REPAiR · Project

Open-Source Tool That Maps Waste Flows So Cities Can Turn Trash Into Resources

environmentPilotedTRL 6

h2020repair.eu

Imagine you could see exactly where all the waste in your city region goes — every truckload of construction debris, every ton of food scraps, every batch of packaging. REPAiR built a free, open-source mapping tool that does exactly that for the messy zones between cities and countryside. It was tested in 6 European metro areas with local governments actually using it to find spots where one company's waste could become another's raw material. Think of it as Google Maps meets a waste detective — showing decision-makers where the circular economy opportunities are hiding.

By the numbers

Metropolitan areas where the GDSE was tested in living labs

Consortium partners across Europe

Countries represented in the consortium

Total project deliverables produced

Industry partners in the consortium

SMEs involved in development

The business problem

What needed solving

Cities and regions lack clear visibility into where their waste actually goes and what valuable resources are being lost along the way. Without spatial mapping of material flows, peri-urban areas — the messy zones between city centers and countryside where much industrial and waste activity concentrates — miss major opportunities to close resource loops. Decision-makers need evidence-based tools to compare alternative strategies before committing public funds to circular economy infrastructure.

The solution

What was built

An open-source geodesign decision support environment (GDSE) with database, mapping, knowledge, and decision modules — tested and piloted across 6 metropolitan living labs. The project produced 41 deliverables including adapted GDSE modules confirmed as ready to use for follow-up geodesign projects.

Audience

Who needs this

Regional waste management companies seeking to optimize operations and find new recycling revenue streamsMunicipal and regional planning departments with circular economy targets to meetEnvironmental and sustainability consultancies advising on waste reduction strategiesIndustrial park managers looking to create waste-exchange networks between tenantsEU-funded projects needing spatial decision support tools for resource management

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Waste Management & Recycling

mid-size

Target: Regional waste management operators looking to optimize collection routes and identify new recycling streams

If you are a waste management company dealing with rising landfill costs and pressure to increase recycling rates — this project developed an open-source geodesign decision support environment (GDSE) that maps all resource and waste flows in a region. Tested across 6 metropolitan living labs with 18 partners, it lets you pinpoint exactly where recyclable materials are being lost and model alternative collection and processing strategies before investing.

Municipal & Regional Planning

enterprise

Target: City planning departments and regional development agencies with circular economy mandates

If you are a municipal planning department struggling to meet EU circular economy targets without clear data on your region's material flows — this project built a place-based decision tool that quantifies waste streams and models the environmental impact of different spatial development strategies. It was co-developed with local authorities in 6 case study areas across 6 countries, so it is designed for real governance workflows, not just academic exercises.

Environmental Consulting

SME

Target: Sustainability consultancies advising clients on circular economy transitions and waste reduction strategies

If you are an environmental consultancy needing evidence-based tools to advise industrial clients on circular economy transitions — this project delivered 41 deliverables including life-cycle-based impact models and decision modules that quantify resource flows in peri-urban areas. The open-source GDSE can be adapted to new regions, giving your team a ready-made analytical engine instead of building assessment tools from scratch.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does the GDSE tool cost to use?

The GDSE is open source, meaning there are no licensing fees. Your costs would be staff time for setup, data collection for your specific region, and any customization work. Given the tool was tested in 6 metropolitan areas, deployment patterns and documentation exist.

Can this work at industrial scale for a large metropolitan region?

Yes — the tool was specifically designed and tested for metropolitan-scale deployment across 6 European case study areas (in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, and Poland). It handles region-wide material flow data and spatial analysis. The consortium of 18 partners validated it works at real regional scale.

What is the IP situation — can we use this commercially?

The GDSE is open source, so you can use, modify, and build upon it freely. However, if you plan to offer it as a commercial service, review the specific open-source license terms. Based on available project data, the tool was designed for public use by local and regional authorities.

Does this comply with current EU waste and circular economy regulations?

The project was directly funded under the EU's WASTE-6b-2015 topic and designed to support EC circular economy initiatives. The decision support modules include indicators aligned with EU resource management goals. It was co-developed with local authorities who needed to meet these requirements.

How long would it take to set up for our region?

Based on available project data, the GDSE modules were described as 'reconfigured and ready to use' for follow-up geodesign projects. The main time investment is collecting your region's specific waste flow data. The 6 existing case studies provide templates for how to structure that data collection.

Can this integrate with our existing waste management or GIS systems?

The GDSE combines geodesign with material flow analysis, so it has spatial data capabilities. Being open source, it can be adapted to connect with existing GIS platforms. Based on available project data, it includes database, mapping, knowledge, and decision modules that handle standard spatial and flow data.

Consortium

Who built it

The REPAiR consortium brings together 18 partners from 6 countries (Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Poland), led by TU Delft — one of Europe's top technical universities. The mix includes 5 industry partners and 4 SMEs (28% industry ratio), alongside 5 universities and 2 research organizations, plus 6 other entities likely including public authorities and NGOs. For a business considering this tool, the strong university backbone means solid technical foundations, while the industry and SME presence (nearly a third of the consortium) signals practical applicability. The 6-country spread means the tool was tested across diverse regulatory and waste management contexts, not just one local setup.

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFTCoordinator · NL
UNIVERSITEIT GENTparticipant · BE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO IIparticipant · IT
OPENBARE VLAAMSE AFVALSTOFFENMAATSCHAPPIJparticipant · BE
HUN-REN KOZGAZDASAG- ES REGIONALIS TUDOMANYI KUTATOKOZPONTparticipant · HU
HAFENCITY UNIVERSITAT HAMBURGparticipant · DE
INSTYTUT GEOGRAFII I PRZESTRZENNEGO ZAGOSPODAROWANIA IM STANISLAWA LESZCZYCKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUKparticipant · PL
STADTREINIGUNG HAMBURG AORparticipant · DE
JRC -JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE- EUROPEAN COMMISSIONparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

The project was coordinated by Technische Universiteit Delft (Netherlands). SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the research team.

Order a report on this consortium See TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how the GDSE tool could map waste flows in your region? Contact SciTransfer for a tailored briefing and introduction to the REPAiR team.

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