An analysis of the current management systems for PfR has been developed in the first period of the project considering the clusters of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, France and the UK (WP2-3). This has served as the basis for the detection of the problems, challenges and negative effects (WP2-3-4) which resulted in a generation of good and best practices (WP2) for implementation (WP3) as well as an innovation atmosphere created aimed at the generation new ideas for business development (WP4). In addition, an analysis of best-performing territories was also made, as well as a continuous exchange with the members of the External Support Committee. The outcomes from the Clusters of municipalities, External Support Committee and the best-performing territories were merged to initiate discussion through Best Practice Working Groups (BPWG) which resulted in a list of best and good practices, key performance indicators (WP2) and exchange with the Clusters to generate models for PfR, systems of incentives, policy measure and standardization (WP3). Such work performed in the first reporting period resulted in the most relevant outcome of the project which was the publication of the Good and Best Practice Handbook which its first version was made available by the end of July 2017 (WP2).
Other important breakthrough in the project has been the validation of the handbook by the clusters of municipalities and the setting up of actions for the definition of incentive schemes, policy measures and standardization (WP3). Such definition was made in conjunction with WP4, where a list of relevant 28 policies and incentives was discussed during the Cluster Workshop held at La Roche-sur-Yon (France) in September 2017. In addition, innovation challenges were also discussed during the Innovation Workshop held at La Roche-sur-Yon (France) in September 2017 (WP4). Other relevant outcomes from WP4 were the list of relevant projects in the topic as well as the development of the Entrepreneur Workshop held in Brussels in January 2018.
Finally, the most relevant outcomes from WP5 were the organisation of the Project Conferences in Barcelona (January 2017) and the final Project Conference at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels (Belgium) 24th January 2018 (with the participation of most of the members of the External Support Committee), as well as the development of the Project Video and e-learning modules. It is also worth to note the completion of different planned dissemination and communication actions (newsletters, press releases, participation in trade fairs and congresses, workshops for municipalities, informative meeting, etc.) with a broad range of audience (industry, research, citizens, policy makers, etc.) (WP5). It should be also noted that the IMPACTPapeRec project has been commended in the European Paper Recycling Awards 2017 held in Brussels as the best project within the category “Information and Education”.
