The Strategy for the transition of the City of Maribor to the Circular Economy

Circular Change’s partner, Wcycle Institute has published the Strategy for the transition of the City of Maribor to the circular economy. Strategy is its own innovative model as a system for managing all the resources available in the Municipality of Maribor and the wider urban area. The model is based on the operation of enterprises that are predominantly publicly owned, which already provide public services for residents, and thus are the city’s bottlenecks that until now have not functioned as a connecting link, which is a fundamental principle in the transition from linear to circular economy.

Only close cooperation between public companies, citizens, industry and local self-government can lead to a successful interconnected system that optimizes resources and results – economic, environmental and social. The Strategy is a long-term project that provides development-oriented efficient management of resource flows in local and regional environments. The purpose of the Strategy is cross-sectoral cooperation in handling, processing, re-use and development of resources, which deals with the circular economy in Maribor in seven selected sectors (i.e pillars or circles). In addition to the mutually beneficial cooperation of public sector companies, the goal of companies is to process the generated waste or deliver it to other sectors, including excess heat and waste water. This will be interconnected with the development of an interactive information support tool.

The positive consequences of these practices are the emergence of new business opportunities for the Municipality of Maribor, the people and the economy, the creation of high-quality, predominantly green jobs, new added value and a new economic boost. In order to meet the general goal of the Strategy, radically new ways of thinking are needed. This approach is truly innovative from all aspects of implementation – technological, organizational, social, cultural and behavioral innovation with a systematic, eco-innovative approach. The idea is based on the concept that companies in the city, with the aim of creating a regenerative urban environment and providing quality services for their citizens, share information and work together to achieve the highest possible rate of reuse of waste, excess heat and wastewater as new sources, while respecting the quality of land use, the development of sustainable urban mobility and a cooperative economy.

The Strategy, as a basic document at local government level, makes it easier to implement the project and gives a clear signal that Maribor, as
one of the first cities in the European Union, is also at the strategic level being completely directed into the circular economy. For access to the full document check out the link below.

The Strategy for the transition of the City of Maribor to the circular economy