The project brings together 32 public and private organisations from eight European
countries, including Spain, Belgium, Finland, Greece, Sweden, Austria, Slovenia and
Hungary, and has a budget of 10 million euros. The main aim of this project is to develop
nine large-scale pilot schemes capable of implementing circular business models that
can be replicated across Europe.

In this regard, one of the most significant milestones achieved to date has been the roll
out of the initial results in the Greek market, where products manufactured from post
consumer packaging waste are already being used by retailers. This initiative, which
has been developed through awareness-raising and public engagement campaigns in
supermarkets, represents a key step in demonstrating that circular models can be
successfully transferred from the laboratory to real-world economic activity.

As Joaquín Vilaplana, coordinator of CircSyst, contends:
“The project is driving the transition towards a circular economy through innovative and
scalable solutions that integrate advanced technologies for water management, the
recovery of biological waste and the recycling of plastics. Our aim is to provide
industries, public authorities, consumers and policymakers with practical tools to
reduce waste, optimise resources and move towards a more sustainable model.”

Examples of progress made across the three value chains: water, bio-waste and
plastics.

The progress made by CircSyst covers three value chains identified as priorities in the
European Union’s Circular Economy Action Plan.

In the field of water, the project is demonstrating solutions for the reuse of wastewater
in industrial applications. Led by AIDIMME, one of the most advanced pilot schemes is
being carried out in Riba-Roja de Túria (Valencia), where tertiary treatment processes and
smart monitoring systems are being implemented that could enable the reuse of
between 20% and 50% of the water currently discharged.

In the field of bio-waste, one of the demonstration plants, located in Alcoi, has validated
biorefinery technologies capable of transforming organic waste from the food industry
into high value-added materials and using the remaining fibres as fillers in plastic
matrices, thereby promoting new models of the circular bioeconomy.

Finally, with regard to packaging, the project combines eco-design, advanced recycling
and public participation to improve the collection and recovery of plastic waste,
particularly those types that are currently the most difficult to recycle.

One of the key features of CircSyst is its commitment to involving all key stakeholders in
the development of circular economy solutions. To this end, the project has established
a Community of Practice comprising businesses, public authorities, research
organisations and other interested parties, who are actively involved in the design and
validation of the initiatives being promoted.
Through a series of workshops and study visits held in the regions where the pilot
projects are being carried out, those listed in this database identify challenges and
opportunities, propose measures to improve public policy and analyse how these
solutions can be transferred to other European regions. The aim is to ensure that the
innovations developed not only work at a local level but can also be successfully
replicated in different contexts.

The European Commission has welcomed the progress made by the project and
highlights that the demonstrators are already delivering promising results, particularly in
areas such as the safe reuse of water and the reduction of hard-to-recycle plastic waste.

Press Release : CircSyst – Press Release