Through the project activities, a broad group of quadruple helix actors co-developed the following actions to increase circularity:
Actions for circular plastics:
- Action 1: Support public procurement of innovative solutions for circular economy within plastics
- Action2: Establish decentralized take-back/reuse systems in closed loop settings with large volumes of takeaway packaging )e.g. in airports, festivals and big events where the waste stays on the venue)
- Action 3: Establish centralized reuse systems in open-loop settings such as cities, where the take away packaging from cafes and restaurants is dispersed across larger areas
- Action 4: Implement standardized reusable packaging in collaboration with producers and large flagship companies
- Action 5: Utilize data to ensure transparency, measure impact and inform decision making
Actions for circular textiles:
- Action 1: Establish standardized sorting protocols across the industry
- Action 2: Foster collaboration between municipalities, industries and research institutions to innovate sorting
- Action 3: Increase public awareness and education on the importance of textile recycling
- Action 4: Promote circular design principles to facilitate recyclability
- Action 5: Support public procurement of innovative solutions for circular economy within textiles
Actions for circular construction:
- Action 1: Integration of Digital Inventory Tools
- Action 2: Create Integrated Local Reuse Networks Across the EU
- Action 3: Support Public Procurement of Innovative Solutions for Circular Economy within Construction
The actions are described in detail in three joint action plans for circular transformation in plastics, textiles and construction industries, and they will lay the ground for new projects and initiatives to be implemented in the coming years. On the medium- to long term, this will lead to the following impacts:
Economic and technological impacts:
Several applications for funding have been submitted to national and European funding agencies to fund implementation of the actions that were planned in the 3R Connect project. SMEs and other actors with innovative solutions have been involved in these applications, and the aim is to increase the market uptake and adoption of innovative solutions. Some applications have already been approved within the project period, while others are still pending. A working group in the International Cleantech Network is continuously working to submit further applications for funding to implement the actions.
Scientific impacts:
Throughout the project, more than 600 quadruple helix actors from various EU regions have been involved in co-creation, co-planning, knowledge sharing and capacity building. In particular, SMEs, startups and research actors have been involved in cross regional activities. This has laid the ground for a more interconnected research and innovation infrastructure across regions.
Societal impacts:
To ensure that the developed actions match the needs from different stakeholders in the ecosystem, specific needs and priorities of different groups of society have been mapped and analysed, and used as the foundation for co-development of joint action.
