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The Albano Laziale Circular Economy Week: Cities Paving the Way For a Circular Future

With around 75% of the European population living in urban areas, a great share of consumption, waste production, and emission of greenhouse gasses occurs in cities. That’s why cities can have a central role in the transition toward a circular and bio-economy and thus lead the effort to solve the climate crisis. As part of our SCALIBUR and HOOP projects, the Italian city of Albano Laziale has topped up its efforts toward becoming a bio-economy champion.

The circular and bio-economy offer an opportunity to respond to urban resource challenges by rethinking how we use materials, products, and assets as well as waste leading to new ways of creating value for all. Cities can be the ecosystems in which circular solutions to pressing problems and challenges are initiated and nurtured.

From 17 to 20 May 2022, our SCALIBUR and HOOP projects hosted the first Circular Economy Week – organised by the CSCP with the support of the local partner ANCI Lazio – in the city of Albano Laziale. The aim of the Circular Economy Week was to raise awareness and mobilise action locally about circular and bio-economy initiatives and emerging technological solutions for the valorisation of (organic) waste.

The four in-person events which consisted of two expert seminars, two participative workshops with high school students, and one exhibition of circular products brought together a broad range of stakeholders, such as policy-makers, waste service providers, agricultural associations, businesses as well as students and citizens.

The events represented a unique opportunity to share progresses made by the city of Albano Laziale in terms of waste collection, transportation and management; to exchange on future opportunities and collaborations within the circular and bio-economy fields; to initiate next steps towards the transition of the city to circular economy; and finally to further promote knowledge and awareness of the economic, environmental and social benefits of reusing, recycling and up-cycling waste thanks to the example of eight local organisations and businesses, the SCALIBUR “local champions”. The list of local champions include DIM Design Lab, Laboratorio Linfa, Junker, Foo Reuse Design, Occhio del Riciclone, Midorj, Reware, and RIscARTI.

If you would like to know more how Albano Laziale and its local champions are engaging for the bio-economy, please visit the SCALIBUR project website.

For further questions, please contact Francesca Grossi.

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