Boosting waste recycling into valuable products by setting the environment for a circular economy in Slovenia

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD) defines two major quantitative targets towards a circular society with a high level of resource efficiency: by 2020, Member States shall reuse and recycle 50% of municipal waste, and 70% of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) excluding backfilling with the naturally occurring materials. In Slovenia, the National Waste Management Programme and Waste Prevention Programme (WMPP) aim at defining measures needed for Slovenia to meet the requirements of the WFD. Slovenia’s municipal waste recycling rate is growing faster than the EU average. In 2018, 8.4 million tonnes of waste were generated in Slovenia, of which almost 5 million tonnes were CDW (59%), followed by waste from thermal processes, municipal waste, waste from metal and wood processing, and waste from waste management facilities.  71% of the total municipal waste was collected separately, therefore successfully meeting the 2020 waste recycling target of 50%. Slovenia is less successful in dealing with CDW, sewage sludge from the municipal wastewater treatment plants and some other waste flows. For example, in 2018, only 22.3% of the non-hazardous CDW was recycled. There are also some general obstacles to overcome to achieve the post-2020 recycling targets: (i) lack of coherent and concise legislation; (ii) insufficient capacity and knowledge for recycling among different stakeholders; (iii) lack of concerted actions inside the government sector and among different public and private stakeholders; (iv) low motivation for recycling and low social acceptance of the recycling processes and the resulting products.

OBJECTIVES

LIFE IP RESTART will focus on overcoming the obstacles to achieving EU recycling targets, and on achieving the full implementation of the National Waste Management Programme and Waste Prevention Programme (WMPP) in Slovenia. The project’s main objective is to deploy a holistic set of complementary technical, digital, environmental, social and circular solutions to unlock all the potentials of the WMPP, to achieve maximum material self-sufficiency and increased circular yield in the waste-to-resource sector. In order to achieve this main objective, project activities will be aimed at achieving three specific objectives:

1. To provide a continuous WMPP assessment mechanism and ensure its ongoing improvement and actualisation, based on digital, technical and social excellence established by the project;
2. To demonstrate 6 circular solutions for several problematic and voluminous waste streams, as best-case examples for implementing WMPP objectives;
3. To ensure wider uptake of best available solutions and to achieve a coherent and integrated implementation of WMPP objectives.

The project will contribute to the implementation of the EU Waste Framework Directive, Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, European Green Deal, and the Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and competitive Europe.

Ιn addition to the IP budget itself, the project will facilitate the coordinate use of more than €85 million of complementary funding from EAFRD, ERDF, national and private funds, as applicable.

RESULTS

Expected results:

By the end of 2030, the project results (including complementary activities) are expected to:

• Decrease CO₂ emissions by 20% due to the improved waste collection, treatment and disposal activities and materials recovery;
• Reduce waste by 60% due to recycling, such that 9 years post-project there is an approximately 18% increase in recycling (2% per year). During the large-scale demonstration activities, approximately 9 000 tonnes of different waste materials will be recycled;
• Recycle 50% of non-hazardous CDW. During the implementation of the large-scale demonstration action, approximately 4 500 tonnes of non-hazardous CDW will be recycled;
• Recycle 99% of non-hazardous waste from thermal processes. During the project, approximately 1 500 tonnes of non-hazardous waste from thermal processes will be recycled;
• Achieve a 70% recycling rate of municipal waste;
• Reduce by 20% (3.4 million tonnes) non-metal mineral resource consumption.  The large-scale demonstration will contribute to the savings of approximately 9 000 tonnes of virgin raw materials;
• Improve 10% of the soil surface. In Slovenia, 3 230 ha of land is intended for surface mining works - surface exploitation of mineral resources. By 2030, the project’s results will encourage reclamation with the use of new products for at least 10% (or 323 ha) of the area. During the project, about 8 000 m² of degraded area will be revitalised;
• Increase of 15% in green jobs (6 956 jobs) related to the Circular Economy and waste management/prevention. The project will directly create around 250 new jobs.