Action: 16. University of Brighton Southeast Remanufacturing Catalyst (CaRE) to support businesses in the South-East region to accelerate net zero and circular economy ambitions through incorporating remanufacturing and value retention processes.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome 1: Improved understanding of VRP status in the Brighton and Hove region to facilitate policy making in the region.

Outcome 2: Increased demand for remanufactured products/goods through awareness-raising, training, social media promotion and information presentation (cost, emission, risk) for informed decision making.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • University of Brighton
  • all CaRE partners

Sector: All sectors

Action: 17. Work with communities to develop and promote circular living initiatives which also improve social, environmental, and economic well-being.

Delivery timeframe: Short and medium-term.

Outcome 1: Increased demand for circular products and services, participation in community-led circular economy initiatives, and community cohesion.

Outcome 2: Cost of living support through the promotion of third sector initiatives such as repair cafes, free/low-cost borrowing schemes, food redistribution and community cafes.

Economic challenges met:

  • improving affordability
  • reducing social inequality
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Trust for Developing Communities
  • SEEH4C
  • Circular Brighton & Hove
  • Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
  • The Living Coast UNESCO Biosphere
  • Our City, Our World (OCOW)
  • University of Sussex

Objective 3: Create the right conditions for circular business growth

Sector: All sectors

Action: 18. Continue to support SME adoption of circular solutions and work with partners to strengthen the local circular business support offer, drawing on insights from the baseline assessment and best practices to address barriers to circular adoption.

Delivery timeframe: Short and medium-term.

Outcome: This support facilitates the adoption of circular economy practices, leading to reduced waste, increased resource efficiency, and enhanced business sustainability.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton Chamber of Commerce
  • Business & IP Centre
  • Growth Hub
  • SEEH4C
  • Plus X Innovation
  • Sussex Innovation
  • University of Sussex
  • Clean Growth Innovation Hub (University of Brighton)
  • Brighton B Local

Sector: All sectors

Action: 19. Explore funding and development opportunities to create additional circular economy hubs.

Delivery timeframe: Short and medium-term.

Outcome: The development of circular economy hubs provides dedicated spaces for start-ups, secondary material commerce, research, education and events. These hubs become innovation centres, fostering collaboration and supporting the growth of circular economy initiatives within the city.

Economic challenges met:

  • optimising commercial spaces
  • improving affordability
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • SEEH4C
  • University of Brighton
  • University of Sussex

Sector: All sectors

Action: 20. Raise the profile of the circular economy within the local green skills agenda.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome: Education and training providers are encouraged to explore an expanded definition of ‘green skills’ to include those needed to extend the life and reduce the environmental impact of materials and goods designed, consumed and/or disposed of in Brighton & Hove. Opportunities to expand the local circular economy training offer are explored through new and existing fora.

Economic challenges met:

  • reducing social inequality
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • education and training providers
  • Sussex Chambers LSIP
  • Brighton B Local

Sector: All sectors

Action: 21. Facilitate industrial symbiosis initiatives suchas the South East Circular Hub funded by Horizon Europe 2024.

Delivery timeframe: Short, medium and long-term.

Outcome: Businesses exchange rather than dispose of valuable by-products and waste materials that can be used as inputs into other industrial processes, lowering material costs and creating new revenue streams.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • SEEH4C (Tech-Takeback, Kent County Council, Claire Potter Design, and Ecowise)

Sector: All sectors

Action: 22. Establish a circular economy event showcasing local circular economy solutions, bringing together business innovations, green skills access and community initiatives.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome: The event creates a platform for local businesses, communities and educational institutions to showcase their circular economy initiatives, facilitating peer learning and knowledge exchange. This exposure enables the adoption of best practices, drives innovation, and strengthens the local circular economy network.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton MET
  • Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
  • Circular Brighton & Hove
  • Brighton Chamber of Commerce
  • Plus X Innovation
  • University of Sussex
  • Clean Growth Innovation Hub (University of Brighton)
  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • SEEH4C
  • Trust for Developing Communities

Sector: All sectors

Action: 23. Implement circular economy learning and action in schools through the Our City, Our World (OCOW) environmental education programme.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome 1: Enhanced awareness and engagement of students in circular economy practices, fostering a generation of environmentally conscious individuals and increased demand for circular products and services.

Outcome 2: Waste minimisation in schools and school participation in sustainable food systems.

Outcome 3: Skills.

Economic challenges met:

  • reducing social inequality
  • advancing economic sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Our City, Our World (OCOW)
  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • Brighton Schools
  • School meal providers
  • Brighton & Hove Food Partnership
  • The Real Junk Food Project
  • Farm School

Objective 4: Influence regional and national policy to unlock circular economy opportunities

Sector: Government

Action: 24. Explore with neighbouring authorities the development of a regional Circular Economy Routemap.

Delivery timeframe: Medium term.

Outcome: A regional Circular Economy Routemap developed with input from national and international experts, aligned with the national Circular Economy Growth Plan.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • improving affordability
  • reducing social inequality
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Neighbouring authorities
  • DEFRA Circular Economy Taskforce and Pathfinders

Sector: All sectors

Action: 25. Baseline circular business activity and identify circular economy infrastructure needs and growth sectors for the region.

Delivery timeframe: Short-term.

Outcome: Unlock opportunities for regional economic growth, decoupled from material consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, waste and pollution.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • University of Brighton
  • University of Sussex
  • SOENECS

Sector: All sectors

Action: 26. Support the expansion of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to reduce waste at source.

Delivery timeframe: Short and medium-term.

Outcome: Engage and respond to central government consultation, clearly demonstrating support for policy improvements that reduce consumption and waste at source.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness

Delivery partners:

  • Brighton & Hove City Council
  • EMF
  • WRAP

Sector: Government

Action: 27. Engage with national and international circular economy experts to identify policy improvements at local, regional, and national levels, ensuring that the policy landscape maximises the benefits of circular economy transitions for Brighton & Hove.

Delivery timeframe: Short, medium and long-term.

Outcome: Growth opportunities for local academic, design and tech sectors secured through a strengthened policy focus on waste prevention and targeted intervention at the design and use stages of product lifecycles.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • optimising commercial spaces
  • improving affordability
  • reducing social inequality
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • national government departments
  • Circular Brighton & Hove
  • ReLondon
  • Ellen MacArthur Foundation
  • Clean Growth Innovation Hub (University of Brighton)
  • University of Sussex

Sector: All sectors

Action: 28. Drive policy and investment in circular skills and jobs, advocating for policies and investment that expand workforce training, support job creation and develop skills for emerging circular industries.

Delivery timeframe: Short and medium-term.

Economic challenges met:

  • enhancing economic competitiveness
  • reducing social inequality
  • advancing environmental sustainability

Delivery partners:

  • Future Skills Sussex Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP)
  • SEEH4C