FORCE · Project

Turning City Waste Into Profitable Products Through Circular Economy Pilots

environmentPilotedTRL 7

Imagine four European cities — Copenhagen, Hamburg, Lisbon, and Genoa — teaming up to stop throwing away materials that still have value. They set up new collection systems for plastics, old electronics, wood scraps, and food waste, then found ways to turn those materials into actual products people want to buy. Think 3D-printed items made from recycled port plastics, firewood from urban tree trimmings, and compost from restaurant leftovers. It's basically proving that one company's trash really can be another company's raw material — at city scale.

By the numbers

5,000 tonnes

Flexible plastic targeted for recycling and upgrade

12,500 tonnes CO2

Emissions prevented through virgin material substitution

3,600 tonnes

Additional WEEE reclaimed from citizens

100,000

Citizens reached by communication campaign

12,000 tonnes

Additional wood waste collected from urban and mountain areas

7,000 tonnes

Biowaste recovered from municipal mixed waste stream

3,000 tonnes

Biowaste from restaurants and hotels

Viable end-markets developed for waste materials

Cities with active demonstrations

Partners in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Cities and companies are losing money on waste that still has commercial value. Flexible plastics, electronics, wood scraps, and food waste are being landfilled or incinerated instead of being turned into sellable products. Municipal waste operators lack proven collection and processing models that actually create viable end-markets for these materials.

The solution

What was built

The project built and operated real-world demonstration systems across four cities: new flexible plastic collection at five recycling centres in Hamburg, a wood waste collection and sorting system in Copenhagen, 3D-printed products from recycled port plastic in Genoa, repair cafés in Lisbon and Genoa, second-hand electronics shops in Hamburg, and biowaste recovery systems targeting restaurants and households. A FORCE Academy was also created for replication in other cities.

Audience

Who needs this

Municipal waste management departments looking to increase recycling rates and reduce landfill costsPrivate recycling companies seeking proven models for flexible plastic collection and processing3D printing companies wanting sustainable and cheaper feedstock from recycled plasticsHotel and restaurant chains needing cost-effective organic waste management solutionsCity governments planning circular economy strategies with tested governance models

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Waste Management & Recycling

any

Target: Municipal waste operators and private recycling companies

If you are a waste management company struggling with low-value flexible plastic streams — this project demonstrated collection and upgrading of 5,000 tonnes of flexible plastic across multiple cities, enabling virgin material substitution and preventing 12,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The tested collection schemes at recycling centres and new sorting methods provide a replicable blueprint for turning a cost centre into a revenue stream.

3D Printing & Advanced Manufacturing

SME

Target: 3D printing service bureaus and plastic product manufacturers

If you are a 3D printing company looking for cheaper, sustainable feedstock — Genoa demonstrated collecting plastic waste at the city port and producing three customized 3D-printed products from recirculated material. This proves the technical viability of using municipal plastic waste as printing material, potentially cutting your raw material costs while adding a sustainability story to your products.

Hospitality & Food Service

mid-size

Target: Hotel chains, restaurant groups, and catering companies

If you are a hotel or restaurant group paying rising fees for organic waste disposal — this project recovered 3,000 tonnes of biowaste from restaurants and hotels alone, converting it into compost and other useful outputs. The collection and processing systems tested across four cities offer a proven model for turning your food waste from an expense line into a resource with actual market value.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement a similar circular collection system in our city or facility?

The project data does not include specific cost breakdowns or per-tonne processing costs. However, the demonstrations ran across four cities with 24 partners including 11 industry players, suggesting the economics were viable enough for commercial partners to participate. Contact the consortium for detailed cost-benefit analyses from their city pilots.

Can these waste-to-product processes work at industrial scale?

The project targeted significant volumes: 5,000 tonnes of flexible plastic, 12,000 tonnes of wood waste, and 7,000 tonnes of biowaste — these are city-scale quantities, not lab experiments. With 10 viable end-markets developed and real collection infrastructure deployed across four cities, the scale-up pathway has been demonstrated in operational conditions.

Is there intellectual property or licensing involved in using these methods?

The project was an Innovation Action with 24 partners across public and private sectors. Based on available project data, specific IP or licensing terms are not detailed. The FORCE Academy was created for replication, suggesting the consortium intended to share methodologies, but commercial terms would need to be discussed directly with the partners.

What regulations does this help us comply with?

The project directly addresses EU Circular Economy Package requirements and waste reduction targets. With cities as lead partners, the governance models and collection schemes were designed to fit within European municipal waste regulations. The demonstrated approaches help companies and municipalities meet upcoming stricter recycling and landfill diversion mandates.

How quickly could we see results after adopting these approaches?

The project ran from September 2016 to February 2021, with demonstrations deployed across the project lifecycle. Based on the deliverables, individual collection schemes and repair cafés were operational during the project period. A city or company replicating a proven model like the flexible plastic collection would likely see faster results than the original pilots.

How does this integrate with existing waste management infrastructure?

The demonstrations were designed to work within existing municipal systems — for example, Hamburg added flexible plastic collection at five existing recycling centres rather than building new facilities. Copenhagen implemented new wood waste sorting within its existing collection framework. This integration-first approach minimizes disruption.

Consortium

Who built it

The FORCE consortium brings together 24 partners from 4 countries (Denmark, Germany, Italy, Portugal), with a strong practical orientation: 11 industry partners and 5 SMEs make up nearly half the consortium, alongside 3 universities and 2 research organizations. The 46% industry ratio is high for an EU project and signals that commercial viability was a priority, not just academic research. The consortium is led by Copenhagen Municipality (a public entity), which means the solutions were designed to work within real municipal governance structures. For a business looking to adopt these approaches, the mix of city governments, private waste operators, and SMEs means there are partners who understand both the regulatory landscape and commercial realities of waste-to-value conversion.

KOBENHAVNS KOMMUNECoordinator · DK
COMUNE DI GENOVAparticipant · IT
TECNOLOGIE INNOVATIVE PER IL CONTROLLO AMBIENTALE E LO SVILUPPO SOSTENIBILE SOCIETA CONSORTILE A RESPONSABILITA LIMITATAparticipant · IT
HOCHSCHULE FUR ANGEWANDTE WISSENSCHAFTEN HAMBURGparticipant · DE
FREIE UND HANSESTADT HAMBURGparticipant · DE
TEKNOLOGISK INSTITUTparticipant · DK
AURUBIS AGparticipant · DE
Quercus - Associação nacional de Conservação da naturezaparticipant · PT
AZIENDA MULTISERVIZI E D'IGIENE URBANA GENOVA S.P.A.participant · IT
CAMARA MUNICIPAL DE LISBOAparticipant · PT
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI GENOVAthirdparty · IT
HAFENCITY UNIVERSITAT HAMBURGparticipant · DE
STADTREINIGUNG HAMBURG AORparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

The project was coordinated by Kobenhavns Kommune (Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark). SciTransfer can help you reach the right contact within the coordination team.

Order a report on this consortium See KOBENHAVNS KOMMUNE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how FORCE's circular economy models could work for your city or company? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partners and help you assess which demonstrated solutions fit your waste streams and market.

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