SLOVENIA (+ Italy) – Alpin Space
https://www.alpine-space.eu/project/greencycle/
Cities and regions in Alpine Space have mainly set their low-carbon objectives and adopted relevant strategies in energy, mobility, construction, etc. However, a cross-sectoral approach is missing.
The project GREENCYCLE aims to introduce the system of circular economy as a holistic approach to support implementation of low-carbon strategies and provide additional 2-4 % greenhouse emission reduction to the partner cities. Circular economy deployment will save energy, water, re-cover critical raw materials, reduce transport, boost the eco-innovation, create green jobs and benefit to low income citizens. As the biggest emissions producers and the biggest energy and materials consumers, cities should play the pioneering role by developing circular economy implementation strategies.
Waste is a resource that should not be wasted. Drawing on this assumption, five cities joined the Greencycle project and tested a variety of actions aimed at developing a circular economy. Maribor (SI) and Trento (IT) created loops across industries to reuse waste as much as possible, while Vienne Coindreau (FR) started producing biogas from the sludge as a step toward its 2050 energy neutrality goal. Thanks to the Greencycle toolbox and to the project transnational network, municipalities in the Alpine Space and beyond find it easier to build their circular economy strategies.
IRELAND – 3SIXTY
3SIXTY takes end of life, single use plastic bottles and ocean waste and mixes them with cotton to produce towels that look, feel and perform just like regular towels for the hotel industry.
ITALY – Volvero
Volvero improves a series of social problems such as inequality, lack of safety, driving behavior, barriers to access to transport. It reduces inequalities between social classes, offering the opportunity for mobility that does not replace a disadvantaged vehicle, eliminating the principle of harm if you do not replace it.
Women and young people who, in the absence of transport alternatives, give up and stay at home, can now socialise, access health care, schools and cultural sites that work for the welfare of society. Regarding the ecological impact, the production process of a vehicle requires many resources, such as water, oil and energy. With car sharing solutions, the demand for new vehicles changes, with a huge saving of natural resources. It reduces the demand for new vehicles by up to 20%. In terms of pollution, one shared car is equivalent to 8 private cars.
The way app works is:
- The app offers the possibility of using idle private vehicles which includes local dealers, car rentals and companies.
- Through a direct meeting with the owner (or his delegate), the driver picks up the keys at the same time as checking the condition of the vehicle.
- Upon return, the owner will assess on the Volvero app parameters such as punctuality and the presence of any damage.
ECO B&B
Ecobnb promotes a different way of travelling, more environmentally friendly than local places and communities. Through the online platform (https://ecobnb.com) it promotes destinations that are investing in sustainability and accommodation facilities that have adopted good circular economy practices, such as, ecological bed & breakfasts, green hotels, organic farms, glamping, shelters, eco-friendly holiday homes, etc. selected on the basis of 10 environmental sustainability parameters recognized by the main energy certifications for tourism. Accommodation mapped on ecobnb has at least 5 of the 10 sustainability features (100% energy from renewable sources, recycling of waste over 80%, reachable by public transport, rainwater reuse, low consumption light bulbs, solar panels for hot water, soaps and ecological detergents, water flow reducers, bio-architecture).