Boosting the Circular Economy

GreenPrint

ImpactPapeRec is a European project to further increase the separate collection of paper for recycling and promote appropriate schemes to avoid landfilling and incineration.

Started on 1 February 2016 for a period of two years, this initiative is financed by the European Union Horizon 2020 programme. It has evolved from a commitment on separate paper collection in the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials.

Some 36 experts from eight countries representing research institutes, municipalities, obliged producers, paper industry and NGOs gathered in Valencia, Spain, to kick off the project and plan the activities for the next few months.

Antonio Dobon from the project coordinator ITENE said: ‘We are very excited about the start of the project. It comes at a time when the European Commission presented its proposal for a Circular Economy stressing the importance of separate collection. With this project we will work to reach the recycling targets in those territories that are below the average. We will also seek for ‘Paper for Recycling’ collection practices that allow reach both environmental and economic benefits. For doing so, we will define these best practices and spread them widely in Europe so that other municipalities can adopt them.’