What would it cost to implement these circular economy tools in our city or company?+
The project had an EU contribution of EUR 9,794,935 across 28 partners and 6 pilot cities. All solutions are open source with documentation for replication, which significantly reduces adoption costs. However, sensor network deployment and blockchain infrastructure would require local investment depending on scale.
Can these tools work at industrial scale beyond pilot cities?+
The tools were tested in 6 pilot cities (Amsterdam, Berlin, Milan, Paris, Vejle, Cluj-Napoca) covering different material streams — plastic, wood, agrifood, textile, and water. The open-source design and standard templates were specifically built so that other cities and organizations can replicate them. Scaling would depend on local data infrastructure readiness.
What is the IP situation — can we freely use these tools?+
All pilot solutions are explicitly open source with full documentation provided for replication and adoption. Based on the deliverable descriptions, interested private and public organizations can freely adopt the tools without licensing restrictions.
Which specific material streams does this cover?+
The project addresses waste, packaging, plastic, water, wood, agrifood, and textile flows. Each of the 6 pilot cities focused on specific material loops relevant to their local economy. The sensor networks and data tools are designed to be adaptable to different material types.
How does the blockchain component actually work for businesses?+
The blockchain technology is used to incentivize circular practices in local ecosystems — essentially rewarding businesses and individuals for participating in material recovery and reuse. Combined with sensor data and geo-localization, it creates a verifiable record of material flows that builds trust between waste producers and material buyers.
Is this just research or are there real working prototypes?+
This was an Innovation Action with 32 deliverables, including concrete pilot applications co-designed, tested, and implemented across 6 cities. The REFLOW Pilot Applications deliverable specifically describes systemic solutions including applications, tools, prototypes, and demonstrators that embed circular economy principles.
What regulatory frameworks does this align with?+
The project directly targets the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and EU circular economy objectives. The governance models and decision support tools were designed to align market and government needs, making them relevant for cities implementing EU waste directives and circular economy action plans.
