What Is The Circular Bioeconomy?
- traceless
- 22 minutes ago
- 5 min read
traceless® expert Theo Tietjen on why it matters now more than ever
For most of human history, our economy was based on what nature could grow, renew, and regenerate.
Only recently did we switch to fossil resources, synthetic materials, and linear systems that create waste instead of cycles. Today, we are starting to question that shift, and that is where the bioeconomy comes in.
But what does the bioeconomy actually mean in practice? How does it differ from the circular economy? And what role does it play in Europe’s climate and industrial strategy?
To break it down, we sat down with Theo Tietjen, Strategy Projects Manager at traceless®.
Theo brings a bioeconomy perspective to complex questions around materials and industry. In this interview, he explains the basics in everyday words and shows why biological circularity could redefine how Europe produces, uses, and values materials.
Theo, when someone asks you, “So what exactly is the bioeconomy?”, how do you explain it in everyday words?
''In simple terms, the bioeconomy is an economy based on biological resources. It means producing the things we need in everyday life, such as materials, energy, fuels, chemicals, and food, using biomass.
What’s important to understand is that this is not a new idea. For most of human history, our economy was bio-based. We relied on plants, wood, and other natural resources to meet our needs. This changed only in recent history, when fossil resources and synthetic materials began to dominate how we produce and consume. The bioeconomy is about shifting value creation back to renewable, biological resources, but doing so with modern technology and industrial systems.''
How is the bioeconomy different from the economy we know today, and from the circular economy everyone talks about?
''The economy we know today largely follows a linear model. We take resources, make products, and eventually dispose of them as waste. This approach leads to pollution, climate impacts, and the depletion of natural resources.
The circular economy emerged as a response to this. Its goal is to design products and systems so materials stay in use for as long as possible. This can happen in technical cycles, such as recycling metals, or in biological cycles, where materials safely return to nature.
The bioeconomy focuses specifically on biological resources. But a bioeconomy on its own is not automatically sustainable. That is why the real goal is a circular bioeconomy. In a circular bioeconomy, products made from biomass are designed so they can be recycled by nature at the end of their life. Nature already does this perfectly. Everything that is produced ultimately becomes a nutrient for something new. There is no waste.''
Why are the circular bioeconomy and biological circularity important for the future of materials?
The future of materials is not about making everything bio-based. It’s about using materials in the right cycle.
Durable materials like steel, stone, or minerals belong in the technical cycle and should be reused and recycled over and over again. That part of the economy will remain essential.
The real problem is that today, many short-lived and disposable products are made from fossil-based plastics. These materials are designed to last forever, but are used only briefly and often end up in the environment, where they do not belong. This is where a circular economy that is largely reduced to recycling, as it is often interpreted in EU policy today, fails to address the real issue.
The circular bioeconomy addresses this mismatch. It replaces fossil-based value creation with materials designed for biological cycles. Biological circularity means that materials behave like natural nutrients at the end of their life. They break down safely and return to the soil without leaving persistent waste or microplastics.
This is why biological circularity is so important. It allows society to meet real needs with materials that fit into nature’s cycles, instead of working against them.
Why is the bioeconomy becoming such a big topic for Europe right now?
''Europe is facing several interconnected challenges, from climate change and biodiversity loss to pollution and resource dependency. With the European Green Deal, the EU has set one of the most ambitious sustainability agendas worldwide. The goal is climate neutrality, zero pollution, and the protection of ecosystems.
At the same time, the EU wants to remain economically competitive and resource-efficient. The circular bioeconomy directly supports these objectives. It can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, create new jobs, and deliver products that are safer for people and the environment. This is why the EU has recently updated its Bioeconomy Strategy.''
Where does traceless® fit into the circular bioeconomy?
traceless® produces a biomaterial based on biomass residues. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, and designed to replace fossil-based polymers.
Our material can take over functions that plastics currently serve, for example in packaging, coatings, or as binding materials. At the same time, it is designed for biological circularity. At the end of its life, it can return safely to nature without leaving harmful residues or microplastics behind.
Materials like traceless® form the foundation of a functioning circular bioeconomy. We will need many different bio-based materials to serve the wide range of products our society uses. traceless is one example of how fossil-based value creation can be replaced with solutions that work within natural systems.''
The EU recently updated its Bioeconomy Strategy. What does it get right, and what still needs to change?
''The updated Bioeconomy Strategy gets several important things right. It clearly recognizes the bioeconomy as a strategic growth area for Europe, highlights bio-based packaging and natural polymers as key lead markets, and strengthens important enablers such as sustainable feedstock availability and access to financing.
What is still missing is a clear and consistent focus on biological circularity across the wider policy framework. Natural polymers are not yet recognized as a new material category, and with that not yet clearly distinguished from plastics in waste and end-of-life regulations. This creates the risk of misalignment with key legislation such as the Circular Economy Act, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, and the Biotech Act.''
''If Europe wants the circular bioeconomy to succeed at scale, biological circularity needs to be embedded across all these frameworks. Natural polymers must be treated differently from fossil-based polymers, with biologically circular end-of-life pathways like composting and biogenic energy recovery clearly recognized. This is essential to closing the carbon loop, delivering real climate benefits, and solving the waste problem rather than shifting it.''
Looking ahead, what needs to happen next for Europe to truly lead in the global bioeconomy?
''First, the EU needs regulatory coherence. The Bioeconomy Strategy must be aligned with the Circular Economy Act, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, the Biotech Act, and waste legislation. This will create a predictable framework for scaling bio-based solutions.
Second, Europe needs to enable market growth and scale. Strategies must be translated into concrete measures, financing, and infrastructure that allow sustainable bio-based innovations to compete and grow within Europe.
If these conditions are met, Europe has a real chance to become a global leader in the circular bioeconomy.''
The shift to a circular bioeconomy is not something abstract or far away. It is already happening in policy, in industry, and in the materials we use every day. The real question is how quickly we choose to move, and in which direction.
Because if we want an economy that works within planetary boundaries, we need to choose the right materials for the right cycles and design solutions that fit into nature, instead of working against it. That is what biological circularity is all about.
If this topic made you curious, take a moment to look at the materials around you. Where do they come from, and where will they end up? And if you want to keep exploring what the circular bioeconomy can look like in practice, follow along as we share more insights, ideas, and real-world examples of how to build a future where pollution and waste are history.