Press releases

• NRW Environment Minister Oliver Krischer gives the green light for the Circular City Hub and the Urban Mining Hub.
• This involves a fundamental shift in thinking about how we use and recycle equipment, materials, and building materials.
• About 300 people from the academic, business, political, and administrative sectors, as well as the broader community, are gathering at the C-Werk for the kickoff event.

Repair the toaster instead of throwing it away. Exchange the garment instead of discarding it. Reuse the building material instead of disposing of it. There are so many ways to act sustainably, both on a small and large scale. A double milestone for climate protection was reached on Monday (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,” marked the kickoff of European Circular Week 2026. At the same time, the local Circular Week Aachen was launched at the “C-Werk” in Rothe Erde.

Time for Things to Start Moving
: What Does the Circular Economy Mean for Aachen and the Euregio Meuse-Rhine Today? How Do We Move from a European Perspective to Local Implementation? These and many other questions were discussed.

NRW Environment Minister Oliver Krischer, together with Aachen’s Deputy Mayor Ulla Griepentrog, opened the two hubs in Aachen. “With this project, Aachen exemplifies the innovative strength of our state,” said Krischer, praising the local commitment. About 300 people from academia, business, politics, government, and the broader community had gathered at the C-Werk. The Environment Minister offered them this parting thought: “The circular economy is not just environmental policy; above all, it is modern industrial policy, it is regional development policy, and it is resilience policy.” As Krischer pointed out in his official opening address, the linear approach to materials and raw materials that has prevailed until now is increasingly reaching its limits—including geopolitical ones.

Aachen’s Deputy Mayor, Ulla Griepentrog, shifted the focus to the local level: “We have to take the initiative and take action here!” She said it wasn’t enough to just look to the federal and state governments. Griepentrog was all the more pleased to “sense a desire for change in Aachen.”

Patron and Mayor of Aachen Dr. Michael Ziemons had previously addressed the audience in a video message: “Aachen is a city that proves every day that boundaries don’t matter. Especially here, where people are working on the future—going beyond the limits of what we think we know—that’s exactly where it’s worth driving forward the topics of circularity and urban mining. We’re already on the right track here in the city and are demonstrating in very practical terms what that means.” The academic and business communities in Aachen have long been exploring new avenues. The city administration is leading the way with these two hubs, providing space for ideas and growing networks, and thereby making the circular economy increasingly concrete and tangible for people.

“In my opinion, there are therefore few cities in Germany that are as well-suited to this issue,” said Heiko Thomas, Aachen’s deputy mayor for climate and environment, municipal services, and buildings.

Bringing
Sustainability to Life At the “C-Werk,” a hall on the former Continental site, a space has now been created where sustainability comes to life. The project addresses topics such as circular construction and raw material sovereignty as well as economic factors—a physical space for collaboration, experimentation, and practical solutions to recycle valuable building materials and keep raw materials in the cycle. On Monday, several discussion panels and expert sessions shed light on the various aspects of the circular economy. The event, like the entire project, was organized by Aachen City Services and the city’s building management department in cooperation with the think-and-do-tank CSCP and Concular GmbH.

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). The opening event marked 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 to help attendees move from listening to getting involved.

On October 25, the German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) had already awarded 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, founders and managing directors of the company Membion. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier presented the award during a ceremony at the Eurogress in Aachen.

Additional Events and Activities
: 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. On the city’s side, the lead organizers were the City Operations Department, represented by Circular Impact Manager Anna Agtas, and Rémi Buscot, the project manager for the Urban Mining Hub within the city’s building management division. 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.

The recycling center in Eilendorf also recently introduced a new “surprise box.” People can drop off items there 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.