Description (EN): Cradle to Cradle (C2C) (metaphor, antagonism cradle to grave) approach on waste, waste = food, offers a breakthrough in waste prevention and production in closed loops. The Cradle to Cradle concept envisages a challenging future, where the emphasis is on creating eco-effective solutions. The power of C2C lies in its ability to mobilise and inspire.
The Cradle to Cradle Network (C2CN) is a capitalisation network which, aims at reducing raw materials'utilisation, generation of less waste and less environmental pollution as well as enhancing innovation and economic development. In addition, C2CN incites and inspires to action towards a more recycling society.
The overall objective of the project itself is to develop regional action plans, reflecting the principles of the C2C concept, systematising its regional interpretations and settings out how the good practices critically assessed by the network, will be implemented within regional mainstream Structural Funds Programmes.
To project is designed into two phases. Phase 1 will mainly focus on the transferability of the already identified good practices. Phase 2 will mainly focus on developing regional actions plans. The development of the action plans will be supported by both regional and joint activities. Expert meetings, perspective studies on each of the four predefined thematic target areas (industry, governance, building design, area spatial development) and transfer workshops will ultimately result in the transfer of the good practices into the action plans.
The network’s knowledge will be benefited by systematic dissemination and promotion of the action plans and other C2CN outputs to regional and managing authorities and other actors and institutions in C2C and waste management and prevention. Moreover, the network’s knowledge and good practices will also be disseminated to a wide audience outside the network and across the European Union.
The project will produce 10 regional action plans, a Good Practice Handbook and a Guide on Waste Management & C2C. The latter will also be of great value for other parties concerned outside the partnership.
A well managed project team will guarantee to reach the objectives. The partnership comprises 10 Partners out of 10 Member States. Partners differ in development in the field of Cradle to Cradle.
Read more Achievements (EN): In 2008 the European Commission encouraged the Dutch Province of Limburg to cooperate with other European regions on opportunities and conditions for enabling European goals such as jobs and growth, innovation and efficient use of scarce resources. Ten partners from ten different EU Member States adopted ‘Cradle to Cradle’ (C2C) philosophy as key concept for the Cradle to Cradle Network (C2CN) project. The C2C concept functions as a two-edged sword. There is no waste of resources as materials are reused as valuable raw materials in another cycle after their initial use. To achieve this products and services are redeveloped in a safe and sustainable way. It calls for innovations which will also stimulate the economy. For two years – 2010 and 2011 – the partners worked together in the C2CN project, in order to share and capitalize on C2C inspired good practices (GPs) from their regions in implementing C2C principles with an eye on waste prevention and ecological materials management. The
partners and their regional stakeholders brought forward more than 150 C2C inspired GPs, collected in the C2CN Initiatives Guide, which is available at the project website. Together with regional stakeholders the partners selected the most advantageous and best fitting GPs feasible to be transferred to their region in one of the project fields: build, industry, governance and area spatial development. Project partners and stakeholders made efforts to deepen their knowledge of those specific GPs in order to adapt and import (specific elements of) the practices, methods and tools to their region. They participated actively in project meetings to share and exchange knowledge and experiences. Numerous preparatory transfer actions were organized between the partner regions, including study visits, expert seminars and workshops during which the selected GPs and related topics where addressed through lectures, presentations, panel discussions, face-to-face consultations, site visits. In the
end many GPs from the C2CN Initiatives Guide found their way into the regional action plans (RAPs) of the C2CN partner regions. Good practices that were used included among others:Floriade 2012, Waste no more, LIOF Vouchers for C2C Scans in SMEs (NL), Ecolizer 2.0, C2C Platform (BE), BtoGreen Experience C2C design (FR), Feeding Milan, BoscoMobile, Premio all’Innovazione Amicade’ll Ambiente (IT), Kuhmo Heating bioenergy (FI), Eco-region Kaindorf (AT), NISP, Eastex Materials Exchange (UK). The intention of all action plans is to describe the transfer of GPs and to give a perspective on possibilities of further measures and projects in order to boost the concept of C2C and the closed loop economy.
In the autumn of 2011 all ten partners drafted RAPs, often in close cooperation with their regional stakeholders and Managing Authorities of the mainstream programmes. The action plans were finalized and signed in the winter of 2011-2012. The project also delivered its Guide on C2C
Beyond Waste Management. This guide and the C2CN policy recommendations describe how to head towards a C2C future.
At the final event on 8 Dec 2011 in Brussels, hosted by Flemish Parliament, C2CN, and Judith Merkies MEP, a firm theoretical base, proven results and policy recommendations were submitted to the European institutions. Both the content and the way C2CN was organised, received the highest esteem of all those present. The EC stressed the use of the network’s recommendations. Judith Merkies MEP, rapporteur on the flagship innovation, called ‘resource intelligence’, i.e. less and better use of resources through preciser application, to be the message for the future. President of the Flemish Parliament Jan Peumans admired the way the ten European partners accomplished the project successfully. The task now for each of the ten regions and other stakeholders involved is to ensure that the legacy of the project leads to continuing progress in the field of resource management.
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