The Circular Economy Game is a strategy game designed for businesses and residents to learn about organic material flows through the city. The game was initially implemented for the greater region of Amsterdam. It was also adapted to the Tuinen van West, an agricultural site in Amsterdam West, to focus on private organic waste management. The Circular Economy Game can be localized for your city.

The circular economy has no waste: all materials form an infinite technical or biological cycle. All energy comes from renewable sources and raw materials are used to generate value. The modular and flexible design of products and production chains increase the adaptability of systems. In the circular economy, we move from the possession of goods to the use of services. But what does it actually mean to be producing, distributing and consuming in a circular city? How can businesses and residents help accelerate circular transformation of their cities? And how can we raise awareness by facilitating an exchange of knowledge amongst experts, producers, distributors, and consumers?

Beyond the regional scale, the Circular Economy Game can also be tailored to a single district, bringing local business owners together to collaboratively manage their district’s resources. In February 2017, Play the City adapted the game for Tuinen van West, an urban-agricultural area in Amsterdam. All local businesses joined this simulation game to discuss a 400 hectare area of land and reach a common goal: more efficient organic waste management for Tuinen van West. Twenty-five companies were present in the session to put their business to the circularity test, among which were a dairy farm, beer brewery, restaurant, day care and cemetery. Players were surprised by the amount of waste produced by the flower bouquets and paper cups of the cemetery, so after the game local farmers, the adjacent business park, and the beer brewery joined forces to establish a hub where organic waste can be stored for large-scale composting and generating fertilizers.

This game was commissioned and developed in collaboration with Circle Economy and the University of Applied Sciences in Amsterdam. Game outcomes included contributions to the university’s research as well as stakeholder awareness of new technologies and strategies to become circular.