Exchanging views on circularity, inclusion, and resilience in the content of urban waste management at the Upcycle Centre

The day started with a tour at the facilities of the Upcycle Centre, and it was followed by a series of presentations from various participants. Professor Martin de Jong of Erasmus University Rotterdam and Assistant Professor Daan Schraven from Delft University of Technology opened the session by introducing how the IWWCs project was born, and what its main objectives are. Then, stakeholders from different levels of governance (Regio Gooi en Vechtstreek and the Municipality of Almere) as well as from the private sector (De Bouwkringloop) gave presentations on various sustainability related activities around waste management and circularity. The morning ended with a discussion where the participants shared their perspectives on circular economy, inclusion, and resilience in the context of urban waste management and fostered the grounds for potential future joint research endeavors.

The afternoon session was an internal meeting where the IWWCs members reflected on the current status of the ongoing research activities, on team alignment, and on the deliverables of the project.

About the Upcycle Centre

The Upcycle Centre was completed in January 2018, and serves as a breeding ground for start-ups who are able to make use on the spot of the residual waste flows supplied by the population of Almere. Subject to favourable conditions, the starting companies are offered space to create new products from the waste flows. As a result, the traditional recycling centre is transformed into an innovative location where resources are no longer lost but are instead upcycled. At the same time, in the adjacent education centre, school pupils, students and local residents can acquire knowledge of and be inspired by the upcycling of materials.