On 21 November 2024, key experts, representatives of institutions and companies gathered in Maribor to discuss the challenges of a sustainable and circular economy in Slovenia. The event, entitled “Meeting the challenges of a sustainable and circular economy in Slovenia: exchange of knowledge and good practices in the reuse of construction waste”, proved that circular economy initiatives in our society are an important goal that deserves professional attention and support.
The audience was welcomed at the beginning by Dr. Peter Medved, Vice-Mayor of the Municipality of Maribor and Sergej Gutsmandl, Development Manager and Coordinator of the LIFE IP Restart project at the Public Company Nigrad.
Mateja Simčič, LIFE IP Restart Project Manager, focused on the lessons learned and good practices of the project, which promotes the recycling of waste into valuable products and develops environmentally friendly technologies.
Special emphasis was also given to the topic of artificial intelligence and the state of the art in emerging markets, which was presented by Prof. Domen Mongus, PhD, from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Informatics, University of Maribor. Within the LIFE IP Restart project, in cooperation with Nigrad, mapping and detection of illegal landfills in the area of the Municipality of Maribor is being carried out, and the integration of geospatial data allows for the analysis of environmental and social impacts and pressures on the environment.
The lecture by assistant professor Tamara Bračko from the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transport Engineering and Architecture stimulated discussion on the possibilities of using recycled building materials in new construction projects. She highlighted the many advantages of using recycled materials that already comply with modern standards, which reduces the need to use new natural resources and thus contributes to reducing the environmental footprint.
The event was enriched by presentations by Dr Dragica Marinič from the Institute for Construction, who presented innovative projects for a circular economy, Dr Dr R. K. Matej Požarnik, Director of Profuturus, with a focus on the possibilities of financing sustainable projects from European funds, Sergej Gutsmandl with a presentation on key methods for reducing waste in construction and demolition, and Borut Hojnik from the public company Nigrad, who spoke about the importance of legal waste management and sustainable solutions for reducing pollution.
The event culminated in a roundtable with interactive discussions between leading experts, which allowed participants to make new professional connections and exchange knowledge and ideas for integrating sustainable practices even more successfully into businesses, local communities and individual lives. The discussion highlighted the challenges in achieving financial sustainability of circular projects, the importance of cooperation between local authorities, the private sector and the state, and reflections on advanced technological solutions to facilitate the implementation of circular practices in Slovenia.
The event was closed with a vote of thanks to all the active participants by Mag. Andrej Rihter, Director of Public Company Nigrad and Public Holding Maribor (JHMB), and summarised that there are more and more solutions that allow us to see construction waste not as a problem, but as a resource. He stressed that JHMB supports the development activities of all companies under its umbrella towards environmentally friendly and innovative solutions to address current environmental challenges.
Udeleženci dogodka v Mariboru
(author: Nigrad, komunalno podjetje, d.o.o.)
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