eCircular Flagship Styrian Regional Hub on Plastic Waste Prevention – First steps
The prime objective of the project eCircular is the reduction of plastic waste along the value chain. The project aims to support companies and organisations in their effort to reduce plastic waste. This includes establishing regional hubs as a central focal point where interested parties can turn to with their demands and needs.
The objective of the eCircular Flagship Styrian Regional Hub on Plastic Waste Prevention facilitates the discussion, identification of barriers and suggestion of possible solutions for the prevention of plastic waste and the realisation of a circular economy. Starting with a focus on the Styrian regional level, it enlarges the interconnection with the Austrian context and links with other Regional Hubs in Europe like those in Italy and Germany.
As part of the eCircular European network of Regional Hubs in the year 2019, the Styria region has been in focus. The work was dedicated to plan and initiate a regional hub with a stakeholder network. This hub shall offer support and facilitate interaction and discussion among the interested parties, like the producing industry, local government, communities and NGOs regarding questions about the possibilities for plastic waste prevention.
The stakeholders list includes a number of industrial companies, governmental bodies and NGOs. Although the focus lays on the erection of a hub in Styria, the contacted stakeholders were from all over Austria to increase the overall number. Nevertheless, these companies represented the Styrian region.
In the planning of the workshop four major fields of interest were defined on which all participants could contribute their ideas, needs and thoughts during an interactive session. These fields were “Legislation and Standards”, “Circular Economy and Waste Management”, “Technology and Innovation” and “Societal Aspects”. The topic of waste prevention and circular economy was met with great interest, which was reflected in the large number of ideas and an intense and cooperative discussion which lasted much longer than originally planned. You can find more detailed information about the brainstorming results here.
The follow up workshop at the beginning of December will reflect on the brainstorming of the first workshop. Apart from a presentation of the collected ideas an analysis of the results will be made. The expected result is the basis for the creation of a regional hub. The identification of barriers and possible solutions are supposed to help establishing a regional hub that is actively and constructively supporting the local stake holders.
The development of the regional hub will be continued even after the end of the project eCircular. A third workshop is planned for February 2021. The County of Styria and the Green Tech Cluster will be active partners in the creation of the regional hub.