Press releases

A double milestone for climate protection will be reached on October 26 in Aachen: The opening of the Circular City Hub, known as the “Kreislauf-WIRK-Statt,” and the Urban Mining Hub, the “Bau-WIRK-Statt,” will kick off European Circular Week 2026 and simultaneously mark the start of the local Circular Week Aachen.

At the “C-Werk,” a hall on the former Continental site, a space is taking shape where sustainability comes to life. The project addresses topics such as circular construction and raw material sovereignty, as well as economic factors. “We are creating a physical space for collaboration, experimentation, and practical solutions to recycle valuable building materials and keep raw materials in the cycle,” explains Heiko Thomas, Director of Climate and Environment, Municipal Operations, and Buildings for the City of Aachen.

The project is being carried out by Aachen City Services and the city's building management department in cooperation with the think-and-do tank CSCP and Concular GmbH, and will be launched by Oliver Krischer, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of the Environment.

The “KreislaufWIRKstatt Aachen” project is funded as part of the call for proposals “Circular Economy – CircularCities.NRW” by the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Transportation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Union, using funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Aachen’s Mayor, Dr. Michael Ziemons, has assumed patronage of the project. “Aachen is a city that proves every day that boundaries don’t matter. Especially here, where people are working on the future, pushing beyond the limits of what we think we know, it’s worth advancing the topics of circularity and urban mining. Here in Aachen, we’re demonstrating in a very practical way what that means. After all, the circular economy is a smart solution and, on many different levels, an important investment in our future.”

The opening event marks the start of a week dedicated to rethinking sustainability and bringing it to life. At the C-Werk, designers will showcase fashion made from recycled materials, while the “Market of Possibilities” will present innovative business models and provide inspiration for moving from listening to taking action. “We want to shape social change and highlight ways in which sustainability can be integrated into everyday life,” says Heiko Thomas.

On the eve of the ceremony, October 25, the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) will award the German Environmental Prize, worth a total of 500,000 euros, to Hamburg-based environmental lawyer Dr. Roda Verheyen and membrane filter engineer Dr. Klaus Vossenkaul, founder and managing director of the company Membion. The award will be presented by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at a ceremony in Aachen.

Helping to Shape Sustainability

Circular Week Aachen was organized in cooperation with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) and the Center for Circular Economy at RWTH Aachen University; an overview of all events is available on the website: www.circularcityaachen.de.

The Aachen City Services toy swap offers a hands-on experience with sustainability: This free event will take place on Wednesday, October 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Rotunda at the Elisenbrunnen. Children can bring toys they no longer play with and trade them for other toys. Registration for the swap event is not required. Anyone who wants to participate can simply bring their toys to the Elisenbrunnen. Stuffed animals are not accepted for hygiene reasons.

A new “Wunderkiste” is currently being set up at the recycling center in Eilendorf. People can drop off items here that are no longer needed but are still in good condition. In keeping with the motto “Give away instead of throwing away,” these items are preserved and can be reused.