Exploring the circular bioeconomy potential in cities. Proactive instruments for implementation by policy makers and stakeholders

BIOCIRCULARCITIES aims at supporting the development of innovative and comprehensive regulatory frameworks and roadmaps aligned with circular bioeconomy principles, centred on ‘bio-based waste’ and based on feedback from multi-actor participatory processes.

The project has been designed to i) explore the circular economy potential of unexploited bio-based waste streams generated in 3 European urban contexts around the cities of Barcelona (ES), Naples (IT) and Pazardzhik (BG); ii) identify and analyse circular bioeconomy best practices across the EU that could be used as successful example to use in the pilot areas; iii) detect regulatory and business opportunities and shortcomings for the introduction of bio-based processes and products into local and international markets, and iv) propose proactive instruments and policy roadmaps for supporting the circular bioeconomy and expand it to the European context.

The strength of the project lies in the capability to bring together multiple actors belonging to the quadruple helix (businesses, research institutions, public authorities and civil society) to build the collaborative knowledge needed to map the different perspectives about legal and market limits/potentials for developing circular bioeconomy.

Having a holistic picture of the legal and market opportunities and barriers in the 3 case study areas will make it possible to check the applicability of the identified best practices and other feasible solutions.

The fiscal and economic impact due to the introduction of specific regulations will be considered to foresee the investments needed to support industry in making changes towards a more circular use of bioresources.

Results obtained at local level will be a source of contents to develop generic guidelines to be exploited and further developed through communication, dissemination and exploitation actions at local and international levels.