PREVIOUS EVENTS

URBAN ALCHEMY: TURNING RECYCLED THERMOPLASTICS INTO CLIMATE-POSITIVE INFRASTRUCTURE

RE-PLAN CITY LIFE came to Crete on 6-7 November, for a very promising Workshop in collaboration with REGION OF CRETE and Region of Crete European Projects.

Urban Alchemy and the possibilities of RTMs in the public infrastructures , limitations and prospects shall engage scientific and technical bodies as well as local public bodies, policy makers, engineers and the citizens of the Island.

This insightful two-day event was focused on sustainable urban development and the integration of RTMs into urban infrastructure, including:

Field visits to significant sites in Crete.
Workshops focused on sustainable urban practices and the use of recycled materials.

SPORTSWAY SUMMIT 2025

On 18 October 2025, the SportsWay Summit took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, bringing together international experts and organizations to discuss the future of sports and leisure infrastructure.

Organised by the Georgia Sports Infrastructure Developers Association in cooperation with global partners, the event focused on international cooperation, sustainable infrastructure development, and professional training for sports facility managers in Georgia.

During the presentation, Jože Jenšterle, Secretary General of the International Association for Sports and Leisure Infrastructure Management, highlighted the role of EU projects such as RE-PLAN CITY LIFE and SMILE CITY. It was emphasised how recycled materials, including those derived from tyres, can contribute to the creation of sustainable and inclusive sports facilities supporting circular economy practices and reducing environmental impact.

The conference gathered over 70 participants from Georgia, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Canada, the UK, and Switzerland, including industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academics, and local media representatives.

RECYCLED MATERIALS: RUBBERISED ASPHALT WG AND SAC MEETING

On Wednesday, 1 October 2025, the RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project will conducted a workshop in Katowice, Poland, organised by IETU (Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas).

The workshop was focused on the wider use of rubberised asphalt and the role of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) in road construction.

After the workshop session held at the IETU headquarters, which included a series of presentations followed by a discussion among

industry experts and stakeholders, participants were invited to a study visit to a bituminous mass production plant so that they could see in practice how rubberised asphalt is made. The study visit was hosted by DROGOPOL sp. z o.o., which invited guests to the Bituminous Mass Production (Batch Asphalt-Mixing) Plant in Piekary Śląskie. Participants were familiarised with the details of the technology used to produce rubber powder-modified asphalt.

To demonstrate the issue from a practical perspective, a batch of rubber powder-modified asphalt was produced especially for the participants. Asphalt damages were also mentioned, either by mining operations or by usage of faulty matter (chemically active slag, which began to swell in contact with moisture).

The field session was concluded with a lively discussion among experts and representatives of the bituminous mass production

plant operator, Drogopol Sp. Z o.o.

REUSE ECONOMY EXPO

The REuse Economy Expo 2025 held on 26-27 May with the LIFE Programme attending was a right occasion to promote two LIFE projects on Tyre Recycling.

The REuse Economy Expo served as a meeting point for multi sectoral actors united by a common goal: making reuse an economic and environmental opportunity. The 2025 edition, themed ‘Making Reuse Profitable on a Large Scale in Europe', featured 300 solutions, 70 conferences and masterclasses, 4 collaborative workshops and a learning expedition in Paris.

The event showcased practical solutions for reuse, repair, reconditioning and remanufacturing across four key sectors: electrical equipment, professional equipment and furniture, packaging, and consulting and transition support. It also addressed consumer expectations, environmental regulations and corporate social responsibility strategies, all while promoting sustainable business models that reduce environmental impact.

In the same way Tyre Recycling is cross cutting sector as Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) produce new materials: rubber, steel fibres and textile fibres, that are used in many different products and applications, from roads and road furniture to sport surfaces, from building materials to infrastructure – and many others.

The attendance to the fair allowed us to showcase practical solutions for Recycled Tyre Materials that are commonly used in our everyday life.

SEMANA DE LA INGENIERÍA DE CAMINOS

From May 23 to 30, 2025 COMSA participated in the Semana de la Ingeniería de Caminos, held in Madrid, and presented the RE-PLAN project. Organized by the College of Civil Engineers of Madrid under the theme “Driving Sustainability,” the event offered a wide range of free public activities aimed at showcasing the crucial role of civil engineering in promoting urban and environmental sustainability.

Among other exhibits, Neoballast® was demonstrated—an innovative railway ballast made from recycled rubber sourced from end-of-life tires. This sustainable solution improves track durability, reduces vibration and noise, and minimizes maintenance needs.

RE-PLAN AT AGORADA 2025: SHARING STRATEGIES FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

On May 20–21, ETRA attended AGORADA 2025, the annual conference organized by EURADA (European Association of Development Agencies), to present the RE-PLAN City Life project and showcase the updated version of the RE-PLAN Web Platform to a wide network of regional development agencies from across Europe.

Held under the theme “Regional Development in Challenging Times,” the event explored the evolving role of Regional Development Agencies in shaping post-2027 Cohesion Policy, supporting emerging technologies, and strengthening Europe’s strategic autonomy in key areas such as raw materials, energy, and food security.

ETRA’s participation helped raise awareness of RE-PLAN’s goals and tools, promoting circular economy practices and the use of recycled tyre materials (RTMs) in urban development and infrastructure planning.

During the conference, EURADA also presented the results of a survey conducted with the OECD, highlighting the priorities, challenges, and strategic directions of regional development agencies across Europe.

REPLAN ON-SITE VISIT AND WORKSHOP AT FORUM COMPRAVERDE BUYGREEN

On May 13–14, 2025, the REPLAN City Life project brought together stakeholders, experts, and public authorities in Rome to explore the practical application of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) in infrastructure. Organized by Fondazione Ecosistemi and ETRA, the two-day event featured an on-site visit and a technical workshop held within the framework of the Forum Compraverde Buygreen.

ON-SITE VISIT | FULVIO BERNARDINI SPORTING CENTER | MAY 13, 2025

The visit to the Fulvio Bernardini Sporting Center offered a first-hand look at a pioneering example of sustainable infrastructure in sports facilities. Participants toured areas where RTMs were used—including a football pitch, an athletics track, and a recreational path—nine years after installation. Guided by the Center’s management, visitors learned about the benefits of RTMs for performance, health, and environmental impact.

The site visit concluded with a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders, including ECOPNEUS, UISP, and project partners. The dialogue addressed construction practices, market challenges, and opportunities to expand the use of RTMs in Italy and across Europe.

WORKSHOP | FORUM COMPRAVERDE BUYGREEN | MAY 14, 2025

The following day, the Forum Compraverde Buygreen hosted a workshop focused on rubberized asphalt and the new Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) for road infrastructure. Moderated by Dana Vocino (Fondazione Ecosistemi), the session featured contributions from:

Sergio Saporetti (Ministry of Environment), presenting the structure and implementation of the new CAM;
Emiliana Pepe and Massimiliano Diamantini (ANAS), discussing sustainability strategies and the LIFE SILENT project;
Costis Keridis (ETRA), sharing Greek experiences with rubber-modified asphalt since 2000;
Gaspare Giancontieri (RUB Lab), presenting Sicilian pilot projects using Engineered Crumb Rubber (ECR);
Przemysław Zaprzalski (Recykl), introducing SMAPOL®, a reinforcing additive from recycled tire fibers developed and tested in Poland.

The session “Policies, Experiences, and Best Practices for Sustainable Sports”, held on May 14, brought together key representatives from institutions, the sports industry, and the research sector to reflect on the progress made in promoting sustainable sporting events. Jože Jenserle (IASLIM, Slovenia) presented the RE-PLAN City Life project, emphasizing the role of recycled tyre materials in enhancing the sustainability of sports infrastructures.

The event highlighted the strong potential of RTMs in creating more resilient, durable, and low-impact infrastructure. Through practical examples and expert discussions, the workshop encouraged the scaling of circular solutions across the transport and sports infrastructure sectors.

These two days in Rome marked an important step forward in building shared knowledge and fostering cooperation around sustainable public works and innovative materials.

1 ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CONCRETE AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY 2025

Alessandro P. Fantilli participated in the CCE2025 Conference (Concrete and Cement-based Engineering), which took place from April 10 to 13, 2025, in Hammamet, Tunisia. He presented the research paper titled: “The Contribution of Tire Recycled Materials in the Circular Economy of Cement-Based Composites.”

Materials coming from end-of-life tyres (RTM - Recycled Tire Materials) can provide a valuable contribution to enhance the circularity of mortars and concretes. Within a cementitious mixture, secondary rubber from end-of-life tires can partially substitute stone aggregates, which is scarce in some areas of the Earth. However, this substitution is not always effective.

As the content of rubber increases, both the reduction of strength and the increment of the potential impact on climate change can be observed in cement-based composites. Accordingly, a new formulation for mortars containing RTM is proposed, based on the eco-mechanical analysis. The aim is to increase mechanical performance and the use of secondary materials, as well as to reduce the environmental impacts. As a result, through a suitable combination of both rubber and steel fibers from end-of-life tires, new mortars that perform better than those made with only virgin

components can be introduced.

30TH ETRA CONFERENCE
ON TYRE RECYCLING

The 30th ETRA Conference on Tyre Recycling brought together over 130 participants in Brussels for two intensive days of discussions on Wednesday 26 and Thursday, 27 March.

The event featured insightful panels on market developments, policy challenges, and cutting-edge innovations shaping the future of the industry. Throughout the conference, the most current topics were presented, showcasing advancements in public procurement, mobility solutions, pyrolysis, and upcycling technologies.

The Conference was preceded on Tuesday 25th March by the workshop on sustainable mobility attended by over 50 participants. New projects and ideas have been discussed either in the Workshop or during the networking or after hours contacts.

This was a special edition as ETRA celebrated its 30th Anniversary. A special thank you to all speakers, delegates, and partners who contributed to the success of the event. Let’s keep the momentum going!

WORKSHOP
"SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY AND RUBBERIZED ASPHALT IN CYCLING LANES AND URBAN ROADS"
25 MARCH 2025 H.10.30 – 16.30
LE LOUISE HOTEL BRUSSELS

Around 50 participants gathered for the Workshop on Sustainable Mobility and Rubberized Asphalt in Cycling Lanes and Urban Roads on 25 March. The event explored how Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) can enhance the durability and performance of transport infrastructures, including roads, rails, and cycling lanes.

A key highlight of the discussion was the collaboration between projects such as RE-PLAN CITY LIFE, LIFE SILENT, and SMILE CITY, which are working to develop and promote more sustainable infrastructure and mobility solutions. The rapid evolution of mobility, driven by societal changes and sustainability goals, demands innovative approaches not only for vehicles and energy sources but also for transport infrastructures themselves.

As urban roads and transport networks become more contested spaces, balancing different mobility modes and users is essential. Addressing challenges like traffic congestion, costs, and pollution requires the adoption of greener solutions—both in vehicle technology and infrastructure materials. RTMs play a crucial role by offering high-quality recycled materials that improve performance while reducing reliance on natural resources.

The workshop focused on key objectives:

Discussing major challenges and potential solutions
Strengthening cooperation between sustainability projects
Designing and setting up the Living Lab for Pilots Design and Planning under the SMILE CITY project
Showcasing new project opportunities

Participants also gained insights into the tools and strategies developed to encourage Public Authorities to adopt best practices and integrate Green Procurement policies. The event fostered valuable discussions and collaborations, paving the way for more sustainable and high-performance mobility solutions.

WG AND SAC MEETING:
RUBBERISED ASPHALT

5 February 2025 h.10.30 – 16.00

Venue: ECOSISTEMI, Corso del Rinascimento 24,Rome

In the recent workshop held in Rome on 4-5 December 2024 there has been a dynamic and interactive involvement of the participants during two days of activities. One of the key moment of the event has been the Round Table discussion in which valuable Stakeholders took part to analyse the obstacles that limit the use of these materials and how they could be overcome.

During the discussion the Round Table the Stakeholders were invited to respond to these points:
1. Which are the obstacles that limits the use of recycled rubber in asphalt ?
2. How such obstacles could be overcome?
3. Which strategies should be adopted to engage Public Administration ?

The proposed WG and SAC meeting aim to analyse in deep such comments and discuss which actions and initiatives could be adopted in order to stimulate a wider use of rubberised asphalt.
The LIFE SILENT project aims to develop sustainable and eco-friendly solutions for mitigating noise emissions
from road and rail traffic in complex urban environments. Throughout the project, low-noise pavements made of recycled, non-toxic materials, such as cardboard and end-of-life tyres, will be developed and tested.
The meeting will be held in person.

RUBBERISED ASPHALT BETWEEN MYTHS AND REALITY.
HOW TO OVERCOME THE OBSTACLES ROME

4 TH - 5 TH DECEMBER 2024

The Workshop entitled “Rubber and asphalt mixtures between myth and reality. How to overcome obstacles” was held at the ANAS headquarters in Rome on 4-5 December 2024.

The Workshop is the result of the joint work of two LIFE projects funded by the European Commission.

The RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project, coordinated by ETRA, aims to raise awareness on the use of recycled tire materials (RTM), promote environmentally friendly behaviors in urban communities, stimulate the adoption of good circular economy practices and create further opportunities for cooperation and implementation through new projects.

The LIFE SILENT project, coordinated by ANAS, addresses the problem of low-noise pavements with rubber granulates in an innovative way, introducing functionalized cellulose fibers into the asphalt mixture to increase its fatigue resistance and, consequently, its lifespan. This aspect is of great importance to reduce costs and promote wider adoption.

During the first day it was possible to make a technical visit to a specialized plant that uses rubber powder, while during the second day the workshop will take place, divided into two distinct moments:

– International seminar that will show the most recent experiences and innovations in the use of Recycled Tire Materials (RTMs) in asphalt and road infrastructures.

– Round table to analyze the obstacles that limit the use of these materials and how they could be overcome.

The workshop will also illustrate the tools implemented by the projects to stimulate greater commitment by Public Administrations in the adoption of good practices and Green Procurement.

The two days were the opportunity to take stock of the ongoing experiments on asphalt with recycled rubber. The two projects LIFE SILENT and REPLAN CITY-LIFE aim to expand the use of recycled materials from end-of-life tyres to improve the performance and sustainability of transport infrastructures and collaborate to create greater opportunities for dissemination and networking. The aim of the workshop was to provide a lively forum where stakeholders could analyse the identified obstacles, present the tools designed to overcome these obstacles, propose and discuss suitable strategies to involve Public Administrations, identify possible synergies between EU projects and programmes and improve cooperation, create the basis for new projects.

POLLUTEC 2024 – PITCHING SESSIONS AND PROJECT CLUSTERING
PARIS, 26-27 NOVEMBER 2024

RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Project took part to the Pitch Session organised by . CINEA - European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency at the Pollutec 2024, the Environment & Energy Technologies Trade Show that was held in Paris on 26 & 27 November.

Over 12.000 people have visited the fair and a constant flow of visitor stopped at CINEA’s booth to learn more about LIFE Program and ongoing Projects. Replan was illustrated either during the pitch or to one to one talks with visitors and exhibitors.

The 17 LIFE projects attending the event have been grouped according to the topics they address into the following four clusters:

Cluster 1) Climate Change Adaptation.
Cluster 2) Building Renovation.
Cluster 3) Energy Management.
Cluster 4) Circular Economy.

For each cluster, a one-hour pitching session is planned, totalling four sessions spread over the two days of the event.

After the pitching sessions, the representatives of the projects from each cluster remained at the LIFE stand to interact and network with other projects and/or event attendees.

There was the availability of the dedicated corner to display the project’s notice board (roll-up) and distribute communication materials.

Replan was included in CLUSTER 4 – Circular economy, which included projects developing actions and strategies for waste recycling and for the reduction of air emission impacting the environment. The session will discuss technological measures and capacity building strategies to increase the material recycling and reduce harmful human emissions.

Target audience: Private and public sector

LIFE Program in 2024 celebrated 32th Anniversary but it is still a young program with a long future ahead.

We wish to thanks CINEA for the great opportunity and its Team for warm welcome and support. The atmosphere was lively and stimulating. We hope that all the visitor may be able to bring their ideas to the a stage of a project and meet them again in future.

RECYCLED MATERIALS AND PUBLIC WORKS: HOW TO REDUCE THE GAP
BARCELONA, 20 NOVEMBER 2024

The workshop was organized by Spanish partners of Replan and held at ITeC - Institut de Tecnologia de la Construcció in Barcelona on 20^th November 2024, who is one of the Spanish partner.

It illustrated the tools put in place by the project to stimulate a stronger engagement from the Public Authorities to adopt best practices and Green Procurement. The workshop was free and open to anyone interested and offers a unique opportunity of discussion and interaction with relevant Stakeholders.

The aim of the Workshop was to provide a lively forum of Stakeholders to:

analyse the obstacle that has been identified
present the tools that are being designed to overcome such obstacles
propose and discuss about suitable strategies to engage Public Administrations
Identify possible synergies among EU projects and programs and enhance cooperation
Create the basis for new projects

Quite a good number of people attended: 38 persons from 8 countries. But more important was not the quantity, anyway not bad, but the quality of participants: each one involved either in tyre recycling, in Public Administration or in other key role that could be important to support the project awareness.

After the Workshop the partners of the project moved by public transport to Eurofitness Can Dragó Sports Center, EUNCET Business School, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya either for a guided visit to their facilities in which recycled rubber has been used in various surfaces or to have a short workshop with Students with PPT presentation and Q&A session.

The meeting was really lively and interesting as the students were quite motivated to know all about critical aspects of Tyre Recycling.

SALON DES MAIRES
PARIS 19-21 NOVEMBER 2024

On 19^th November 2024 Replan visited Salon de Maires in Paris to meet and networking with relevant stakeholders of both public and private sector. We had 28 face to face meetings during which we presented the project and spread information materials describing the various opportunity to use Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) in many different domains : Rods, Rails, Buildings, Sports, etc.

Salon the Maires is one the most important appointments in Europe for Public Sector Technicians and Public Bodies, that was duly informed about the project aims that is to raise awareness about the Circular Economy opportunities for Materials, Products and applications obtained from tyre recycling to adopt environmentally friendly behavior and practice in urban communities.

A section of the Exhibition was devoted to Sports activities, that interests us in general but more specifically for Artificial Turf that is now under threaten for the microplastic issue.

The key message that we spread was: Recycled SBR is still one of the best solutions as infill materials for artificial turf either from technical or environmental point of view.

The releases of rubber granulate into the environment are negligible and caused by not appropriate design or realization of the field and by a not responsible management and use.

It should be taken into account that the use of recycled SBR infill material for artificial turf is:

Legal, safe, environmental friendly, sustainable, in line with GPP and the Green Deal
More durable and better performing that any other infill
Cheaper than other materials contributing to make Artificial Turf affordable by small Sports Associations and Public Bodies
Reusable, many times over for the same purpose
Social inclusive

All above good reasons and many others have been described in a dedicated Fact Sheet, prepared by a team of expert under RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project, that you may download here: https://www.re-plancitylife.eu/newsletter

RE-PLAN CITY LIFE AT ECOMONDO 2024
RIMINI 5-8 NOVEMBER 2024

Two super intensive days occupied us in Ecomondo in Rimini where we had lot of meetings to promote the project activities and upcoming events.

The fair was organized through Districts. Dedicated to specific projects, they involve vertical industries and address transversal themes, investigating them from the perspective of industry and research.

The most transversal of all the Innovation District, in which University of Turin (UNITO) had their booth and through which and thank to their support we distributed leaflets of the Project and spread information.

Start-Up & Scale-Up area and the Green Jobs project, creates a space dedicated to Italian and international green innovation, making ECOMONDO a true incubator, a privileged place for dialogue between the business world and young entrepreneurial realities where to bring of ideas and innovative projects with the aim of creating new business opportunities.

Synergies between Recycled Tyre Materials were highlighted in the frame of networking with other projects and innovative startup. Great interest was shown for Rubberised Asphalt and other applications for mobility and cycling lane, also in view of a new project.

The other themed macro areas, were the valorisation of waste into resources, the regeneration of soil and agro-forestry and food ecosystems, energy obtained from biomass and the use of waste as a secondary raw material.

ECOMONDO is the key event for green and circular economy. It’s the meeting place where industrial groups, stakeholders, policy makers, opinion leaders, local authorities, research bodies and institutions come together and put in place the key elements that define the strategies for the development of EU environmental policy.

BARCELONA CALLING

INNOVATION PROCUREMENT AND HORIZON EUROPE CITY MISSION AND CL5 BROKERAGE EVENT WAS HELD IN BARCELONA ON 10-11 OCTOBER.

Leitat, one of Spain's leading technology centres, Acció, the Catalan Agency for Business Competitiveness, and the Provincial Council of Barcelona brought together cities, start-ups, companies, universities and technology centres for 2 days of inspiring keynote talks, panel discussions, and networking opportunities through our Innovation Marketplace and targeted matchmaking for the upcoming City Mission and city-related CL5 Horizon Europe calls.

The event was designed to create Marketplace on Innovation which attracted:

Company/start-up, who showcased their innovative solutions and presented them to local public buyers for reaching new markets.

Local administration, to get to know leading-edge solutions stemming from Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe projects for meeting their local needs.

University/research and technology organisation, to bridge the gap between the development of innovative solutions and their uptake.

Urbanization is the issue of the future. The growth of urban citizens involve the Public Administration in the challenge of raising the level of innovation and sustainability in the cities.

This is the reason why ETRA and Replan project attended to this exciting and dynamic event

We will go back Barcelona on 20^th November for a Replan Workshop. Keep following us !

HOME SUSTAINABLE HOME

With RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Project we took part to the event in cooperation with ANTEL (The National Association of Technician of Public Administration) to promote the project and the best practice to make building more sustainable.

On 10^th October we held the Workshop “Construction and Circular Economy: innovations, experiences and synergies between different recycled materials” Speakers from the Partners organizations (ETRA, Ecosistemi, Politecnico of Turin) as well as from other Universities and the Industry, all deeply involved in projects and activities aiming to increase sustainability of building constructions.

Today, 55% of the world's population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050. This trend is not only growing but also accelerating.

This condition is posing ever increasing pressure on many different issues related to urban context, such as waste recycling, pollution, housing, mobility and transport infrastructures, quality of life, just mention a few, to which Public Authorities are laying great attention trying to respond to raising demands from the population.

SAIE is the most important Building Fair, Design, construction, plant engineering held every year in Italy. An occasion of business and networking, to discover the excellence of the entire building supply chain, through specific paths dedicated to key themes of innovation, sismic safety, sustainability and digital transformation.

THE LONG WAY TOWARDS RUBBERISED ASPHALT

On 9-12 October In Bologna (Italy) it was held Asphaltica, the reference event in Italy for the road infrastructure sector, a real meeting point for the national and international network. This event offers companies of this sector, the opportunity to grow and innovate, fostering new collaborations and the sharing of valuable knowledge.

We attended the fair with the aim to explore opportunity to promote the use of RTMs in asphalt paving. To do so it is essential the role of Public Administration in supporting the demand of more sustainable materials and products. Replan project is working to raise awareness of P.A. and stakeholders.

We also use this opportunity to promote the next event on rubberized asphalt that we will doing in Rome on 5 th December 2024. It has been a coordinated action done in cooperation of the Company RECYKL who a key member of ETRA and WMRC the Polish partner of Replan.

RECIKL presented the innovative SMAPOL technology that allow to use recycled tyre textile in road asphalts.

BOLOGNA WORLD CAPITAL OF BIOECONOMY ON OCTOBER 3-4 (IFIB 2024)

IFIB 2024 took take place in Bologna at Fondazione Golinelli. The Italian food valley will became the world capital of bioeconomy. Organized by ART-ER, as partner of the Enterprise Europe Network, is organising, together with Circular Bioeconomy Cluster SPRING and Innovhub-SSI, the 14th edition of IFIB - International Forum on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy, aimed at strengthening the bioeconomy network in the Euro-Mediterranean area and to promote partnerships.

The topic of the Forum is circular bioeconomy, with particular attention to industrial biotechnology as Key Enabling Technology.

Connected to the congress there was a matchmaking event to which we attended with the aim to explore opportunity to introduce bio based material in the tyre recycling value chain. In doing this we took the chance to explain the role of Public Administration in support the demand of more sustainable materials and products and the role that Replan is playing in this direction.

Five sessions of pre-arranged face-to-face bilateral meetings (B2B) between Start-ups, Companies, Universities, public and private Research Centres in the field of industrial biotechnology and bio economy will took place during the two days of the event.

Participants came from Europe and beyond to find potential partners for collaborations, business development, licensing agreements, joint ventures, research projects, exchange of experiences and partnership opportunities.

Topic Addressed

Bioeconomy and circular economy
Bio-based industries
Agro-food
Marine biotechnology
White biotechnology

Conference topics

Bio-based industries
Biocities and bioregions for the bioeconomy
Energy shortage- incentives to overcome the actual crisis
How to measure the bioeconomy
Circular bioeconomy at regional scale
Agrofood & new biomaterials
Start-up pitches
From Agriculture to Industries: the role of value chains

PLASTIC & RUBBER RECYCLING ? VALE !

On 1^st and 2^nd October in Valencia at AIMPLAS technological centre it was held the joint workshop AIMPLAS-ETRA to explore opportunities to set up new EU funded projects on Tyre, Rubber, and Plastic recycling with a high level of valorization.

The event was lively and well attended. It gathered together many speakers with different skills, backgrounds, experiences, in material recycling. The program offered various moments of interaction among participants and between them and the many technicians and experts.

Some new project ideas, based on recent innovations, were discussed in separate pitch sessions.

The visit to the labs was also a good moment to discuss about possible technologies that can be applied to rubber and plastics, to valorize them alone or in combination.

Past and current projects were disseminated, disclosing new opportunities. ETRA presented two life projects : InReGEO, on water jet technology applied to OTR tyres and RE-PLAN CITY LIFE, to raise awareness on the use of Recycled Tyre Materials in public works.

They were two days of intensive work which offered also pleasant moments of free talks and networking.

Nice people, good weather, excellent food.

See you next time in Valencia.

SHIFTING ECONOMY WEEK

On 26 September 2024 in Brussels in a suggestive venue which is an old

restructured knitting workshop. It was held the final event of the Shifting Week.
This year the Shifting Economy Week, included 6 days of conferences during the transition phase of the business, plus 45 events plus 650 people present during the semester and 550 participants during the
sessions.

But above all: lots of meetings, moments of exchange and inspiration for a more sustainable and inclusive economy in the Brussels-Capital Region.

It was an occasion to meet lot of people differently involved in Circular Economy and make them aware of what’s happen in tyre recycling and what we are doing in Replan project to promote the use of RTMs.
It was impressive to see how many people are shifting towards a more sustainable way of living and agree the Public Administration adopts more best practice to support Circular Economy.

BITUMINOUS MIXTURES AND PAVEMENTS

Re-Plan was presented at the 8th International Conference with the participation of KERIDIS Company working in road construction and civil engineering from 12^th to 14^th of June 2024 in Thessaloniki.

The Highway Engineering Laboratory of the Department of Civil Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in conjunction with Universities from the UK, USA, Netherlands and Belgium presented new developments, technologies, specifications in bituminous materials and pavements.

REPLAN IN CASALMAGGIORE

Wedged between the territories of Mantua and Parma, Casalmaggiore is a town in the province of Cremona that has always been well known for its proximity to the Po river and its key position for controlling river traffic. Its special connection with the river and its traffic has always characterized the history of this town.

This feature could have contributed to stimulating a team of entrepreneurs to develop and build fully mobile equipment to recycle end-of-life turf that was presented during an open day organized by All Sports Recycled on 4th June, right in Casalmaggiore.

It is a unique wet separation technology to clean and separate sand and crumb rubber with a real industrial capacity. All are tightly integrated into a cost-efficient mobile (of fixed) package, with a small footprint. The quality of the output is very good and allows a high level of circularity.

Working Group 1 of Replan attended this interesting event on the 4th of June to either keep track of what is going on in the Sport sector and for a networking opportunity. The interesting talks following the demonstration suggested some reflections on the recent infill ban decision.

This technology as well as many other recently developed and arrived on the market made Artificial Turf completely circular and even more sustainable than it was until now.

These features would maximize its potential if the materials were used, as much as possible, directly on site, reducing pollution and the cost of avoidable transports, thanks to the mobile concept of the technology. This is particularly true for the recycled rubber infill material, which keeps its property unchanged for a long period and may be used again and again in the same place.

It’s a pity that the ban will frustrate, in the future, this potential, requiring us to move output materials instead of supporting a zero-kilometer best practice.

This concept, as said, makes Artificial Turf more sustainable and matches well with the adoption of Risk Management Measures to contain microplastics. Together they address these issues well both during and after turf life, and contribute to a stronger CO2 reduction than other solutions.

STUDY TOUR TO THE SILESIAN VOIVODESHIP

The Study Tour for representatives of Ukrainian local authorities to the Silesian Voivodeship took place in Katowice, Poland, organised by our partners from IETU. The V4RIT-SURR Project is dedicated to V4 Regions in Transition Supporting Ukraine's Redevelopment and Reconstruction.

The visit began on May 27th with an introductory workshop titled "Different Sides of a Just Transition in the Silesian Region." This workshop provided an opportunity to learn about the specifics of the local government system in areas such as municipal waste management, post-consumer tires, air quality, post-mining and energy transition, social aspects of the transition process, social dialogue, and initiating cooperation between local partners in socio-economic transformation and R&D units with economic entities.

Experts from IETU shared their experiences and information.

FORUM COMPRAVERDE BUYGREEN

"The numbers of Green Public Procurement in Italy"

On 15-16 May 2024 RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Team attended the FORUM BUYGREEN in Rome. It was a two day event during which we networked and presented the project to the many Stakeholders involved.

On 16 May 2024 at 11.30 Sabina Nicolella from Ecosistemi ran a WORLD CAFÉ dedicated to Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs). A selected group of participants both from Italy and abroad, involved in tyre recycling value chain or anyway motivated to contribute to it with their professional background, took part in it.

The high quality of delegates made it possible to have lively, interesting discussions on the obstacles that limit the diffusion of RTMs and identify some possible tools that the project could develop.

In addition to Ecosistemi who organized the event, ETRA, POLITO and UNITO animated the discussion groups.

Forum Buygreen is the reference event in Europe for public and private Green Procurement policies, projects, goods and services. An international event that annually brings together the main players involved in the dissemination and implementation of sustainable procurement of goods and services and in building the right development models for the ecological transition.

The Forum was important to promote Replan and raise awareness on RTMs, but also gave us the opportunity to increase our understanding of GPP implementation in Italy.

According to the VII Report 2024 presented at the Forum

of the Green Procurement Observatory of Legambiente and Ecosistemi Foundation it comes out that eight years after their entry into force, the performance of PA in the implementation of policies necessary for the GPP and on the adoption of CAM is on average 62% only. Alarm bell also on the monitoring of purchases: only 17% of contracting authorities carry out checks on the correct use of the tool. The good news is that for 98% of public administrations, knowledge of GPP is a policy considered necessary for its correct application. We could say that there is a positive willing but quite a lot of work to do, also for Replan.

EUROPEAN CLUSTERS MET IN BRUSSELS

On 7 and 8 May 2024 it was held in Brussels at the European Cluster Conference, attended by over 750 participants.

The European Cluster Conference 2024 aimed to highlight the vital role of clusters in advancing EU industrial priorities. It seeks to engage stakeholders in discussions on ongoing Commission initiatives, collecting feedback on 2024 priorities and encouraging bottom-up actions.

In addition to the Conference two important activities contributed to make the event dynamic and exciting: the exhibition with 70 clusters giving visibility to their projects and the matchmaking, with 526 meetings in presence held. The event gathered round participants of all types to foster innovation and its spillover across different industrial ecosystems, including both private companies and public procurers.

ETRA attended and actively took part in these activities and established 29 good contacts with persons / projects / organizations interested in the RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project and to future co-operations.

The event raised awareness about the role of clusters, the European Cluster Collaboration Platform, and stimulated debates on clusters’ possible actions to shape the future of the EU Single Market.

Tyre Recycling is a transversal Industry that operates with various players from many different sectors, looking for new collaborations as Replan Community is doing.

More info: https://europeanclusterconference2024.eu/

REFLECTING ON BIENNALE TECNOLOGIA

From April 18th to 21st, we participated in the major conference organized by Politecnico di Torino, where we engaged with attendees at the RePlan stand. Biennale Tecnologia aims to explore the relationship between technology and society, covering a wide array of topics ranging from the environment to democracy, from health to work.

Our partners, Città metropolitana di Torino, University of Turin and ETRA European Tyre Recycling Association, took part and explained the ELT problem and its solutions. The interest shown by people reaffirmed the importance of the End of Life Tyres problem. It was an inspiring platform to discuss technologies and how we can collectively build new solutions with Recycled TyreMaterials.

THE 29TH ETRA CONFERENCE
«CIRCULAR TRANSITION IN TYRE RECYCLING»

This Conference confirmed to be the leading event on tyre recycling and innovation, thanks to the high quality Speakers and the interest from many people: 136 people from 38 countries registered for various sessions and activities, which included a EU project meeting and workshop, among the others.

These two days were filled with a busy schedule and we were thrilled to welcome our speakers and participants. We delved into critical challenges, and discussions on transition options and solutions in rubberized asphalt, building, and construction. The interactive Round Table discussion led by Jean-Paul Bouysset was held with the active contribution from many Speakers and Attendees.

Tire Recycling sector has been innovating and investing along the years and is looking for an equally motivated engagement from other stakeholders of the value chain. Tyre manufacturers are committed to increase sustainability of new tyre production.

Urgent questions, such as recyclability, were raised. The key solution is innovative recyclable materials. Yet, the transition has just begun, it is essential to foresee also the possibility to recycle the final product. Mindset shift is paramount, not only for companies but also consumers, and collaboration is vital for systemic change.

Many questions were raised such as: Where lies the line between producer and consumer responsibility? How long until new rubber products hit the market? Can mobility as-a-service curb tire demand? We explored these questions and more, sharing insights across Tyre Recycling businesses. Thanks to all for enriching discussions, to our speakers, and participants for two fruitful days!

RE-PLAN WORKSHOP

RECYCLED MATERIALS and PUBLIC WORKS:

HOW TO REDUCE THE GAP

Thank you to all the participants and Marco Tosi for being part of the Replan workshop “Recycled Materials and Public Works: How to reduce the gap” in Brussels. It was a fantastic opportunity to engage in lively discussions, share insights, and learn more about the current situation in the TyreRecycling sector.

We were pleased to see over 50 enthusiastic specialists from diverse companies and backgrounds actively participating in the interactive discussion moderated by Sabina Nicolella from Fondazione Ecosistemi and Jose Lucas Masero from ITeC - Institut de Tecnologia de la Construcció de Catalunya, who shared recent updates regarding regulations and innovations.

More information in our

newsletter

THE REGION OF CRETE:
RTMS - BREATH OF SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR CITIES

On March 27 with 50 attendees including public authorities, academia, and engineers, the event addressed key topics:

Reevaluating RTMs in Green Public Procurement in Greece through the Minister of Public Works and other Public Bodies
Post-2031 EU limitations and involvement of Public Organizations
Technical advantages of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) through networking and dissemination

Attendees discussed the importance of incorporating RTMs into Green Public Procurement practices and shared successful RTM initiatives at both the European and local levels. Moving forward, initiatives will be taken to promote the use of Recycled Tyres by agencies.

We express our gratitude to our partners for coordinating and hosting the event!

10TH INTERREGIONAL COOPERATION FORUM

On 20-21 March 2024 in Antwerpen, in the beautiful Venue of the Handelsbeurs it was held the 10th interregional cooperation forum, titled: “Europe, let’s cooperate!”

ETRA attended and took part in several bilateral and networking meetings to spread information about the Replan project and to raise awareness on the use of the Recycled Tyre Materials(RTMs) in many different fields of Public Works.

Attending was also important as ‘Europe, let’s cooperate!’ marked the launch of Interreg Europe’s third call for project proposals in the 2021-2027 programming period. This call could offer good opportunities to enhance replicability of Replan through cooperation projects in Europe.

Over 50 face to face meetings and conversation were made with motivated high level professionals and new contacts established expanding the Replan network.

EUROPEAN SUMMIT OF REGIONS AND CITIES

The RE-PLAN project participated in the European Summit of Regions and Cities in Mons, Belgium on 18-19 March 2024 with approximately 2000 attendees.

Thousands of mayors, councillors, regional ministers and top European and global decisionmakers gathered in Mons, in the Walloon Region of Belgium to debate the challenges and solutions for the future of Europe and beyond:
- Global challenges, local solutions;
- Cohesion, well-being and sustainability;

- Local means innovation;
- Cities and regions at the heart of democracy.

RE-PLAN engaged in over 20 detailed conversations, presenting Replan and exploring potential synergies. Many projects aligned with Circular Economy, Urban Transition, and Green Deal objectives were invited to the REPLAN workshop in Brussels on April 17, 2024 h.14:00. Additionally, some organizers invited us to present Replan at their events linked to EU projects or regional/national bodies.

ROAD TRANSPORT RESEARCH

The RTR Conference in Brussels from 5 – 7 February 2024, focusing on Results from Road Transport Research, welcomed over 600 participants, featuring 76 projects and 83 speakers. As the 7th edition, it stood as a unique gateway into the accomplishments of EU-funded projects in road transport. Participants gained insights into the results, expected impacts, and upcoming research steps in critical areas: Green Vehicles, Urban Mobility, Logistics, Intelligent Transport Systems, Safety, and Automated Road Transport.

The conference offered a comprehensive overview of the dynamic European research landscape, delivering benefits to the environment, economy, and European society. This resonates with the networking objectives of Re-Plan, fostering discussions and connections with motivated stakeholders regarding the diverse applications of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) in rubberized asphalt, road furniture, and rail construction.

Themes explored during the sessions highlighted that there will be a deep evolution in future mobility, which involves both vehicles and infrastructures, which should be more sustainable. These discussions are pivotal to the Re-Plan project, underscoring its relevance in the context of sustainable road transport research.

Organized by ERTRAC (European Road Transport Research Advisory Council) and the European Commission, the event not only served as a knowledge-sharing platform but also facilitated valuable interactions, contributing to the collaborative momentum in advancing road transport research.

BACK FROM VALENCIA

From January 31 to February 2, 2024, in Valencia, The Grass & Yarn Conference was held. An important event which gathered together a wide group of operators involved at different levels in the Artificial Turf value chain.

We had the opportunity to illustrate the activities that Replan Project is carrying on to support recycled rubber infill materials, either in a lively debate or in a dedicated session.

There is still confusion on the reasons and the prescription of the ban, which created concern on the future market of SBR rubber infill.

It was important to explain to the Delegates how it works the decision adopted by the EU Commission on 26 September 2023: “For the next 8 years artificial pitches can be made with recycled rubber infill material and they can remain in regular operation until they reach the end of their life.”

To address concerns, Replan is intensifying efforts with upcoming initiatives:

- Systematic Revision of Scientific Researches to highlight existing gaps between perception and proven facts.

- Prepare Replan Guidelines on infill material to provide clarity for end-users, especially Public Administrations facing cost challenges.The majority of Public Administrations face financial challenges in adopting costly alternative infill materials, raising concerns about ensuring access to sports for their citizens.

- A follow-up session at the 29th ETRA Conference on April 17-19 in Brussels, analyzing joint implications for artificial turf and the tyre sector.

For further information and insights, read our clear articles:

NEAR BROWN BAG LUNCH TALK ON "RECYCLING OF TYRES”

On 15th December 2023 in Brussels, organised by DG NEAR of EU Commission, the first NEAR Brown Bag Lunch Talk. It is a series of meetings to present and discuss various types of opportunities that may contribute to facilitating the Green Transition in the NEAR Countries. The event was organised both online or in presence with a casual setting where people could bring their lunch, relax, and engage in stress-free conversations with other colleagues.

This was the first event and was focused on Tyre Recycling and ETRA was invited to make a presentation of the situation and opportunities of Tyre Recycling in the light of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan.

Dr. Musacchi from ETRA made a synthesis of 30 years of tyre recycling throughout Europe and the many results achieved thanks to many EU funded projects.

Among the projects described high attention was given to those from the LIFE Program, which seems suitable for a replicability in the NEAR countries: RE-PLAN CITY LIFE to raise awareness among Public Administration on the use of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) in public works and LIFE InReGEO to develop a solution for the giant EOL OTRs tyres. More info at https://lifeinregeo.eu/

End-of-Life Tyres present a pressing concern in NEAR countries, often addressed through environmentally inefficient practices like burning in cement kilns. In the spirit of the transition to a circular economy promoted by the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, reprocessing tyres into higher value outputs offers a cost-effective and ecologically sound solution, extending the life of raw materials.

The critical situation in some countries were illustrated, with a special focus on Ukraine and Morocco were presented and discussed. These are two countries that could be a good target for future action.

The NEAR Brown Bag Lunch Talks serve as a platform to showcase successful initiatives that integrate environmental and climate change considerations across various sectors. Our goal is to inspire headquarters and EU Delegation staff in the NEAR region to champion similar green initiatives, thereby contributing to the achievement of climate and biodiversity spending targets. Furthermore, these sessions offered an opportunity to spotlight available 'greening' tools, such as the Quick Tips, and showcase the support services at your disposal.

The hybrid formula allowed many people from the NEAR Countries to attend online. Over 60 people registered for the event, while over 300 were reached with the information provided at the end of the meeting. Some participants from the audience raised questions and contributed to the debate. A follow-up event in their country was recommended, along with proposing a dedicated workshop on Tyre Recycling opportunities of the NEAR Countries at the next ETRA Conference in Brussels on April 17-19, 2024.

AGORADA KRAKÓW

On December 11, 2023, for the first time in Krakow, the AGORADA+ meeting combined with the Clusters Meet Regions workshops was held, titled "Cosmic Małopolska - Cosmoi in Małopolska". Project partners, IETU Katowice and Waste Management and Recycling Cluster , National Key Cluster, actively participated in the Workshop and discussed harnessing aerospace technologies, Smart City concepts, and life sciences for regional development.

The event, attended by more than 70 people in person, aimed to bring together cluster members and stakeholders, including administration and public authorities, recyclers, manufacturers, research and development units, waste management market representatives, recovery organizations, and NGOs.

It should recalled the key role of the organizer, EURADA, European Association of Development Agency, with whom ETRA has been cooperating, who created and grew up along the years and incredible network of organizations and a vast program of events focused on innovation and cooperation, spanning throughout the EU, Near Countries, Africa and South America, among the others.

The workshop provided a platform for valuable local and international networking, facilitating the exchange of experiences and highlighting opportunities for cooperation among clusters from different European regions. The sessions focused on regional priorities, emphasizing the roles of clusters and public authorities, Smart Cities, and the New European Bauhaus.

During the event, in person discussion of the Re-Plan Project scope and areas of application were conducted, contributing to the ongoing efforts in waste management, recycling, and regional development.

EUPAVE DEBATE “DEPLOYMENT OF INNOVATIVE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CLIMATE-NEUTRAL MOBILITY”

On Tuesday 5 December 2023, EUPAVE hosted its EU Debate on the theme “Deployment of innovative infrastructure for climate-neutral mobility”. The event was focused on dynamic charging and Electric Road Systems (ERS). EUPAVE believes that combining dynamic charging with concrete pavements will lead to the development of highly sustainable and resilient solutions for road transport. It was remarked that concrete pavements are preferred for long-life, maintenance-free structures.

Recycled Tyre Materials have a great potential of use in Concrete and Cementitious Materials. One of the most promising application is the use of recycled steel fibers in concrete for reinforcement in paving and road construction with increased performance and strong reduction of the CO2 emission: 95% less compared to virgin steel reinforcement.

The event was focused on road applications, to underline the effort to make mobility more sustainable as regard of both materials used in infrastructure and type of vehicles. Concrete and Transport Infrastructure are among the target sectors for Replan and the event was a good opportunity to spread information about project activities and tyre recycling.

RAIL LIVE

The Rail Live conference was held in Madrid on November 29, 2023. Rail Live is the benchmark railway exhibition and conference in Spain, bringing together operators, infrastructure managers, rolling stock manufacturers, researchers and suppliers seeking to promote the railway for both passengers and freight with more than 7.000 attendees.

COMSA actively participated in the event, preparing a poster and the presentation of Re-Plan City LIFE in the innovation and talent zone of the fair. The presentation summarised the Re-Plan project figures, motivation, objectives and actions, and was followed with an introduction of two railway innovations with Recycled Tyres Materials: Neoballast and Ecotrack.

The Neoballast presentation covered mechanical improvements and environmental benefits, featuring test examples on the ADIF line and in the Barcelona metro. The presentation also introduced ECOTRACK, a rail encapsulation utilizing end-of-life tire rubber, outlining its characteristics and showcasing a field test demonstration on the Barcelona Port FGC rail line.

COMMITTEE OF THE REGION WORKSHOP FOR CAMPANIA REGION LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS

From 22 to 24 November it was held in Brussels at the Committee of the Regions, a training event organised by EIPA, European Institute of Public Administration, addressed to Majors, Councillors, and Public Officials coming from Municipalities and local bodies of the Campania Region of Italy.
The event, titled “Communication action aimed at disseminating the opportunities of European funds and the activation of exchange paths of good practices”, has been designed to allow a strong interaction between speakers and participants.

The face to face module was indeed very lively and provided participants with an in-depth analysis of European policies and programs of relevance for the Campania Region in the context of European funds. Alongside European policies and strategies, the module also combines the first experiences from ESF+/EAFRD programming but also from complementarities with direct funds in the fields of training/education and agriculture. The course also includes a direct in-depth study of design methodologies. Speakers from European institutions and interest representatives in Brussels will participate to share good practices.
The training session included:
• Update on European policies in the fields of training, education and social innovation and rural development
• The innovations in the ESF+ compared to the ESF and the EAFRD and the critical points of the European and NGEU/PNRR planning
• In-depth study of design techniques, financial management
• Visit to the European institutions (European Parliament in Brussels, Committee of the Regions, Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU) Course recipients Group of political-administrative level officials of the Campania Region (Agriculture Training Department).
Ettore Musacchi, Coordinator of the project was invited as speaker to present the Replan project and explain to the audience the many possibilities of using the Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) and the other opportunities for local bodies.
This was a perfect context for the Re-Plan project and the presentation raised great attention and a lot of demands which were also addressed during the breaks and networking moments.

SALON DES MAIRES

On 21st November 2023 Re-Plan Project stopped in Paris at the international fair “Salon des Maires et des Collectivités Locales” (The Exhibition of Mayors and Local Authorities).

The French Mayors’ exhibition is a unique European event addressing local issues and territorial stakeholders. It gathers French, European and International representatives of local authorities, either elected officials, decision makers and administration higher positions. It hence attracts the partners they cooperate with either institutions, associations and businesses.
The event enables this locale strategic ecosystem to meet, debate and decide for the future of their territories and their inhabitants while facing pressing ecological, economic and social challenges. The exhibition gathered notable number of attendees: 1.203 exhibitors, 50.039 visitors, 352, conferences.

The event was a perfect venue to come in touch with Public Administrations and companies working with them in all the target sectors in which Re-Plan is engaged: Transport Infrastructure, Buildings Constructions, Sports facilities. During the event we met over 50 stakeholders with whom discussed Re-Plan, we illustrated the opportunities offered and the possible future cooperation.

The event is almost 20 years old and it is a reference event for the French Public Administration.

SMART CITY EXPO WORLD CONGRESS

Smart City Expo World Congress, the largest and most

impactful event for urban innovation, took place from November 7th to 9th, 2023, in Barcelona. The event aimed to bring together leaders from innovative companies, governments, and organizations to address the critical challenges facing cities worldwide.

The event attracted a substantial audience, with 25,300 people in attendance. ITeC actively participated in the congress, engaging with at least 300 individuals interested in urban innovation and sustainability through the REPLAN CITY stand.

The project's objective is to establish a stakeholder platform, fostering communication among recycling stakeholders. This initiative presents a valuable opportunity for smart city development by facilitating collaboration and knowledge exchange within the recycling community.

ECOMONDO

On the 9th of November 2023, Re-Plan was presented at

the ECOMONDO Fair in Rimini, Italy during the workshop 'Operational and Assessment Tools for the Management of Materials and Energy in a Circular Economy.'

ECOMONDO is the premier international circular economy exhibition in Italy and one of the most significant events in Europe. In 2023, the exhibition hosted over 1,500 exhibiting brands across four intense days of business and networking.

The workshop spanned a full day with 25 speakers from various countries and fields of activity, all dedicated to implementing projects and processes related to the Circular Economy.

The project was illustrated in detail as well as the main innovative uses of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs). Participants were impressed by the wide array of applications and their high value in terms of performance and sustainability.

CIRCULAR CITIES & REGIONS INITIATIVE

The 1st General Conference of the Circular Cities & Regions Initiative (CCRI) took place in Brussels on November 8-9. The title was "From vision to reality: Cities & Regions drive forward Europe’s circular transition". Organized by the European Commission, the event gathered heads of many cities and regions, as well as stakeholders committed to the Circular Economy.

Projects were focused on supporting new initiatives and expanding circularity, particularly:

Innovative Circular Systemic Solutions
Mobilizing key stakeholders and transforming governance models
Financing Circular Systemic Solutions
Coupling circularity with climate action for the green transition

Cities & Regions was a major event for expanding project communications and dissemination, providing opportunities for networking.

SAIE

SAIE is the major Italian exhibition representing the construction sector, which was held on 19th - 21st October 2023. The event garnered significant attention with 407 exhibitors and 123 workshops, drawing over 18,000 attendees in Bari, Italy.

RE-PLAN, in collaboration with ANTEL (National Association of Local Authorities Technicians), organized the workshop: “Circular Economy in Construction for environmental sustainability, research, strategies, innovations and experiences on the reuse of recycled materials.”

The presentations were focused on building applications of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs), spanning from rubber, steel, and textile ion concrete to thermal and noise-insulating products and applications done with the rubber and textile. Also, Urban and Sports applications were described as the Fair attracts a vast spectrum of interests.

MODERN ROAD PAVEMENTS

RE-PLAN City attended the "Modern Road Pavements - Recycling in Road Pavement Structures 2023" conference on 18th October in Warsaw, Poland.

The Conference is an excellent opportunity for all manufacturers and professionals in the field of road infrastructure, that's why it was attended by more than 100 participants from industry, Universities, Research Organisations, and Public Bodies.

Among the discussed topics were asphalt mixtures with recycled materials, road pavement structures, pavement rehabilitation, and how to make components more ecological.

RE-PLAN identified the main obstacles to using Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) in Roads and Transport Infrastructures and solutions. The presentation also included recent innovation developments by the company RECYKL about using recycled textile in road applications in Poland.

If you're interested in the innovative use of recycled materials in road pavements and RECYKL experience, we have a dedicated article on the event and its outcome.

REPLAN MET CITIES AND REGIONS IN BRUSSELS

From 9 to 12 October, the European Week of Regions and Cities took place in Brussels. It was attended by over 7000 participants, 500 speakers who animated 220 workshops and made possible an exciting lively fully physical event.

The European Week of Regions and Cities (#EURegionsWeek) is the biggest annual Brussels-based event dedicated to cohesion policy.
It has grown to become a neutral platform to discuss common challenges for Europe's regions and cities by bringing together a diverse community of speakers and participants.

It was an opportunity for Re-Plan to attend and meet with Local and Regional Authorities and network with many other EU projects focused on Circular Economy, Sustainable Development, Green solution for Urban environment.

The purpose of European Week of Regions and Cities is:

To discuss common challenges for Europe's regions and cities and examine possible solutions by bringing together politicians, decision-makers, experts and practitioners of cohesion policy, as well as stakeholders from business, banking, civil society organisations, academia, the EU institutions and the media
To provide a platform for capacity-building, learning and exchange of experience and good practice for those implementing EU cohesion policy and managing its financial instruments
To facilitate cooperation and networking between regions and cities
To feed into the debate on EU cohesion policy in a wider context, including recent research and views from third countries and international organisations

More info at Website: https://regions-and-cities.europa.eu

RETASTE

It was a fruitful month for events, our partners from the Region of Crete also participated in RETASTE on 29th of September. RETASTE: RETHINK FOOD RESOURCES, LOSSES, AND WASTE 2023 is a conference in the field of Life Cycle Assessment of the farm-to-fork value chain. Food waste management is not so far from tyres and their management as it seems. Farms which are the starting points for the farm-to-fork value chain often use recycled rubber for flooring to increase comfort and health conditions of cows.

For instance, there are several applications for rubber mat flooring, including in dairy, beef, and equine facilities! At our last Workshop on Building Construction in Turin, rubber and concrete bricks and flooring for stables were presented. For more information about the event, please refer to the article below. This type of product is a more ecological and comfortable solution for housing horses.

Thanks to our partners from Crete, who expanded the range of events for promoting recycled tyre materials with Re-Plan and contributed to the circular economy through non-obvious, but important tyre applications.

RE-PLAN PROJECT MEETING IN TURIN

34 persons from 8 countries attended the Turin Project meeting and the two workshops, which took place in Turin, Italy, on September 28th and 29th, 2023.

The first day started with the RE-PLAN official project meeting and the Workshop on Rubberised asphalt which concluded with a fruitful round-table discussion. Participants, including manufacturers and contractors, actively engaged in discussions about current industry challenges and potential solutions.

On the 29th, during the Recycled Tyre in Building Construction workshop, participants had the opportunity to visit the Concrete Structure Labs. There, they could observe materials and equipment up close, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the manufacturing processes.

Following this, a series of presentations and lively discussions took place on topics such as RTMs in Concrete and Cement based applications, optimizing tyre rubber-concrete formulations for scaling-up to lightweight paving applications. Manufacturer speakers also shared valuable experience about the use of rubber in concrete, steel fibers, and recycled aggregates in concrete mixtures and on-site applications and even provided product samples!

This meeting was of great interest to both participants and stakeholders. A more detailed analysis on data discussed during the workshop as well as other results will be shared at a later date.

Participants enjoyed working together during two intensive days nicely hosted by Città Metropolitana di Torino and Politecnico di Torino.

RE-PLAN PROJECT PRESENTED TO THE SILESIAN VOIVODESHIP

On July 27-28 and August 2-3, Re-Plan City LIFE participated in the Public Consultations on the Waste Management Plan for the Silesian Voivodeship for 2023-2028 organized by The Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas (IETU) in Katowice, Poland.

Representatives from public administration (municipalities and the Marshall Office of Silesian Province), waste operators, engineers, and SMEs, representing the 167 Municipalities of the Silesian Voivodeship are involved in the plan. Altogether, about 200 people were trained during this workshop.

IETU is responsible for implementing the Waste Management Plan, and a series of workshops were conducted within 4 days. A “Materials from Tire Recycling - Products and Possible Applications in Local Government Investments” session was held as part of the workshop on the theme “Issues of Recycling and Reuse of Waste in Municipalities”.

Other key topics were discussed, including:

RTM products for the transport and construction sectors, particularly in the Silesian metropolis, to reduce noise and vibrations in public tram transport. This point was particularly on target due to the fact that many communes of the Silesian metropolis rely on rails for public transport.

The role of Green Public Procurement (GPP) in municipal investments, is especially significant in Poland where GPP implementation is still in the development stage.

It was an excellent event to promote the RE-PLAN CITY project and join the Working Group for municipalities and entrepreneurs in the sector of waste treatment.

The Waste Management Plan for the Silesian Voivodeship.pdf

INNOVATION IS TOLD

On 23^rd June, organized by the Innovation Poles of Piedmont Region, it was held an event in Turin named “Innovation is Told”. The format and set up was really exciting and included different moments.

The Innovation is TALKED and DESIGNED: conference + tenders + pitch! A dynamic workshop in which innovation is told in an agile and concrete way through the solutions and products created by the companies themselves.

Innovation is SHARED: light lunch + networking activities The day continued together with the Poles and was dedicated to tenders and networking, where there was the opportunity to get in touch with companies, investors and clusters to explore business and collaboration opportunities during the light lunch.

RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project has been introduced and during the networking receiving good attention interest to future cooperation.

Innovation is the house light for tyre recycling and in Turin there are three key partners of Replan project and lot of ongoing co-operations.

ADVANTEX

On 19^th June at Politenico of Turin has been held the closing event of ADVANTEX, a research of innovative tools to support the logistics of use of excavated materials (marino) produced by the Turin-Lyon railway line for the best sustainability and circular economy of the process.

The event was addressed to a selected and qualified audience working in the field of concrete and sustainable rails infrastructure.

The research was carried out by Politecnico of Turin testing also steel fibers from tyre recycling, thanks to the cooperation with companies and organisations who are also involved in Replan project.

The test showed that the use of recycled steel fibers contributes to a significant flexural strength and allow the use of up to 30% of coarse recycled aggregates with an increase of compressive strength.

RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project has been recalled in this presentation by Prof. Fantilli (Politecnico) and then deeply described by Geom. Marabotto (ETRA) to participants during the after event follow-up meetings, receiving good attention interest to future cooperation.

Avantex_Program.pdf

25TH JUBILEE CONFERENCE TRENDS IN ECO-DEVELOPMENT IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY”, ZAKOPANE, POLAND

On June 14th 2023, Re-Plan City LIFE appeared at the 25th Jubilee Conference “Trends in Eco-Development in the Chemical Industry”, which was held in Zakopane, Poland.

“Trends” are cyclical conference which brings together representatives of Polish industries, engineers, technicians, R&D units, legal regulators and public authorities. The host is an Association or Technicians and Engeneers of Chemical Industry, main partner and patronage: Grupa Azoty, the biggest, State owned Polish industrial corporation. The conference was held under the honorary patronage of the Ministry of Climate and Environment.

At the event, RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Project took the floor with a presentation: “Recycled tires materials (RTM's). Products and applications - Re-Plan City Life project”. During the presentation, the idea, purpose and consortium of the Re-Plan Project were characterized, as well as the main areas of interest of RTM's which we focuses on. The industrial sector appears as a potential and development market for RTM materials and products. This applies to both new materials and construction technologies, road construction, noise reduction, etc. Moreover, the promotion of material recycling is one of main rules of Circular Economy. In case of used tyres, there is a right alternative to chemical treatment of rubber and energy recovery. Backstage chats were a good opportunity to exchange experiences and carry on an interesting networking aiming to expand cooperation opportunities.

ITMA EXHIBITION

From 8^th to 14^th June it was held in Milan ITMA, the world's most influential textile and garment technology exhibition.

What has to do a Textile Exhibition with Tyre Recycling?

ITMA is the place where the textile industry converges every four years to showcase the latest textile and garment processing technologies, machinery and materials, promote collaborations and forge partnerships.

105.298 visitors from 136 countries 1.717 exhibitors, from 45 countires, 194 Supporting organisations, 95 Supporting Media, 239 Non-woven Exhibitors.

The non-woven technologies is the reason why ETRA attended this event. Tyre recycling sector produce every year, in Europe, not less than 300.000 tonnes of textile materials, which are mostly used for energy recovery, but could be used to produce valuable insulating materials, like those we developed under Insuleco Project.

At the event it was possible to meet textile recyclers and technology providers interested to cooperate in developing solutions for tyre textile materials.

Textile sectors is one of the biggest sector in the world and most impacting on the environment:

· 5 trillion litres of water used per year for dyeing processes

· 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 emitted from textiles production

· 50% increase in water usage by 2030

· 26% contribution to global carbon emission by 2050

They are generating every year huge amount of scraps and waste garments as only 1 item out 3 which are produced is actually sold, 2 out of 3 become waste.

These is the reason why they are interested to recycling and they are open to cooperate with tyre recycling sector and willing to work in ETRA’s projects, such as Replan and Insuleco, as well as new owns.

Insuleco_Brochure.pdf

ITMA-2023-Nonwoven-leaflet.pdf

ITMA-2023-Recycling-leaflet.pdf

ICLEI SPINS THE WHEEL

On 8^th June 2023 at ICLEI premise in Brussels it was held the workshop: “Spin the wheel - Financing the reskilling and upskilling for circular cities”, an official side event of the EU Green Week, and part of the ICLEI Brussels-based series of events Breakfast at Sustainability’s. The event explored linkages and concrete actions that should be considered by investors and project owners when developing circular and a long-lasting, place-based skills and workforce.

The event also highlighted the central role of local governments in linking both with the private sector as well as public and private investors. Participants had the opportunity to learn about ICLEI’s current efforts in delivering Project Development Assistance (PDA) to local authorities and other project developers in the frame of the DEFINITE-CCRI and CircularInvest projects under the umbrella the CCRI.

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 2500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. Active in 125+ countries, we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient and circular development.

The workshop and the context were a perfect opportunity to network and introduce RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Project to both private and public stakeholders who attended the event.

GREENWEEK

From 3^rd to 11^th June is the Green Week, celebrated throughout Europe with different type of events. In Brussels on 6^th and 7^th June it was oragnised by the EU Commission a Conference whose title is “Delivering a Net-Zero World”, attended some hundreds from all over Europe.

EU Green Week is an annual opportunity to debate, become familiar with, or even celebrate EU environment policy, to celebrate the progress we’ve made, and to encourage individuals, communities and organisations to take stronger action in future – to protect, preserve and restore our environment, for now and for future generations, while constantly promoting sustainable development.

It was a unique moment of networking to spread information of RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Project and to pick opportunities of cooperation and synergies with other EU projects, programs and initiatives.

Green Week 2023 Agenda.pdf

UITP SUMMIT - BARCELONA

The UITP summit is the largest worldwide meeting of the public transport and sustainable mobility sector, which took place in Barcelona from 4-7 June 2023.

COMSA, who is partner of RE-PLANCITY LIFE Project participated with a stand equipped with a big screen, where different construction and R&D project videos (including Re-Plan City life) were displayed. Indeed, COMSA’s R&D personnel, including Miquel Morata, Joan Peset and Valentí Fontserè were present at the stand, handing over brochures and explaining information of the projects, including Re-Plan City Life.

Different representatives of the administration visited the stand. We were proud to welcome the president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Pere Aragonès; the minister of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez; the president of ADIF, María Luisa Domínguez; the CEO of Metro de Madrid, S.A., Silvia Roldan; the general director of Mobility Planning and Infrastructures of the Madrid City Council, Lola Ortiz Sánchez; the general director of the Metro Network in Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), Òscar Playà; the coordinator of the Rodalies de Catalunya Plan, Pere Macias; and the director of the Xarxa Ferroviària i Projectes de Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Pere Mateu Soler; among other authorities, as well as institutions, companies and partners.

AGORADA 2023

On June 6^th 2023 at the European Committee of the Regions, organized by EURADA it was held AGORADA 2023.

The event was designed to function as meeting point for regional development practitioners. AGORADA creates and maintains a network of Regional Development Agencies by helping them connect and work together in activities related to their common interests.

This year’s edition was focused on Sustainable Cities and Regions tackling harnessing talent, up skilling & retraining; urban regeneration; and territorial innovation, interregional value chains & strategic foresight. It was so a perfect occasion of networking to introduce RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Project to attendees.

Founded in 1992, the European Association of Development Agencies (EURADA) gathers professionals working on economic development across Europe. EURADA represents development agencies before the European Union institutions.

The association facilitates the cooperation among regional economic development practitioners. They can network, plan common EU projects, cooperate, advocate, and participate at European level. EURADA serves as international well-established facility to connect development agencies with each other, with Europe, and with the opportunities Europe has to offer.

2023-06-07_EURADA_Flyer.pdf

AGORADA_2023_Agenda.pdf

CONSTRUMAT BARCELONA

On 23-25-May 2023 it has been held in Barcelona CONSTRUMAT 2023. With over 40 editions of the fair as the standard-bearer in Spain for the construction industry, Construmat is a globally-recognised brand for our commitment to innovation, sustainability and business.

208 companies, 388 brands exposed in 14,000 m2 of exhibition area were visited by about 15.000 visitors.

ITeC attended with a both in which held a workshop to present Replan project. Building sector is strategic for the project as it represent an important market for the Recycled Tyre Materials, which provide, among the others, rubber flooring insulating sheets, textile insulating panels, steel fiber for concrete reinforcement, rubber powder for plasters and 3D printing cement compound.

METABUILDING EVENT

On 25^th May by NOBATEK/INEF4 premised in Anglet (France) it was held an event to present the the GROW&HARVEST + SEED winner of the METABUILDING project, (coordinated at European level by NOBATEK/INEF4 and by Cercle Promodul / INEF4 at French level). ETRA attended to the Pitch session to present the results of the GreenDeal project. During the lateral meetings and networking moments Replan project was also presented.

The event was well attended by over 60 Nobatek Members and professionals, all working in the building sector and involved in the development of more sustainable technologies and products.

Nobatek is an important cluster who support the development and go to market of recycled building materials.

PLASTPOL - XXVII INTERNATIONAL FAIR OF PLASTICS AND RUBBER PROCESSING

On May 23, 2023, Re-Plan City LIFE appeared at the 27th International Fair of Plastics and Rubber Processing PLASTPOL (Kielce, Poland, May 23-26, 2023).

For over a quarter of a century, Kielce Fairs has been offering the plastics and rubber processing industry a space to conduct successful business meetings and strengthen personal contacts. This year's edition of PLASTPOL 2023 was attended by almost 600 companies from 26 countries around the world.

The topic of recycling and activities carried out between the producer, institutions and consumers was, raised during the conference "Recycling of plastics - one goal, many possibilities", which took place during the PLASTPOL fair. The meeting was organized by the Waste Management and Recycling Cluster - National Key Cluster (WMRC). As part of the conference, the workshops "Circular raw materials and products: recycling of used tires. Re-PLAN CITY LIFE” carried out in cooperation with the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas (IETU). Target Audience were cluster members and stakeholders – public administration, recyclers, manufacturers using RTM, suppliers of products containing RTM, research and development units, engineers, waste market analysts and brokers, recovery organizations, NGOs, SMEs. The workshops were preceded by presentations:

• The tire recycling market in the context of the circular economy. Katarzyna Błachowicz, Vice-President of the Management Board of WMRC

FORUM BUYGREEN

Forum Buygreen is the most important Italian event on Green Public Procurement organized by Fondazione Ecosistemi. The first edition dated back to 2007 and grew up continuously. This year they have been put together 26 workshops and working tables, 30 training workshops, 190 speakers, 270 Public Bodies, Companies and Organisations.

Four speakers from RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Project took part to the Workshop “Circular procurements in buildings and public works” describing the uses of Recycled Tyre Materials in Buildings and Roads constructions.

Speakers from Ministry of Environment and from other recycled materials value chains, also used in public works applications, took part to the Workshop and contributed to animate the debate.

2023-05-23-D_01_Brochure-Forum-Compraverde-2023_Web.pdf

2023-05-23-D_Programma-Forum-Compraverde-Buygreen-2023.pdf

FINANCING LOCAL CIRCULAR ECONOMY INITIATIVES

On 10^th May in Brussels, organized by the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, it was held an interesting event to discuss of how to face the high upfront investment costs of many circular economy initiatives.

The two Horizon Europe projects Deciso and Hoop address this issue by providing project development assistance, including the development of financing solutions and business plans for local circular economy initiatives with the ultimate aim of leveraging further public and private investment.

It was a good occasion to introduce ETRA and to share information about Replan project which matched well with the type of event and profile of attendee.

Some good new contacts were established with the aim to start cooperation or explore possibilities of new projects.

2023-05-05-R_HOOP_DECISO Programme.pdf

2023-05-10_Financing_Local_Circular_Initiatives.pdf

ASPHALTICA 2023

On 4^th and 5^th May Replan landed in Verona (Italy) to attend Asphaltica 2023, an international event gathering a fair and some workshops on the roads paving and constructions.

We attended to the three workshops on sustainable roads where we met some hold contacts of ETRA very active in promoting rubberized asphalt and still very friendly and motivated to co-operate with us in the frame of RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project.

Other occasion of contacts came from visiting the fair where we met some companies specialized in developing new products and open to use rubberized asphalt, as well with ANTEL, attending with their local members.

2023-05-10_Asphaltica_2023.pdf

METABUILDING - BRUSSELS

On 26 April 2023 in Brussels was held the METABUILDING event “Enhancing the circularity in the construction sector”, with the objective to bring together stakeholders from the construction and the recycling sector, foster cross-collaboration and showcase some of the innovative projects supported by METABUILDING.

ETRA coordinated two Metabuilding Projects: GreenDealles, on use do steel fibres in concrete, and MoRe R&C on the use of rubber powder in plaster with recycled carbon fibers.

This event was a perfect occasion to meet the other Metabuilding Winners and introduce to them ETRA and Replan project and carry on an interesting networking aiming to expand cooperation opportunities.

The construction sector needs to challenge its usual practices and innovate at a higher pace than ever before. For that, METABUILDING, an EU-funded H2020 project, has developed an innovation ecosystem that brings together stakeholders from construction and four emerging industrial sectors; recycling & circularity, additive manufacturing, nature-based solutions, and digital industry.

As part of the METABUILDING outreach activities and with the goal of fostering the cross-sectoral cooperation, Replan is pleased to give visibility to Metabuilding projects as well as other projects developing the use of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs).

MoRe_Flyer.pdf

Greendealles_Flyer.pdf

8486_METABUILDING PLATFORM_Brochure (EN).pdf

FIRM23 - BRUSSELS

On 25-26 April 2023 in Brussels it was held FIRM23, the FEHRL INFRASTRUCTURE RESEARCH MEETING 2023.

FIRM Meetings are a series of international Conferences and Seminars presenting FEHRL and its Cooperative Research Activities, dedicated to offering opportunities to Institutes and Associations linked to road engineering research topics including safety, materials, environmental issues, telematics and economic evaluation.

The event gather stakeholders involved in mobility infrastructure from all over Europe and outside. ETRA attended for networking purposes of Replan project. Some very interesting contacts were established as well as possibility of cooperation.

The Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories (FEHRL) was formed in 1989, with as objective the support towards coordination and application of research and innovation. FEHRL's mission is to promote and facilitate collaboration on road research and provide high-quality information and advice on technologies and policies related to roads. FEHRL encourages collaborative research into topics such as mobility, transport and infrastructure, energy, environment and resources, safety and security.

END OF LIFE ARTIFICIAL TURF

On 14^th April in Monza at the new u-Power stadium there was an interesting and well organized event (by Tsport Magazine) on the theme "Disposal and recovery of synthetic grass surfaces",

It was a good occasion for the networking of RE-PLAN CITY LIFE, aiming to expand project visibility and catch opportunities of cooperation.

Despite it was an event addressed to the Italian artificial turf sector, it should be noted that many of the companies attending have an international market approach as they are working throughout the EU.

The recycling of the turf makes available high quality rubber infill material ready to be re-used onsite in new artificial turf. However, despite the convenience and the very low footprint, owing to the threaten of the infill ban, this valuable materials risk to be sent to disposal.

2023-04-22_Replan_Article.pdf

2022-09-04_Infill_Ban.pdf

THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PUBLIC SPACE, BELLUNO (ITALY)

On 13^th April in Belluno (Italy), ANTEL, the Italian Association of Technicians of the Public Administration, organized a Workshop to present and discuss various experience of Public Space in the City and the Regeneration of the Urban Context.

The event see the active involvement of the Professional Order of Architects and the University of Ferrara, as well as the Municipality of Belluno. Many technicians from the Public Administration of northern Italy attended.

However the event had a wide scope it was a perfect occasion to meet with Stakeholders and Professionals to introduce Replan and the opportunities to join the Working Groups.

ANTEL and ETRA has been working together for many years to promote the use of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) in public works through training workshops to their members and affiliates.

28^TH ETRA CONFERENCE ON TYRE RECYCLING

142 persons from 36 countries worldwide registered to the 28^th ETRA Conference, which was held in Brussels Wednesday through Friday 29 -31 March.

The day of 29^th was devoted to RE-PLAN project meeting and to a Workshop of the three Working Groups open to all the Stakeholders.

On 30^th in the plenary session RE-PLAN CITY LIFE program showed significant examples of use of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) in high quality products and applications for rails and roads.

Then the Sport WG of RE-PLAN which worked on the issue of the infill ban, reported the work carried out over the past year, highlighting an analysis that put the figures into a new perspective, also illustrating an innovative tool for systematically analyze the many publications made so far in order to obtain an objective synthesis of the existing evidences.

On 31^st networking and meetings completed the event.

LA SAPIENZA, ROME

On 24 March we have been requested to hold a speech at the La Sapienza University in Rome, Dept. Chemical Engineering, Materials, Environment, in the context of course on sustainable materials used in building constructions.

The presentation whose title was Possible value chain in Tyre rubber waste management, aimed to describe in detail the potential of Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) and explain the contradiction and the interests that still obstacles a more robust adoption of these valuable solutions.

ETRA has been cooperating with Professor Valente since may years ago, who is actively engaged in various R&D projects about the use of (RTMs) as alternative to traditional components of cement and concrete.

He organized and run an innovative course addressed to an international group of students who are really motivated to learn new techniques to reduce the foot print in the construction sector.

I LIGHT UP LESS

On the occasion of the "I light up less" day to raise people's awareness of energy saving and the circular economy, on 23^rd March 2023 we held a 2-hour meeting with third and fifth grade students making a presentation on the topic of recycling end-of-life tires which compared to other recycled materials such as paper, glass, plastic, they have the particularity of not being able to return directly to the production cycle of new tires and therefore it is important to recycle them in other sectors such as sports, roads and construction.

CYCLING EUROPE

In March we have been actively involved in the Cycling Europe Event organised in hybrid modality in Duesseldorf.

From 1st to 31^stwe took part in various steeps to the matchmaking to present in one to one meeting the potential of Replan Project both as an important tool to raise awareness about the used to Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs) as well as incubator of possible new projects.

On 21^st March we participated to a webinar on New & innovative Materials where we described in details some uses of RTMs useful to improve cycles mobility.

Altogether 141 persons were registered on the platform and to the various activities connected to the event.

CITIES FORUM 2023: 16-17 MARCH, TURIN, ITALY

The 5th edition of Cities Forum will be held in Torino, Italy from 16 to 17 March 2023. The event brings together key urban stakeholders at European, national, regional and local levels who are committed to a green and just future of cities.

Thanks to the support of the Municipal City of Turin, who is one of the project partner, it was possible to make a quick visit and share some communication material of the Replan Project. Other Partners from Turin are Politecnico of Turin and University of Turin.

The Cities Forum is a biennial event of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy. For this edition, the host is Torino, a city with a vast history in urban transformation due to its transition from factory town to a city of knowledge, culture and innovation.

CRETE SAC MEETING

On 13^th March 2023 Region of Crete organized a Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meeting to introduce Replan project and collect input from participants, who was both form the industry and the Public Sector.

The event was supported by Ekoelastika the management body in charge of EPR in Greece and interested to develop sustainable uses to Recycled Tyre Materials (RTMs).

GRASS & YARN FORUM

The Grass Yarn and Tufters Forum was held in Madrid from 28^th February to 2^nd March 2023.

Ettore Musacchi from ETRA attended and made a presentation to explain why is important to support the use recycled rubber infill material. The benefit are not only for the environment, but also for the sport, for social relations, and to grow a really green economy.

The presentation tried to clarify what is behind the decision adopted by the Commission and the impacts on the industry, the sport facilities, the environment.

RE-PLAN AT ACI BRUSSELS

On 17 January 2023 in Brussels, at the presence of DG Move, Replan project was presented during a workshop at ACI, Automobile Club of Italy, orgnanised by EIPA, the European Institute of Public Administration.

The Automobile Club of Italy is a non-profit public body which institutionally represents and protects the general interests of Italian motoring, whose development it promotes and fosters.

They are responsible of various activities in many different contexts:

- Management of EOL tyres deriving from vehicles dismantling

- Road safety

- Touristic promotion

- R&D

It was a training workshop on EU projects to which attended over than 40 persons from different departments.

The project was described in detail and it was underlined the potential for a more sustainable management of EOL tyres, as well as other opportunities of cooperation.

ARTIFICIAL TURF LESSON

In the context of the Football Teaching Techniques course held at the University of Asti, a lesson dedicated to synthetic turf fields was included in which it was possible to illustrate the various construction, management and maintenance techniques. Particular attention was paid to the fields made with rubber granulate infill obtained from the recycling of end-of-life tyres. The lesson was held on January 13, 2023 by Geom. Marabotto, VP of ETRA, who was the designer of the sports facilities at the Municipality of Turin, and was able to illustrate the advantages deriving from the use of the infill material, both in terms of performance, environmental and economic.

SPAIN SAC MEETING

A Spain SAC and Working group meeting was held be place on November 29 at the ITeC offices in Barcelona.

In addition ITeC who organised and hosted the event, then meeting was attended by the other partners: COMSA Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya, and ETRA (Project Coordinator) as well as Stakeholders from the Industry and Public Administration.

After having introduced the project and the objective and main activities, the meeting was focused to illustrate and discuss the main issue that affect the sector and limit the expansion of the use of Recycled Tyres Materials in the main fields of applications: Transport Infrastructures (roads and rails), Concrete and Construction, Sport and Leisure (artificial grass pitches, sports facilities, rubber surfaces for multisport and leisure activities, etc.).

Particular attention has been laid on the Microplastics issue and the risk of the ban of the polymer infill materials for artificial turf.

WORKSHOP AT RESTRUCTURA

The use of recycled tire materials in roads, buildings and sports infrastructures

A RE-PLAN CITY LIFE Workshop was held on November 17th in Turin at the RESTRUCTURA fair, the most important exhibition of constructions, renovations and restorations in the north-west of Italy. An international event that brings together every year the main players involved in the development of innovative materials and techniques and sustainable practices.

The event was organized by ETRA with an important support from ANTEL the National Association of Technicians of the Public Administration and the cooperation from the other Italian Partners: Metropolitan City of Turin, Politecnico of Turin, University of Turin.

The project was introduced describing the objective and main activities, then few presentations from the partners were done to illustrate the main different uses of Recycled Tyre Materials in Transport Infrastructures (roads and rails), Concrete and Construction (reinforced concrete with steel fibers for industrial floors and roads, rubber slabs and layers for noise reduction, recycled fibers, textile panels for insulation), Street and Urban Furniture, Products and applications for Sport and Leisure (artificial grass pitches, sports facilities, rubber surfaces for multisport and leisure activities, etc.)

In addition to the workshop a booth was made available to meet technicians and operators.

SMART CITY EXPO WORLD CONGRESS

On 15-17 November 2022 in Barcelona was held the Smart City Expo World Congress. The world’s leading event for cities gathering leaders from the most innovative companies, governments and organizations to move cities towards a better future.

ITeC shared in their stand information about the different European project which we are involved.

Also, they participate in two sessions. In one of these, Kathleen Blanco (R+D Project Manager) spoke about the contribution of ITeC in the European Projects, how the projects are a way to generate new knowledge and contribute to the future of the construction sector, which is aligned with the European Commission's dedication to global climate action, and the importance of work together a different kind of organization from all Europe to unite for a common good aligned.

https://www.smartcityexpo.com/

SmartCityExpo_Barcelona_Article.pdf

FORUM COMPRAVERDE BUYGREEN

RE-PLAN CITY LIFE project made a step in Rome at the 16th edition of Buygreen Forum, the main Italian event on GPP for the Public Administration.

The event was held on 19 and 20 October, organized by Fondazione Ecosistemi, who is partner in the project.

The relevance of the event is well expressed by the figures of the forum:

+ Over 2400 participants

+ 270 organisations

+ 26 events

+ 200 speakers

+ 10 training sessions

2022-10-21_Replan_Buygreen.pdf

27TH ETRA CONFERENCE

The 27^th ETRA Conference on Tyre Recycling was held Monday through Wednesday, 30 May – 1 June 2022 at Le Louise Hotel in Brussels. Despite many events related to recycling, tyre and rubber took place in May, some of them overlapping, there were 122 registered participants from 28 countries worldwide.

2022-06-13_Article_ETRA_Conference.pdf

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