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

LIFE IP RESTART project’s main objective is to deploy a holistic set of complementary technical, digital, environmental and social circular solutions to unlock all the potentials of the national Waste Management Programme and Waste Prevention Programme (WMPP) of the Republic of Slovenia. The aim of the project is to boost its implementation potential in order to achieve maximum material self-sufficiency and increase circular yield in the waste-to-resource sector. By demonstrating technical excellence through 6 circular pilots with validated environmental, economic, social, policy and governance added value, supported with a holistic digital systemic approach, nation-wide educational and awareness-raising campaign, LIFE IP RESTART’s main aim is to secure a full-fledged deployment of WMPP ensured by complementary actions enabling Slovenia’s transition into a material cycle-based refragmented circular society. In an intensive co-creative process between partners and a wide number of national, regional, and local stakeholders, LIFE IP RESTART aims to achieve the following Specific Objectives (S.O.), which are further divided into several Technical Objectives (T.O.); S.O.1: To provide a continuous WMPP assessment mechanism and ensure its ongoing improvement and actualisation based on digital, technical and social excellence established in LIFE IP RESTART; S.O.2: To demonstrate 6 circular solutions for several most problematic and voluminous waste streams addressed by WMPP (i.e. Demo 1: Production of topsoil for agricultural purposes and reclamation of mining areas; Demo 2: Recycling of dredging spoil from land waters; Demo 3: Preventing illegal dumping; Demo 4: Closing urban loops; Demo 5: Exploiting Secondary Raw Materials with Landfill Mining; Demo 6: New sources of Critical Raw Materials and recycling of sewage sludge) as best case examples for implementing WMPP objectives; and S.O.3: To ensure wider uptake of best available solutions and to achieve a coherent and integrated implementation of WMPP objectives.