First presentation of the strategic project LIFE IP Restart to stakeholders and the general public
At the start of the active phase of the LIFE IP Restart strategic project, “Increasing the Conversion of Waste into Useful Products by Preparing the Environment for a Circular Economy in Slovenia,” an introductory meeting of project stakeholders was held on April 9, 2025, at the Puconci Waste Management Center.
In the morning session, the content of the LIFE IP Restart project was presented, followed by the presentation of one of the six demonstration actions by the project partner, the Public Institute Centre for Waste Management Puconci, including a site visit. In the afternoon session, three strategic areas of the project were presented in more detail: the legislative framework for waste management, construction waste in connection with the circular economy, and the development of technological solutions.
At the opening, the participants were welcomed by Simona Biro, Director of the Public Institute Centre for Waste Management Puconci. She expressed her satisfaction that, as a project partner, they were hosting the introductory presentation of the Restart project, emphasizing: “The circular economy in connection with construction waste represents a transition from the traditional way of building and managing materials to more sustainable and thoughtful resource management. Construction waste is no longer seen as something redundant, but as a valuable resource with the potential for a new life.”
The content, purpose, and objectives of the Restart project were presented by the project manager, Mateja Simčič. She highlighted the following: “We launched the strategic LIFE IP Restart project in January 2022, with its planned duration running until December 2030. The project involves 16 partners, and the project coordinator is the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy of the Republic of Slovenia. Through 35 different actions, six of which are demonstration actions, we aim to enable a smoother transition of Slovenia to a circular economy and to develop opportunities for increased recycling of waste into new useful products, especially in the construction sector.”
The first of six demonstration activities within the project was presented today Challenges and Opportunities in the Treatment of Sludge from Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants, led by the host of today’s event and project partner—the Puconci Public Waste Management Center. Assoc. Prof. Tanja Bagar, Ph.D. She described the current status of the initiative and noted, among other things: “In Slovenia, we face several challenges regarding the management of sewage sludge. The volume of sewage sludge is increasing, totaling approximately 30,000 tons of dry matter for the whole of Slovenia. Most sewage sludge is transported across borders and sent for incineration. As part of the LIFE Restart project, we are seeking sustainable methods for processing sewage sludge that align with the principles of the circular economy.” The presentation was followed by a field visit to three locations: a test field for three different composites made from sewage sludge, a laboratory pyrolyzer (which will enable laboratory pyrolysis of dehydrated sewage sludge), and the so-called MBO building, where pilot composting of sewage sludge from a known source with a low concentration of pollutants will be carried out using EM microorganism technology.
In the afternoon part of the introductory meeting, the Director General of the Environment Directorate at the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, Ms. Tanja Bolte, M.Sc., presented the current state of improvements to the legislative framework for waste management in both Slovenia and the EU. She highlighted key amendments to the Environmental Protection Act (ZVO-3), which is expected to be adopted by the end of this year, changes in European waste legislation, key objectives of the Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive, changes in the field of construction waste, and developments in the area of thermal waste treatment. She also presented remediation activities carried out by the ministry responsible for the environment.
The introduction of circular economy principles in the field of construction waste was addressed by Tadej Žurman from the company Deltaplan. He outlined the basic principles of the circular economy, the current situation in the Republic of Slovenia and beyond, then focused on gaps, legal inconsistencies, and the real potential of circular construction, concluding with a presentation of some international best practices.
The development of technological solutions within the project was presented by Dr. Alenka Mauko Pranjić from the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute. She highlighted the transition of innovative environmental technologies and products to the market and into practice as a key challenge: “Despite the rapid development of environmental innovations and products, their transition into practice is slower, either due to legislative and policy constraints or a lack of investment for further technological development. In general, particularly in construction, there is a lack of testing grounds where innovations could be tested in real environments. The LIFE Restart project enables the development of certain environmental innovations in the field of cascading waste management and the circular economy, as well as the demonstration of good practices that could encourage other stakeholders towards more sustainable waste management or waste prevention.”
According to available data, the construction sector is the largest consumer of raw materials, using more than half of mineral resources annually. At the same time, construction and demolition waste represents the largest mass waste stream, although it could be effectively used in several sectors. This is one of the facts that led to the successful application of the LIFE IP Restart project entitled »Boosting waste recycling into valuable products by setting the environment for a circular economy in Slovenia« to the European LIFE financial mechanism.
The PPT presentations of the speakers at yesterday’s introductory meeting of the LIFE IP Restart project can be found HERE (in Slovenian language).
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