3rd Interregional Meeting in Mechelen, Belgium

On 24.4.24, the CITISYSTEM partners and stakeholders gathered in the renovated library ‘Predikheren’ for the 3rd Interregional Meeting in Mechelen. The Alderman of Climate kicked-off the meeting with an inspirational speech about Mechelen at the forefront to be a climate neutral city. Next, the program manager Circular City told us about the history of Mechelen’s Circular City Strategy from how it all began to where we are now. Since 2012, Mechelen is part of the Covenant of Mayors signatory and since 2021 a member of the board of Covenant of Mayors. In 2020, Mechelen won the Green Leaf Award and was one of the first signatories of the Circular City Declaration in 2022. In 2020, a Climate Action Plan was launched with high ambitions to reduce 87 kt CO₂ by 2025 and -40% CO₂ by 2030 with the focus on 5 pillars: clean air, cool city, dry feet, strong biodiversity and circular economy. In 2021, the Circular Hub Region Mechelen was born and give guidance to entrepreneurs, starters and social and collaborative economy actors to set up and scale up viable circular business models with social impact and diversified jobs in social economy through circular activities (https://www.circulairwerkt.be/en). Through a large participatory trajectory (30-50 participants from the social pentagon in each workshop) the circular strategy and action plan took shape. The outcome was two action plans: Urban Resource Centres and Citizen Involvement in Circular Economy (www.mechelen.be/circulargoals). One of the actions was closely related to the objectives in the CITISYSTEM project: reduce food waste and recover kitchen waste in view of higher valorisation methods, regenerative agriculture & reusable food containers for the catering industry (circular food system). One of the realisations was the establishment of the regional food distribution centre called Foodsavers, which redistributes surplus food from retail to social organisations in the region and has already saved 1200 tons of food since the beginning in 2020.

Day 2, 25.4.24, the CITISYSTEM partners and stakeholders visited the circular collective in Mechelen ‘28rond’ at Werfheide (28rond.be). The same day, there was a bioeconomy market scheduled called Bio-based City with entrepreneurs from the wider region of Mechelen showcasing their bio-based products. The themes varied from food to building and interior design. The tangibility of the products gave inspiration for what is possible within the circular bioeconomy. Keynotes from Circular Flanders, Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) and UNIZO province of Antwerp spoke about the Flemish strategic agendas on the bioeconomy and the opportunities and instruments available for entrepreneurs to support and scale up their businesses.

Day 3, the CITISYSTEM partners and stakeholders were invited at the Climate Congress Mechelen 2024. We joined for the cycling tour ‘Closed food loops’ and visited a regenerative farm close to Mechelen and the Foodsavers initiative.

Check out the after movie here: https://youtu.be/V3L6XkFv0JM?si=WHGS7CLPhoC0jh_8