Author: Tatiana

Circular economy concepts

Based on our mixed waste analysis and analysis of waste management data, we are setting out the next steps of towns and villages for the transition to a circular economy.

We analyze the current state of waste management, how much is created in the municipality, how much is assessed, what steps are taken to take over the generation of waste. Separately, we focus on the financing of waste management in cities, where we try to establish the principles of PAYT.

Circular Slovakia platform

WE HAVE COME TOGETHER FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY. INCIEN became one of the founding 7 members of the platform to help and support the acceleration of Slovakia’s transition to a circular economy. Core platform objectives:

  1. raise awareness of the topic of the circular economy
  2. encourage an active debate on opportunities and barriers to the transition to a circular economy
  3. pave the way for the creation of new partnerships
  4. promote the exchange of experience and the presentation of examples of good practice

Founding members:

Circular Slovakia 2022 – Is it possible to operate more sustainably in Slovakia?
17 good examples from practice in Slovakia prove that it is! We present them in the publication Circular Slovakia 2022. We developed the brochure in cooperation with Circular Slovakia and its main goal is to show to the public the practical side of circular principles or business models and to inspire. It presents 17 good examples from practice in the circular economy, from the business models of companies, through the activities and initiatives of non-profit organizations, to the functioning of local governments.

https://www.facebook.com/circularslovakia/about/?ref=page_internal
https://circular-slovakia.sk/

Circular bioeconomy

INCIEN recognizes the importance of circular bioeconomy in providing sustainable solutions across all economic sectors. Our projects that address production, use, conservation and regeneration of biological resources include:

  1. Green dilemmas: educating the general public about the impact of food systems on climate change and educating Slovak farmers about climate change, its effects in Slovakia, and possible adaptation strategies.
  2. Sewage above gold: While searching for gold, we unexpectedly found it in sewage sludge. Although sludge is a source of nutrients, it also contains various micropollutants. In this study, you will learn about the state of sludge recovery in Slovakia, as well as the benefits and limitations of different sludge treatment options.
  3. Leader’s guide to carbon offsets: This study focuses on carbon and the carbon cycle, as well as various solutions for carbon sequestration. Its main objective is to provide an overview of existing carbon offset programs that companies can use to offset their carbon emissions. By providing a comprehensive overview of current carbon offset programs, the study aims to help companies make informed decisions on reducing their carbon footprint and promoting sustainability.
Akadémia udržateľného potravinového systému cover

Farm to Fork project

Through this project we educate on food, food cultivation and its impact on the environment, as well as the theme of preserving biodiversity, carbon neutrality in the context of agriculture/economy.
Food-related topics are the main themes. A long-neglected topic that has not been given much space is becoming more than topical in the fight with climate change. We answer questions such as:

  1. Do we know where the food that got on our table came from?
  2. Who is responsible for the state of agriculture in Slovakia and who and how can change this situation?
  3. How to close material flows at agricultural level?
  4. How agriculture can help adapt to climate change.

All and much more, students of gastro-oriented schools, as well as farmers themselves, learn through workshops, webinars, and the web. This gives them the tools to change. The main goal and intention is to obtain effective and usable information from Slovakia and good examples from practice from all over the world.

This project is financed from the financing mechanism of Pontis Foundation – Metro Cash&Carry foundation fund.

Alchemy of waste sorting

Almost each municipality has a different waste sorting and collection system. In cooperation with EPR system operator Naturpack, we have created 5 variants that occur in Slovakia. For municipalities or inhabitants it’s really easy to use. They just download the one that is valid in the territory of their municipality and spread it among the inhabitants.

Alchemy was created by volunteers and interns in INCIEN, Naturpack provided us with their information about the schemes in municipalities.

Alchýmia triedenia komunálneho odpadu
Variant A - zvlášť zber papiera, skla, kovov a kombinovaný zber plastov a nápojových kartónov
Alchýmia triedenia komunálneho odpadu
Variant B - zvlášť zber papiera, skla a nápojových kartónov a kombinovaný zber plastov a kovov
Alchýmia triedenia komunálneho odpadu
Variant C - zvlášť zber papiera, skla a kombinovaný zber plastov, nápojových kartónov a kovov
Alchýmia triedenia komunálneho odpadu
Variant D - zvlášť zber papiera, skla a plastov a kombinovaný zber nápojových kartónov a kovov
Alchýmia triedenia komunálneho odpadu
Variant E - zvlášť zber papiera, skla, plastov, nápojových kartónov a kovov
Analýza vybraných indikátorov cirkulárnej ekonomiky s dôrazom na Slovenskú republiku

CIRCULAR ECONOMY INDICATORS (2021)

The analysis aimed to present the main circular economy indicators presenting the state of Slovakia in the area of the circular economy. Here you can find a complete overview of Slovakia’s indicators, resources and location compared to EU countries. The indicator is a tool by which we can quantify the development of Slovakia in the monitored area.

Circular public procurement was discussed in Málaga

Tlačová správa, 24. 09. 2021, Málaga, Spain

Project partners from Czechia (BIC Brno/INCIEN), Spain (BIOAZUL) and Slovakia (INCIEN SK) met in late September in Malaga in order to discuss finalisation of the circular public procurement methodology. Its aim is to guide public authorities as well as private companies through the process of application of circularity principles in any purchase. Circular public procurement is a very present topic, especially in the discussion of the European Green Deal realisation and the future of the European economy, hardly-hit by the current pandemic.

After the publication of the circular public procurement methodology, the project partners will focus on the concept of “training the trainers” in order to instruct future multipliers how to teach about this topic. This set of guidelines/practical methodology is expected to be prepared in June 2022.

The project is realised within the programme Erasmus+ and shows that cooperation among different organisations in different European countries brings important information and experience exchange.

Innovative method of circular economy in public and private procurement

The aim of the project was to develop and pilot the methodologies of circular public procurement and purchases according to circulating criteria. Within the project, the following intellectual outputs were processed:

  • Methodology for participants in circulating public procurement course and private contracts with application of circulating criteria
  • Methodology for lecturers of circulative public procurement course and private contracts with application of circulating criteria

The circular economy is an effective way for us to reduce the amount of waste, to reuse the material already used, to reduce waste of raw materials and thus ensure sustainable development for future generations. And it is public procurement that is the ideal area where the application of the principles of the circular economy have a significant positive impact.

The project consortium consisted of 3 partner organizations (BIC Brno, INCIEN SK, BIOAZUL) from 3 different European countries (CzechIa, Slovakia and Spain). All partner organizations have been active in the field of the circular economy for a long time and are leading the field in their countries.
Three expert actions were organized to serve as a platform for the validation of processed outputs. Each of the partners holded one such meeting in their country.

Partners: BIC Brno (Czech Republic), Bioazul (Spain), INCIEN CZ (Czech Republic)

Zelelá cirkulárna akadémia logo

Circular academy

GREEN CIRCULAR ACADEMY is for graduates to gain an overview of the circular economy and to be able to use the knowledge in practice in their own profession.

Target group are participants from all areas – self-government, public administration, companies, and individuals. Heroes and leaders who want and can make a real difference, embrace innovation in their profession. Municipal politicians, representatives of state organizations, municipal enterprises and public administrations, representatives of private companies, manufacturing enterprises, etc.

Benefits are acquisition of knowledge and basic insight into the circular economy, networking, partnerships and cooperation. The academy aims to build a future community.