Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the economy and a key player to steer our economy towards a more circular model. SMEs create opportunities across a wide range of geographical sectors and areas through employment and value creation, provide skills development opportunities and drive innovation, contributing directly to inclusive growth and social goals.

According to the Enel American survey, Small and medium-sized companies with less than 200 workers make up 99% of the companies , while large companies account for 0.6% of the total. With this information, SMEs account for 98.27% of the establishments, with an employment generation of 49.41%. From these data lies the importance of addressing this issue at the scale of SMEs to achieve a natural transition to a circular model.

However, their small size means that they face unique challenges on the path to closing loops and improving resource efficiency. SMEs will be able to understand what a circular economy is, why it's important for their businesses and how businesses can benefit from circular business models.Therefore, the circular economy is a viable economic model for SMEs to adopt and reconvert to the cities of tomorrow.

By the end of the module you'll be able to:

• Learn about circular economy and circular business models.
• Evaluate opportunities for SMEs in the circular economy and the challenges they face
• Implement circular economy processes in your business