Friday, January 23rd, 2026
On 9 December 2025, ALICE and POLIS jointly organised the members-only webinar “From Movers to Enablers: the role of logistics in circular supply chains”. The session brought together logistics experts, researchers and city representatives to explore how logistics service providers can move beyond traditional transport roles and become key enablers of circular economy models.
The webinar focused on the growing importance of reverse logistics in enabling reuse, repair, refurbishment and high-value recycling. As cities face increasing pressure on space, resources and emissions, participants discussed how circular supply chains require fundamentally different logistics systems – with greater coordination, better data, and long-term system design rather than isolated pilots.
Walter Ploos van Amstel (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences) opened the discussion by presenting insights from research on e-waste and circular logistics. He highlighted that large volumes of valuable materials are currently lost due to fragmented return systems and weak incentives within existing take-back and producer responsibility frameworks. Drawing on lessons from multiple European projects, he stressed that urban collection alone is insufficient: circular logistics must be designed end-to-end, starting from the destination – whether repair, reuse or recycling – and working backwards to define the required reverse supply chain. He also emphasised the growing strategic role of logistics orchestration, data, and planning in ensuring predictable, high-quality reverse flows.
The second presentation by Britta Peters (Hamburg Institute of Innovation, Climate Protection and Circular Economy) introduced the Interreg NS Region’s MoloHubs project, which explores how neighbourhood-scale, multi-functional hubs can enable circular practices in everyday urban life. Through pilots in five pilot regions: Aalborg, Amsterdam, Borås, Hamburg, and Mechelen, MoloHubs combines shared mobility, parcel logistics and circular drop-off services – such as reuse, repair and waste separation – in locations close to where people live. Britta underlined that successful hubs must be adaptable to local context, governance and behaviour, and that modular, flexible solutions are more effective than one-size-fits-all models.
During the moderated discussion, participants reflected on the role of regulation, particularly Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), as both a driver and a challenge for circular logistics. Questions also addressed data governance and the risk that future value in reverse logistics could be captured by dominant platforms unless trusted governance frameworks are established. Speakers agreed that collaboration between cities, logistics providers, producers and policymakers is essential to scale circular supply chains and align investments with long-term objectives.
The webinar concluded with a shared message: circular supply chains will not scale through incremental adjustments to existing logistics models. Instead, they require systemic redesign, new roles for logistics service providers, and closer integration between urban logistics, data, infrastructure and behavioural change. Through their ongoing collaboration, ALICE and POLIS will continue supporting members in advancing scalable, resilient and circular logistics solutions across Europe.
The full workshop report, including detailed figures, policy recommendations, and a complete record of the discussion, is available exclusively to ALICE members via the Knowledge Platform.