The aim of the project is to raise awareness about the Circular Economy opportunities for Materials, Products and applications obtained from tyre recycling in order to stimulate the adoption of environmentally friendly behavior and practice in urban communities.
The focus is to make available models and experiences that may easily be adopted to improve the Transport Infrastructures (roads and rails), Concrete and Building (steel fibers reinforced concrete for industrial flooring and roads, rubber sheets and layers for noise reduction, recycled fibers textile panels for insulation), Urban and Street Furniture, Sports and Leisure products and applications (sport facilities, rubber surfaces for multisport and leisure activities, etc.)
13 Partners from 6 EU Countries, coordinated by ETRA, will work together for 42 months, to reach the Project Objectives.
This project focuses on the opportunities presented within the urban environment where many of these materials, products and applications are successfully and randomly used, within the broader community of P.A. Technicians and Public Bodies, but less than it should be. Technicians are often not aware of the possibilities offered by RTMs, and lack technical knowledge or support from more experienced colleagues.
The project brings together government authorities, SMEs that produceand utilise RTMs, and training facilities in 5 Member States (FR-IT-ES-GR-PL).
Four main actions have been defined:
1. GPP Guidelines and Implementation models for the Procurement procedures
The action will provide a guideline for GPPs related to RTM applications focused on public sectors, with the aim to implement a sustainable business model.
After the identification of the procurement cases (one for each working group) a set of guidelines and methodologies / tools for roll-out public Green tenders will be done.
The guidelinesestablish the rules and the methodology / tool facilitating the exchange of environmental information between public authorities and tenderers.
Public authorities can then reward the proposals that best considers both economic and environmental data.
2. Preparation of a Circular Economy RTM Plan
This action aims to prepare a modern and effective plan for the development and use of RTMs in line with the principle of the Circular Economy.
It will begin with the analysis of the current supply and value chains of the target sectors in order to identify the existing trends and valorization routes when manufacturing, maintaining, repairingBuildings, Transport Infrastructures, Sports and Leisure Facilities, Urban Areas. It will also analyze the needs of different user groups and markets, providing robust and long-term strategies.
The framework will consider the entire value chain and emphasise the use of RTMs to capture the circular value at the economic, environmental and social level, proposing alternative circular value and supply chains, reducing the length of existing linear chains, in order to support the transition to circular e
conomy.
3. Creation of a web application
The aim of this action is to create a web app with a digital map showing the significant works (e.g. civil constructions, infrastructures, etc.) carried outall over Europe and make them available with relevant technical information and data.
The web application is an important and dynamic tool for providing information about the products currently available on the market, their manufacturers and suppliers (including contact and geolocation data), and other data useful to identify and implement and replicate the work. It will be continuously updated, as well as two linked data-bases (RE-PLAN Community and RTMs Inventory).
The Community is open to people interested in contributing to the success of the project and in sharing its results. A data base will be created to identify Bodies, Public and Local Administrations, Civil Engineers, Architects, public and private Designers and Technicians, Building Associations, Roads and Rails Authorities, Sports federations, Tyre recyclers, RTMs suppliers, Product Manufacturers, interested end users and other relevant stakeholders. At least 2.000 people will be covered by the Community database.
Based on the information and data provided by the Partners and the feed-back from the stakeholder consultation an RTMs inventory data base of over 100 articles, with materials, products, applications will be prepared and made accessible on the web portal It will be possible to make an easy search of the products in various ways: article, supplier, country, etc.
4. Dissemination to promote the solutions and to stimulate interest and cooperation,
training workshops
This action is ongoing for the project duration. It will contribute to the creation of awareness in Public Administration Bodies at both the technical and political levels in order to stimulate cooperation and support the replication.
Based on the results of previous actions, a program of training, workshops, dissemination activities addressed to technicians and Public Bodies will be set up. The action will include:
Dissemination, exhibitions, poster shows, expositions, webinars, other events either on site or by video Training Workshops (at least 4/ year) focus groups, round table discussions and preparation of related publications on-site visits and discussions of the techniques and materials direct contacts with the territorial technical offices of P.A. (continuous) interface with the activities of P.A. Technical Commissions to support the implementation actions of the project (continuous).
The target countries, which together account over 220 Mil.Population, represent different contexts, markets, etc. They are:
- France:
- Italy
- Spain
- Greece
- Poland
1. GPP Guidelines for RTM
Green Public Procurement Guidelines will be prepared. At least 3 Procurement cases per country will be implemented from the various categories (Roads, Rails, Building, Urban transport, Urban Furniture, Sports and Leisure, etc.).
2. Circular Economy RTM Plan
The Circular Economy RTM Plan will identify solutions, incentives, tools (also for the web portal) and benefits for the entire value chain derived by using RTMs It will be widely disseminated during the various training activities.
3. Web based application and other ICT tools
The data collected and analysed, in addition to the Community Data Base and the RTMs Product and Application Inventory, will be organised in a web-based application in order to create an effective and powerful ICT tool. This will include, among others:
- products and applications,
- cities and P.A.
- Tyre Recyclers, suppliers, installers
- data sheet
- pictures and description
End-users, manufacturers, recyclers will be able to communicate through this platform. With the help of product databases and GPS-based location services, stakeholders will access information they may need and communicate in an open network.
4. Awareness and Training Workshops
A wide program of Awareness and Training workshop has been planned. This includes 10 lively international events throughout Europe, 16 lively national event in the targeted countries, and 14 virtual events. The scope is to create awareness about the actual uses of RTMs, the implementation of the GPP, and how to develop and provide hands-on training sessions to the Technicians.
5. RTMs used in Public works
For each target country at least 3 applications will be identified, studied and implemented in GPP Guidelines and in the Circular Economy RTM Plan. The scope is to create a platform of cooperation and training by putting in practice all the steps, starting from identifying and elaborating the most significant case histories, until the practical realisation of a demonstrative work, be it a piece of road, a part of a building or other urban
applications. These works will also be described and mapped on the APP
6. Material Recycling Increase
We expect to increase Material Recycling by 1% each year for at least 5 years.