The ROOTS group -a team formed by five Horizon 2020 projects (HOOP, VALUEWASTE, SCALIBUR, WaysTUP! and CITYLOOPS) – shared their experience with EU policy makers this week, aiming to inspire changes to the EU biowaste framework.

The Policy Conference Circular policies for changing the biowaste system was held at the European Committee of the Regions in Brussels, and hosted by the Region of Murcia. More than 24 companies and organisations active in the sector spoke during the event, including: CETENMA, ITENE, ICLEI Europe, EUBIA, Prezero, FCC, Aqualia, SAV, BIR, GAIKER, UNIBIO, University of Alicante, IVIA, ENTOMO AGROINDUSTRIAL, UNIMORE, AMB Barcelona, City of Porto, CSCP, City of Valencia, Murcia City Council, Science for Change, RdA Climate Solutions and CluBE.

Recommendations were presented on the following topics of relevance for the biowaste system:

• Recycling targets and treatment plants
• Waste and by-products
• Insects for animal feed
• Biowaste prevention
• Citizen awareness
• Investment needs

“In the ROOTS projects, we are very close to key players in urban bioeconomy, therefore we have developed a good understanding of their needs and challenges, and gathered information and results which are crucial for policy.” Martín Soriano from CETENMA, coordinators of the HOOP and VALUEWASTE projects.

“The ROOTS group can play an important role in informing EU policy makers to create a framework to advance the urban circular bioeconomy, a key sector to deliver the EU Green Deal in our cities and regions.” Adrián Zittelli, Region of Murcia, European Committee of the Regions alternate member.

To view the recommendations in full download the ROOTS policy paper here. To learn more about the event Circular policies for changing the biowaste system policy conference, click here.

About the ROOTS group:

Five Horizon 2020 projects (HOOP, VALUEWASTE, SCALIBUR, WaysTUP! and CITYLOOPS) working on biowaste valorisation have teamed up to promote innovative solutions for the European circular bioeconomy and help to overcome the barriers for the deployment of a circular bioeconomy. This joint initiative is named ROOTS – circulaR pOlicies for changing the biOwasTe System.

More information about ROOTS at: https://valuewaste.eu/category/roots/

For more information, contact:

RELEASE: 3/10/2022

Giulio Poggiaroni

EUBIA – European Biomass Industry Association

giulio.poggiaroni@eubia.org 

Media kit:

• ROOTS_ Policy Conference Group Photo
• ROOTS_Policy Conference European Committee of the Regions
• ROOTS_Policy Conference Project coordinators
• Full Kit.

HOOP is about investing in local initiatives to extract valuable resources from urban biowaste and wastewater in order to make innovative bio-based products. Advancing Europe’s circular economy agenda, as a main pillar of the European Green Deal, HOOP will provide direct Project Development Assistance (PDA) to municipalities so they can build their administrative, technical, economic, financial and legal expertise. This project will help enhance the return on investments by reusing resources, creating jobs, and developing local bioeconomy capacity.

HOOP is an EU-funded Horizon project that brings together 23 partners from 10 countries and 8 lighthouse cities and regions from a variety of geographies around Europe, including close to 2.5 million people together from: Kuopio (Finland), Bergen (Norway), Almere (The Netherlands), Albano-Lazio (Italy), Porto (Portugal), Region of Western Macedonia (Greece), Murcia (Spain), and Münster (Germany).

HOOP will help boost investments at municipal levels and help build the capacity of local actors to contribute to Europe’s bioeconomy, thereby contributing to the triple bottom-line of sustainability: what is good for the environment is good for society and great for business!

Gemma Castejón, HOOP Coordinator from CETENMA

HOOP will work closely with municipalities to identify and boost investments in bioeconomy initiatives that can valorise the so-called Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) and Urban Waste Water Sludge (UWWS). The valuable resources from these biowaste streams will be used to make bio-based products, such as: bio-based chemicals, bioplastics, biofertilizers, biopesticides, biopolymers, biorefineries, proteins and lipids

HOOP will engage the 4 segments of the “quadruple helix”: industry, science, civil society and policy. We will improve Europe’s urban metabolism by demonstrating circular economy solutions for other cities to emulate, thus replicating the HOOP model and contributing to the circular economy. And a HOOP Urban Circular Bioeconomy Hub will bring together the results in an open-source online platform to foster knowledge exchange with other cities across Europe and beyond.

About HOOP

Coordinated by Centro Technológico de la Energia y del Medio Ambiente (CETENMA) in Cartagena (Murcia), Spain, HOOP (Hub of circular cities bOOsting Platform to foster investments for the valorisation of urban biowaste and wastewater) is a four-year project that has received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement #101000836. HOOP includes 23 partners from 10 European countries, including 8 ‘lighthouse’ cities/regions with an estimated total population of close to 2.5 million inhabitants.

According to the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, “cities should become major circular bioeconomy hubs”, where biowaste is a feedstock for safe and sustainable bio-based products. HOOP aims to be the catalyst, providing Project Development Assistance (PDA) to 8 lighthouse cities and regions and creating the only city/region network dedicated to urban circular bioeconomy.

The network will be managed by the Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource management (ACR+).

By joining the HOOP Network, cities and regions will have the chance to access information on innovative bioeconomy solutions, exchange with their peers and learn from leading technical experts.

Jean-Benoît Bel (ACR+), HOOP Network Manager

The HOOP Network of cities and regions is open to organisations that plan or operate municipal waste management or wastewater treatment (for instance local or regional authorities, or waste management companies). Activities foreseen within the network include:

• HOOP lunch talks, monthly 30 minutes online exchanges about the urban circular bioeconomy involving an expert from the HOOP team, who will share information and practical solutions with the members of the HOOP Network. The first episode will be held on 31 March at 2 pm CET focusing on the 8 technologies being implemented by the HOOP Lighthouses.
• Knowledge exchange programme: cities and regions will be invited to take part in various activities such as working groups and study visits, and even one-on-one capacity building activities, allowing connections with local waste experts and HOOP partners to discuss specific aspects of their system and obtain first-hand information on good practices.
• Circularity label, a circular ranking system to serve as the baseline for green policies and to boost investment projects for the production of urban biowaste & wastewater-based products.
• Urban Circular Bioeconomy Hub (UCBH), an online platform to foster knowledge exchangeand replication in cities and regions across Europe. The Hub will also be the place where members can connect with other cities and regions part of the network, interact with the HOOP partners, and access the different services offered by HOOP. It will be launched in the second semester 2022.
• Virtual Academy, an online space hosted on the UCBH providing cities and regions with access to resources and interactive services related to Urban Bioeconomy. Furthermore, all the results developed by the Lighthouses in the pilot sites will be integrated in the Virtual Academy.

The involvement in the network and the time spent to follow the project activities depends on the need and will of each member. HOOP will invite members of the network to take part in project events, study visits, and workshops based on the interests and addressed challenges expressed by each of them. Being part of the HOOP Network is easy and totally free of charge, and thanks to the EU funding, the project has a dedicated budget to cover travel expenses of members of the HOOP Network taking part in the project’s activities.

The 8 lighthouse cities and regions, and founding members of the HOOP Network, are Albano-Laziale (Italy), Almere (The Netherlands), Bergen (Norway), Kuopio (Finland), Münster (Germany), Murcia (Spain), Greater Porto (Portugal), and Western Macedonia (Greece).

The HOOP Network of cities and regions counts already 30 members from 12 different countries, including 18 cities and 12 regions. Check the map displaying the current members.

If you are interested in getting involved in the HOOP project and have access to the services listed above, sign up to the HOOP Network of Cities and Regions via the project website: https://hoopproject.eu/network/#join-us

About HOOP

Coordinated by Centro Technológico de la Energia y del Medio Ambiente (CETENMA) in Cartagena (Murcia), Spain, HOOP (Hub of circular cities bOOsting Platform to foster investments for the valorisation of urban biowaste and wastewater) is a four-year project that has received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement #101000836. HOOP includes 23 partners from 10 European countries, including 8 ‘lighthouse’ cities/regions with an estimated total population of close to 2.5 million inhabitants.