Green Retail - towards a circular economy in the cross field between retail businesses, consumers and governance institutions

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North Sea

Date of latest update: 2025-02-03

Description

Description (EN):

The transition to a circular economy is not a straightforward journey from A to B. It is often a disjointed process, requiring all actors involved to think innovatively and work in close collaboration with an aim of creating a more sustainable world. This calls for a holistic design approach and partnership with game-changing private and public organizations who can innovate and reimagine the connections between people and organizations. This is what the Green Retail project offers. It's our goal to transform the retail industry into a circular economy by engaging both consumers and governance institutions. We will work in this cross field and foster a broad societal circular design - The Green Retail Concept and Toolkit - which can be widely implemented and scaled in the North Sea Region (NSR) and beyond. We have three target groups: Retail businesses from urban and rural areas primarily within design & handcrafts, food, and textile industries; consumers; and governance institutions, such as municipalities and city councils within the three pilot cities: Gothenburg, Bruges and Vejle. Each retail store is different, in terms of the level they are at when it comes to a circular transition process. However, they are all concerned with their customers, sales, and legislation. We will use circular tools in a guided transnational process with these retail businesses and their consumers. But how can consumers play an active role in the circular transition? This project seeks to explore this question and if, in fact, they can help businesses close the loops on products and packaging. Lastly, the governance institutions play a crucial role in defining how political strategies can help businesses and citizens move forward in the circular process. Through climate partnerships that focus on circularity and establishing local steering groups with political participation, we include the governance level of intervention.

Actual Achievements (EN):

In Bruges, 20 enterprises were interviewed and 12 artisan maker shops were selected on that basis. We had a kick-off meeting and Circular Strategies Wheel workshop with the 12 retailers. We decided to develop a graphic identity for the project in Bruges. We have set up two events aimed at the general public, entrepreneurs and more specifically retailers participating in the Green Retail project in Bruges. We have set up exploratory talks with steering committee members and potential partner organizations. Together with the 12 retailers, we have developed a program of activities for the general public. In Gothenburg, we have done 25 interviews and selected 13 retail shops for the program. To engage participants we have used social media marketing, put up flyers and visited stores. We have developed a communication and marketing plan, recruited steering group participants and held digital and physical kick-offs. We have a youth perspective, educating 150 students at Donnergymnasiet in business development and sustainable entrepreneurship focusing on green, social, and economic sustainability. In Vejle, we have done 20 interviews and 12 shops are selected for the program. We have developed a dialogue tool for the retail shops and run two workshops so far. We have held two steering group meetings. We have established collaborations with two organizations and held one green event interacting with consumers. We have developed a visual identity for all local communication and have made a communication plan. DDC has in collaboration with the project manager in Vejle made 3 x baseline analysis for the retailers participating. The insights are shared between the partners. We have had one physical Partner meeting and frequent online partner meetings with updates on progress and valuable knowledge sharing. We have shared methods and tools for best possible guidance for our retail participants. DDC is facilitating the harvest of learnings with regular intervals too.

Website: https://www.interregnorthsea.eu/green

Thematic information

Waste and pollution

Priority: (VI-B_NS_2) Priority 2: A green transition in the North Sea region

Priority specific objective: RSO2.6. Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO2 A greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility

Type of intervention: 069 Commercial, industrial waste management: prevention, minimisation, sorting, reuse, recycling measures

Partners (4)

Lead Partner: Vejle Kommune

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 30023684

Address: Spinderigade 11, 7100 Vejle, Denmark

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.spinderihallerne.dk

Total budget: EUR 179 999.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 107 999.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 59.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 72 000.00

GBER schemes / de minimis:

Drivhuset

Name: Drivhuset

Partner’s ID if not PIC: SE857501529501

Address: Gamlestadsvägen 4, hus B13, 41502 Göteborg, 41502 Göteborg, Sweden

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Business support organisation

Website (not verified): http://www.goteborg.drivhuset.se

Total budget: EUR 130 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 78 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 52 000.00

GBER schemes / de minimis:

De Republiek

Name: De Republiek

Partner’s ID if not PIC: BE0739 632 324 vzw Stadmakers

Address: Sint-Jakobsstraat 36, 8000 Brügge, Belgium

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.republiekbrugge.be

Total budget: EUR 130 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 78 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 52 000.00

GBER schemes / de minimis: De Minimis

Danish Design Center

Name: Danish Design Center

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 36994126

Address: Bryghuspladsen 8, BLOX, 2. floor, 1473 København, Denmark

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.ddc.dk

Total budget: EUR 60 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 36 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 60.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 24 000.00

GBER schemes / de minimis:

Partners map

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Small project

Operation of strategic importance (OSI) or above EUR 5 million

Project name (EN): Green Retail - towards a circular economy in the cross field between retail businesses, consumers and governance institutions

Project acronym: GREEN

Project ID: qxaeEQkXL

Project start date: 2023-08-01

Project end date: 2025-01-31

Project status: closed

Relevant mentions and prizes:

false

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 499 999.00

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 299 999.00

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 60.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 299 999.00. Co-financing rate, 60.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

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Deliverables:

Project startup / Engage all partners in the project to align the common vision, activities, and resources, including creating an in-depth project plan that will set out how the different partners will execute their roles. During this phase, we will also form the local steering groups and invite retail organizations, local politicians, and CE experts to join. Together with Spinderihallerne, DDC will facilitate the process of framing the project and pilot action plans at an internal kick-off meeting.
Businesses – Baseline analysis and recruitment / Establish a framework for the baseline analysis and recruitment of 12 participants for each pilot city. The baseline analysis will seek to understand their needs and current status in relation to the circular transition. This process will involve carrying out interviews with each store and working with them to define individual KPIs and test strategies. The recruitment of the retail stores happens on several levels: - Through local retail partners and business networks - Through marketing materials, e.g articles in the local new papers and radio interviews - Through canvas calling and visits The interviews also serve as a first point of contact with the retail store and the final 12 participating retail stores will be selected from the pool of interviews.
Businesses – Guided process, tools and network / In collaboration with local retail organizations, we will guide a minimum of 12 retail stores within the pilot cities across various industries, as they implement and test tools provided by the project. They will also be invited to take part in an international business network.
Businesses – Endline analysis and KPI measurement / During the last quarter of the project, we will evaluate the impact of the guided process and carry out an endline analysis to measure the KPIs in the participating stores. The output will be used as the basis for the Green Retail Concept & Toolkit.
Citizens – Assemblies & green events / We will develop two green events in each pilot city with and for citizens, focusing on consumer behavior and circular products. The events will consist of citizens assemblies and information on circular economy. Retailers will also have the opportunity to showcase their work.
Students involvement / We will include transnational casework carried out by students studying circular economy. They will contribute to the development and transition to the circular economy for up to five stores/cases within the project. Theu will focus on consumer behavior connected to the stores.
Governance – Partnerships & steering groups / We will establish contact at governance level in each pilot city, e.g. through the municipality or city council, by forming a local steering group committee. The purpose will be to create a climate partnership focusing on circularity between municipalities and the retail industry, which could foster a more circular economy in public procurement. Strengthening the retail trade by bringing it together will set a precedent for collaboration and increase the number of participating businesses. The deliverable target is 3 steering groups, each per pilot city, and 2 climate partnerships (Vejle and Göteborg) and 6 meeting with external projects on circularity.
Project – Knowledge sharing / Throughout the project, the participating partners will share knowledge, engage in partner meetings and project management. The deliverable target consists of 18 internal meetings: 3 physical partnership meetings and 15 project meetings. All 18 meetings focus on knowledge sharing and cross country collaboration.
Project – Scaling strategy / Executing communication activities relating to the project's results and shring of the Green Retail cocept and Toolkit. This will be conducted primarily online and by each partner in each country. Different types of marketing materials will be developed. For example webpage, press releases, posts on social media and videos All materials are developed with the purpose of scaling and knowledge sharing.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 084 - Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects, Measurement unit:
RCO 083 - Strategies and action plans jointly developed, Measurement unit:

Delivered output indicator(s):

(RCO84) Pilot actions developed jointly and implemented in projects: 756
(RCO83) Strategies and action plans jointly developed: 256

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 104 - Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations, Measurement unit:
RCR 079 - Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations, Measurement unit:

Delivered result indicator(s):

(RCR104) Solutions taken up or up-scaled by organisations: 36
(RCR79) Joint strategies and action plans taken up by organisations: 1

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B North Sea

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-02-03

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

65 / 65 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

791 / 791 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Green Retail - towards a circular economy in the cross field between retail businesses, consumers and governance institutions

Description

Thematic information

Partners (4)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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