PLASTICITY
Plastic recycling rates are very low, especially within the urban environment. A lot of plastic waste is available that could be recycled but is often not correctly identified. These so-called “lost plastics” could form a large part of the circular economy, providing relevant parties with an economic opportunity while moving away from traditional plastic disposal methods.
The objective of the PlastiCity project is to discover and develop these economic opportunities in 4 case studies in partnering cities in the Interreg 2 Seas region. PlastiCity will carry out a study on the compositions and quantities of industrial and commercial plastic waste in the urban environment. As a next step the project will look for new solutions to collection practices, the sorting equipment used all the way up to the designing of final products. PlastiCity will also focus on engaging with a variety of stakeholders.
The project is carried out in 4 partner cities: Ghent, Belgium; The Hague, The Netherlands; Southend-on-Sea, the United Kingdom and Lille/Douai in France. These cities differ greatly in economic landscapes, waste management schemes, cultural contexts, and local and regional policies. Insights in these differences and their impact on business models is necessary for replication and upscaling beyond the scope of the project areas.
The main aim of PlastiCity is to develop strategies and solutions that can increase recycling in urban environments from 20-30% to over 50%.
Interreg 2 Seas 2014-2020 is a European Territorial Cooperation Programme covering England, France, the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders). The Programme is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and has a total of €241m ERDF to co-finance projects in the 2014 - 2020 period.
Interreg 2 Seas 2014-2020 is a European Territorial Cooperation Programme covering England, France, the Netherlands and Belgium (Flanders). The Programme is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and has a total of €241m ERDF to co-finance projects in the 2014 - 2020 period.
More info about the project
The partners in the project come from four countries:
Belgium: City of Ghent (coordinator), Ghent University, D.P.L. Group, GRCT, Van Werven
The Netherlands: Municipality of The Hague, Metabolic
France: ARMINES, Team2, Theys Recyclage, WeLOOP
United Kingdom: Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, University of Portsmouth
The total budget of the project amounts to €9.45 million, of which €5.50 million is funded by the Interreg 2 Seas Programme under the European Territorial Cooperation and part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The duration of the PlastiCity project is 45 months: from January 2019 to September 2022.