INERTWASTE, a strong partnership accross 5 countries

For 36 months, 6 organisations will exchange regional experiences and discuss ideas for resolving policy challenges regarding the valorisation of inert and inorganic industry and construction waste. In the INERTWASTE consortium, led by the Government of Navarre, you will find:

• 4 local and regional authorities in charge of waste management in four different countries;
• 1 public institution that gives technical support in waste management and circular economy to the regional and local authority of Navarre (Spain) and private entities;
• 1 advisory partner 

Zoom on the local & regional authorities

Navarre region / Government of Navarre and the Environmental Management of Navarra (GAN-NIK)

Located in northern Spain, Navarre is an autonomous region boasting a dynamic economy (mainly automotive, agrifood, and renewable energy industries) and home to nearly 665 000 people. Currently, in Navarre inert waste from industrial processes and the construction sector is sent to landfills and/or transported long distances for proper recovery. With INERTWASTE Navarre aims to progress in the use of high added value waste in view of the new existing possibilities in the circular economy, by establishing business synergies, as well as synergies among different types of waste. The Government of Navarre is leading INERWASTE project, with the support of the public institution of GAN-NIK.

Podravje region / Regional Development Agency Podravje - Maribor

Podravje region in northeastern Slovenia, with its diversity, focus on self-sufficiency, sustainable development, innovative and creative economy, paves the way for creativity and innovation. Construction waste is still not being used for the production of secondary materials and products in Podravje. At the local level, the public utility company Nigrad in Maribor has implemented a pilot project for the use of construction waste (as part of the H2020 Cinderela project). Currently, Nigrad is utilizing the reuse of construction waste for its own purposes. Now, with the assistance of the Regional Development Agency for Podravje - Maribor, they aim to transfer this knowledge to the regional level and determine where and how it can be utilized in the region.

Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region / Region Sud

As indicated by its name, the Region Sud is located in southern France and ranks number 10 in the list of French regions in terms of population, with 1 in 2 inhabitants living in a coastal municipality. One of the objectives of the Regional Waste Prevention and Management Plan adopted in 2019 is to recover 70% of waste from construction sites by 2020. This has been achieved in the region with a 77% recovery in 2020. However, the objective of capturing and directing all waste flows from construction sites to legal channels by 2025 is yet to be reached. INERTWASTE project will enable the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region to identify the practices of European partners in terms of technical and financial support and to adjust new intervention frameworks specifically for reuse and eco-responsible construction and development.

Zealand region / Guldborgsund Municipality

The Zealand region has a central position in the South Baltic Sea between Copenhagen, Hamburg and Berlin, on important European transport corridors. It is a typical rural municipality with a decreasing population due to people from rural areas moving into larger towns and leaving old houses empty. The Municipality aims to reach CO2 neutrality in 2050, with concrete “Green Transition” goals and actions. The construction sector contributes massively to climate footprint. At the moment, the construction sector contributes with 27% of total amount of waste. The high climate impact of construction is expected to be reflected in the “Green Transition” action plan, enabling further development of sustainable construction and reduced waste in municipal construction. Actions and goals for increased reused and recirculated building materials will expectedly be a main focus in the Green Transition theme, e.g. from demolished old abandoned houses and public construction and renovation involving stakeholders across the construction value chain.

ACR+, the advisory partner

The Association of Cities and Regions for sustainable Resource management, ACR+ will support knowledge exchange between the project partners but also with other frontrunner public authorities across Europe. In addition, it will help project partners identify the hotpots, the practices and procedures with the greatest potential for achieving waste minimisation. ACR+ is an international network of cities and regions sharing the aim of promoting a sustainable resource management and accelerating the transition towards a circular economy on their territories and beyond. Since1994, ACR+ facilitates the exchange of experiences between members while also sharing technical and policy information and pushing forward innovation in the field of material resource management.