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Papers by Joonas Alaranta

Journal of Environmental Law & Policy

In recent years, transitioning to a more circular economy has been introduced as a policy objecti... more In recent years, transitioning to a more circular economy has been introduced as a policy objective in many jurisdictions across the globe with a view to achieving a sustainable society. However, the increasing attention paid to this issue has so far not led to a large-scale transformation of production processes and consumption. Instead, many circular economy innovations have remained niche and have not become the mainstream solutions. A plethora of regulatory, market, cultural and technological barriers limit the demand for, and consequently wide-scale adoption of, circular solutions. This article examines the potential offered by regulatory demand-pull instruments to overcome such barriers and to mainstream circular economy solutions. In particular, the article investigates innovative demand-pull instruments that have been used in various jurisdictions globally. This article analyses the instruments according to their types – i.e., command-and-control measures, economic incentive...

European Journal of Risk Regulation

Both the waste regulation and chemicals regulation of the European Union are based on the precaut... more Both the waste regulation and chemicals regulation of the European Union are based on the precautionary principle. The main objective of the chemicals regulation is to protect human health and the environment from the risk caused by hazardous chemicals. The modern waste regulation aims, among other things, at fostering the recovery of waste. These material circulation aims have been recently emphasised by introducing the ambitious circular economy objectives. Many of the waste streams contain hazardous substances that may pose risks to human health and the environment. This article examines the role of the precautionary principle in the circular economy. We argue that sustainable material circulation can only be achieved through a case-by-case application of the precautionary principle, but this also requires participatory discourse in which competing arguments, beliefs and values are openly discussed.

EU:n ympäristöalan rahoitusväline Life on toiminut Suomessa vuodesta 1995 rahoittaen suurimpia ka... more EU:n ympäristöalan rahoitusväline Life on toiminut Suomessa vuodesta 1995 rahoittaen suurimpia kansallisia ympäristönsuojeluhankkeita.Tässä raportissa tarkastellaan Life-rahoituksen toimintaa Suomessa arvioimalla sen hankkeiden toteutumista ja pohtimalla seuraavan seitsenvuotisen rahoituskauden 2014–20 asettamia tulevaisuuden haasteita. Raportin ensimmäinen osa tarkastelee, kuinka hyvin maassamme vuosina 1995-2010 toteutuneet Life-hankkeet ovat onnistuneet. Tarkoitus on ymmärtää Life-hankkeiden laajempi merkitys kansallisesti, erityisesti 1) selvittää, minkälaisia konkreettisia ympäristövaikutuksia hankkeiden ansiosta on saatu aikaan; 2) vertailla, kuinka hankkeiden onnistuneisuus ja vaikuttavuus on vaihdellut eri Life osaohjelmien (Ympäristö/Luonto) sekä ohjelmakausien (Life/Life+) välillä; 3) tutkia, minkälainen vaikutus hankkeilla on ollut poliittiselle/ yhteiskunnalliselle kentälle ja kohderyhmänsä ympäristötietoisuuteen; 4) laatia tulevan asetuskauden perinteisiä hankkeita vart...

European Energy and Environmental Law Review

The case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has had a crucial impact on the... more The case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has had a crucial impact on the development of the EU law. In particular, the role of CJEU case-law has been emphasized in relation to paradigm shifts in the EU. Currently the EU is aiming to transition to a circular economy by 2050. The drive towards a circular economy is based on the recognition that currently the world’s natural resources are used to excess and inefficiently. Waste management and in particular the regulation governing the transformation of waste back into raw materials plays an integral role in the circular economy. This article examines the CJEU case-law on the concept of waste and its implications towards circular economy from 1980s to the modern today. It shows that the case-law has had a crucial role in the development the concept of waste and the rules for excluding secondary materials from it. The article concludes that the CJEU’s powers are emphasized when a regulatory regime is in transitio...

Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law, 2017

This article analyses the fine line between the application of waste legislation and the applicat... more This article analyses the fine line between the application of waste legislation and the application of chemicals regulation. If a substance or object ceases to be waste, or is originally a by-product, how is chemicals regulation applied to the non-waste material? The article also examines the effects that provisions of chemicals legislation can have with respect to waste legislation and the regulatory possibilities to exclude substances or objects from the concept of waste. The regulation of the residual materials is successful when it promotes the reuse and recovery, reduces the detrimental health and environmental effects of those residual materials, and reduces the costs and environmental harm incurred by the obtaining of the raw materials. Combining the diverging objectives of waste and chemical legislation is challenging but necessary to achieve the transition to a circular economy and the best overall outcome in terms of sustainability.

Journal of Environmental Law, 2020

This article discusses the regulation of ‘substances of concern’ in the circular economy (CE) in ... more This article discusses the regulation of ‘substances of concern’ in the circular economy (CE) in the European Union (EU). It analyses the tensions and obstacles that the present sectoral separation of waste, product and chemicals legislation sets for the development of the CE. We argue that in a longer term perspective the aim should be to erase the border between waste and chemicals regulation and create a single regime for the regulation of materials and their flow. However, the eventual aim of such non-toxic material circulation can be achieved only via precautious transitional measures that outweigh the costs and benefits of each material flow and set restrictions for the particular substances of concern. Regulatory actions addressing the risks posed by the substances of concern in the waste-based material flows are urgently needed. New measures are necessary to protect human health and the environment and to support the development of the markets for the secondary materials.

Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, 2022

In recent years, transitioning to a more circular economy has been introduced as a policy objecti... more In recent years, transitioning to a more circular economy has been introduced as a policy objective in many jurisdictions across the globe with a view to achieving a sustainable society. However, the increasing attention paid to this issue has so far not led to a large-scale transformation of production processes and consumption. Instead, many circular economy innovations have remained niche and have not become the mainstream solutions. A plethora of regulatory, market, cultural and technological barriers limit the demand for, and consequently wide-scale adoption of, circular solutions. This article examines the potential offered by regulatory demand-pull instruments to overcome such barriers and to mainstream circular economy solutions. In particular, the article investigates innovative demand-pull instruments that have been used in various jurisdictions globally. This article analyses the instruments according to their types-i.e., command-and-control measures, economic incentives, information tools and public procurement-to gain a better understanding of the rationales, strengths, and limitations of these categories of instruments in creating a stable demand for the circular economy. The lessons learned from the regulatory innovations enable a more critical approach in determining the best combination of instruments and tools to implement sustainable circular solutions on a larger scale.

Journal of Environmental Law & Policy

European Journal of Risk Regulation

European Energy and Environmental Law Review

Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law, 2017

Journal of Environmental Law, 2020

Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, 2022

In recent years, transitioning to a more circular economy has been introduced as a policy objecti... more In recent years, transitioning to a more circular economy has been introduced as a policy objective in many jurisdictions across the globe with a view to achieving a sustainable society. However, the increasing attention paid to this issue has so far not led to a large-scale transformation of production processes and consumption. Instead, many circular economy innovations have remained niche and have not become the mainstream solutions. A plethora of regulatory, market, cultural and technological barriers limit the demand for, and consequently wide-scale adoption of, circular solutions. This article examines the potential offered by regulatory demand-pull instruments to overcome such barriers and to mainstream circular economy solutions. In particular, the article investigates innovative demand-pull instruments that have been used in various jurisdictions globally. This article analyses the instruments according to their types-i.e., command-and-control measures, economic incentives, information tools and public procurement-to gain a better understanding of the rationales, strengths, and limitations of these categories of instruments in creating a stable demand for the circular economy. The lessons learned from the regulatory innovations enable a more critical approach in determining the best combination of instruments and tools to implement sustainable circular solutions on a larger scale.