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In the 26th episode of the Pakhuis de Zwijger Podcast Maurice Seleky is interviewing Eva Gladek, founder and CEO of Metabolic. They are talking about the Metabolic definition of circular economy, their activities at De Ceuvel, how Kate Raworth’s social Doughnut started out as the Oxfam Doughnut, and why humanity is not mature enough to be able to benefit from nuclear energy.

On the 29th of March, the 5th Anniversary of the program series De Circulaire Stad will be celebrated in Pakhuis de Zwijger with keynotes of, amongst others, ecologist Louise Vet, photojournalist Kadir van Lohuizen, Metabolic-consultant Tamara Streefland and landscape architect Dirk Sijmons.

Listen to this podcast below through Soundcloud (or, Spotify, iTunes and another podcast platform)

More information on the program series De Circulaire Stad, the program 5 jaar De Circulaire Stad; https://dezwijger.nl/programma/5-jaar-de-circulaire-stad

Upcyclecentrum Almere - Almere stad zonder afval

Op 1 maart heeft Amsterdam Smart City samen met Gerard Wiggers, programma manager grof- en bijzonderafval van de gemeente Amsterdam, het Upcyclecentrum in Almere bezocht. Henk Martens, programma manager Upcyclecentrum, ontving ons om ons in een twee uur durend bezoek uitleg te geven over het centrum en ons rond te leiden.
Het gerealiseerde Upcyclecentrum is een indirect gevolg van het binnen halen van de Floriade door de gemeente Almere. De oude afvalstraat in Almere-Haven langs de A6 moest plaatsmaken voor het verbreden en het verleggen van deze weg. Door het weghalen van de traditionele afvalstraat moest er wel een nieuwe voor in de plaats komen. De gemeente Almere zag dit als een kans om tot een afvalstraat 2.0 te komen en riep een denktank in het leven om een nieuwe duurzame en circulaire afvalstraat te bedenken en uiteindelijk te realiseren. Dit heeft geleid tot het huidige Upcyclecentrum, dat direct naast het toekomstige Floraideterrein gesitueerd is.
Het imposante gebouw, is grotendeels gebouwd van hergebruikte materialen. Zo is de houten buitenschil volledig opgebouwd uit hout van het gesloopte zwembad en sportcentrum en bomen die moesten worden gekapt voor de verbreding van de A6. Het beton dat gebruikt is, is voor 30% gemaakt van hergebruikt betongranulaat en ook de stalen behuizing komt uit het oude zwembad en sportcentrum. Belangrijk detail is dat het Upcyclecentrum modulair is opgebouwd, zodat het uiteindelijk ook gedemonteerd kan worden en de materialen gemakkelijk hergebruikt. Het gebouw is volledig klimaatneutraal, het wekt zijn eigen energie op met de zonnepanelen op het dak en vangt regenwater op waardoor het ook op dit gebied zelfvoorzienend is. Daarnaast is het gehele interieur van het educatie centrum circulair. In totaal heeft het circulair realiseren van het centrum 1,5 miljoen extra, boven op de oorspronkelijk 4 miljoen euro, gekost.
Aan de voorkant van het Upcyclecentrum zitten drie circulaire startups, die in ruil voor het uitdragen van de circulaire boodschap geen huur hoeven te betalen. Deze startups maken nieuwe producten van oude materialen die door de inwoners van Almere op de afvalstraat worden weggegooid. Uiteindelijk is het plan om direct naast het Upcyclecentrum een terrein voor circulaire bedrijven te realiseren, waar deze drie startups naar toe moeten verhuizen. Dit biedt vervolgens de mogelijkheid voor drie nieuwe startups, zich te vestigen in het Upcyclecentrum. Hiermee wordt het Upcyclecentrum een vliegwiel voor de circulaire economie. Hoewel in het bestemmingsplan geen ruimte is voor verkoop aan particulieren, is er samen met de omgevingsdiensten gezocht naar een mogelijkheid dit toch te realiseren. De startups mogen zich wel op de locatie vestigen maar niet verkopen, dit moet op een andere plek of via internet.
De rondleiding, volgend op dit verhaal, geeft inzicht op hoe de verschillende afval stromen worden gescheiden en tijdelijk worden opgeslagen. Ook leidt het ons langs een leegstaande ruimte, die plaats moet gaan maken voor een sociale werkplaats, waar circulaire fietsen geproduceerd moeten gaan worden. Uiteindelijk sluiten we af. Gerard Wiggers heeft het als zeer zinvol ervaren en is naar huis gegaan met nieuwe ideeën voor zijn project in Amsterdam.

You think your plastic waste is useless? Not according to our experts! Two weeks ago, we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of experts in the field of circular design in our workshop. It was the first meet-up in the series of events on our research project “van Plestik, your own plastic“. Missed out on the event? Read all about it on our website.

https://vanplestik.nl/en/2019/03/12/you-think-your-plastic-waste-is-useless-not-according-to-our-experts/

Begin februari hebben B&W het nieuwe Amsterdamse Innovatie- en Uitvoeringsprogramma Circulaire Economie 2019 vastgesteld! Met het programma willen we laten zien wat er allemaal gebeurt in de stad. En dat ziet er goed uit: uit een rondgang kwamen maar liefst 116 projecten en programma's naar boven: de circulaire economie krijgt echt voet aan de grond!

Van circulaire gebiedsontwikkelingen tot onderzoeksprogramma's, van repair cafés tot wormenhotels en van innovatiehubs tot circulaire schoolprogramma's: het bruist in de stad! We zien een grote toename in het totale aantal projecten, en ook in het aantal projecten dat zich in de uitvoeringsfase bevindt. Vooral in de bouw gebeurt op dit moment ontzettend veel, wat belangrijk is vanwege de grote milieu-impact van deze sector. En ook binnen de waardeketens biomassa, voedsel en consumptiegoederen wordt volop geëxperimenteerd. Uit een analyse van de projecten blijkt dat de inzet van de gemeente op publiek-private samenwerking heeft gewerkt: het totstandkomen van de circulaire economie is duidelijk een gezamenlijke inzet, waarbij overheden, bedrijfsleven, startups, kennisinstituten, een breed scala aan organisaties én Amsterdammers nauw samenwerken om resultaten te boeken!

In kwartaal 4 van 2019 wordt de nieuwe circulaire strategie voor de stad vastgesteld, samen met een nieuw afval- en grondstoffenprogramma en een nieuw circulair innovatie- en uitvoeringsprogramma. Het innovatie- en uitvoeringsprogramma 2019 levert interessante inzichten en resultaten, die de gemeente meeneemt bij de ontwikkeling van de nieuwe programma's. Vanaf mei gaat de gemeente met Amsterdammers hierover in gesprek!

Leonie van den Beuken, programmadirecteur Amsterdam Smart City, staat vandaag in de special over Smart Cities van het Financieele Dagblad. Zij gaat in op de noodzaak van de circulaire economie voor de toekomst van de stad.

'De Metropoolregio Amsterdam groeit voortdurend, met meer mensen en woningen. Daardoor is er minder fysieke ruimte beschikbaar voor bijvoorbeeld mobiliteit of afvalverzameling. Het is daarom belangrijk dat we met verschillende partijen slimme oplossingen bedenken.

Binnen Amsterdam Smart City willen partners allemaal een schone, fijne en duurzame toekomst te realiseren. Ondanks verschillende doelen is dat het uitgangspunt.

In alles wat je doet heb je de mogelijkheid een positief verschil te maken, maar laten we vooral samen een verschil maken', aldus Leonie.

Lees het gehele interview hieronder of koop vandaag de krant!

Startups & scaleups! Check out our 2019 programme and sign up now!

Startup in Residence invites sustainable entrepreneurs to collaborate with the local government towards solving 18 sustainable city challenges. The sustainability challenges cover a variety of topics including waste recycling, new energy sources, sustainable sports city, climate-proof city, etc. Add to that, we as a municipality, would like to become more innovative and sustainable. Find the complete list of challenges here: http://bit.ly/2tbYfmN !

Apply for our programme now! We’re looking forward to receiving your applications from February 5th until March 24th 2019!

TU Delft, AMS Institute, and Metabolic are working with an international consortium of parties to develop an interactive online application that maps resource flows in peri-urban Amsterdam – one of six living laboratories for the REPAiR project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

The tool equips city planners and urban designers with an interactive map of waste streams and shows how they could be usefully redirected, identifying the significant opportunities in peri-urban areas where the city and the countryside meet.

Hi everyone! I am looking for a job experience in Amsterdam to improve my skills in the area of circular economy and, if I find the right way, also to stay longer.
I have a Master Degree in Systemic Design: I developed several projects of ecodesign, systems design and circular economy at university and in the last year working with a little company of agronomists in Genoa. I am looking for a junior position or an internship.
Do you have some opportunities to share?
Thank you!

Possibly, in 2050 the word waste can be removed from our dictionaries. At that time, the Dutch economy will be circular according to the government. Meaning in essence that all raw materials are reused infinitely. In order to reach this goal, an agreement with respect to the use of raw materials has been concluded between 325 parties. Its first milestone is halving the use of primary raw materials before 2030[1].

In this post, I describe how Amsterdam is fundamentally improving the circularity of the construction and retrofitting of buildings

Interested in winning a free ticket to Beyond Next, the circularity festival (https://circle-economy.com/beyond-next), including travel and accommodation if you are not based in Amsterdam? Interested in contributing to a circular economy with your research and ideas?

Circle Economy has partnered up with the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, ABN AMRO, Gemeente Amsterdam and HEMA to run challenges to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

You can now submit existing research, facts and figures, inspirational examples, and other key insights related to these challenges. The challenges cover four major themes of education, product as a service, organic waste in a circular city, and single use plastics.

We will synthesise and openly share the results of this crowd-based exploration on Circle Lab, the online platform for the circular economy, for everyone to find inspiration in, learn from, and use in developing new solutions.

These results will also support attendees of the Beyond Next Challenge Track as they ideate and prototype new solutions to the challenges throughout the two-day festival.

THE PRIZE

Send in some research and you could win a free trip including entry tickets worth €150 and accommodation and travel expenses up to €1,000!

Eight winners will be chosen based on a combination of the number and the quality of their contributions.

For more information on the challenges and how to contribute, check out the challenges below:

Beyond Ownership > https://circle-lab.com/group/26/ideas
How can we promote access over ownership in the household?
Brought to you by ABN AMRO

Beyond Plastics > https://circle-lab.com/group/28/ideas
How can we transition to a system free of single-use plastics?
Brought to you by HEMA

Beyond Education > https://circle-lab.com/group/27/ideas
How can fashion education equip students for a ‘new reality’?
Brought to you by the Amsterdam Fashion Institute

Beyond Leftovers > https://circle-lab.com/group/29/ideas
How can we effectively collect and use organic waste throughout the city? Brought to you by the Gemeente Amsterdam

A Dutch delegation is ready to meet you at the Smart City Expo in Barcelona this November. In the City-zen project, done in Amsterdam and Grenoble, Waternet and partners investigate the possibilities of a biorefinery.

In the North of Amsterdam, waste water from households is used to generate energy and phosphate. How does that work? Hear their lessons learned! Meet Waternet and City-zen at the Dutch Pavilion!

Smart City Expo World Congress Barcelona, 12-15 November 2018 Gran Via, hall 2, Street D, Stand 479

Want to watch more video's?
Click on the tag Smart City Expo 2018 below, or on this link: https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/posts?tags=smart-city-expo-2018

Harvard University says its Architecture department is “a unique community, rich in diversity, and collaboration… where students explore today’s most creative design approaches.” This could not have been more true when its Master’s in Architecture students visited De Ceuvel — the epitome of uniqueness, diversity, and collaboration (without the quintessential ivy covered buildings).

Harvard University says its Architecture department is “a unique community, rich in diversity, and collaboration… where students explore today’s most creative design approaches.” This could not have been more true when its Master’s in Architecture students visited De Ceuvel — the epitome of uniqueness, diversity, and collaboration (without the quintessential ivy covered buildings).

On October 13th, Amsterdam Smart City hosted the delegation of Harvard University students who started their day by hearing about the open collective’s ecosystem from Cornelia Dinca, Amsterdam Smart City Delegations Lead and Founder of Sustainable Amsterdam. Cornelia also explained Amsterdam’s structural or strategic vision for being an “Economically Strong & Sustainable” city and how effective collaboration between the “quadruple helix” of residents, government, companies, and knowledge institutions is the key to the combined success of the economy and sustainability.

Students then participated in an expert session led by Sladjana Mijatovic who presented Circular Innovation — Linking Knowledge, Innovation, Business, and People. Sladjana’s experience as Circular Innovation Officer for the City of Amsterdam enabled her to dive deep into the many facets of the City’s multitude of projects and initiatives supporting circularity. The students were most engaged around the discussion of moving from a linear to circular economy as it pertains to the large trend of increased urbanism, and the challenges that come from redeveloping historic areas while keeping sustainability at the forefront of the planning process.

It’s one thing to hear about successful innovative circular development, however, experiencing it is another thing entirely. With this in mind, Cornelia led the group on a cycling tour through Amsterdam North – a fertile ground for creative and circular innovations.
Students wandered through the boardwalk of De Ceuvel which was constructed on the polluted soil of a former shipyard. Through a unique collaboration between architecture firm Space & Matter and sustainability consultancy Metabolic, the former industrial space was transformed into an innovative community of artists and entrepreneurs. Four years on and De Ceuvel continues to lead the way as Amsterdam’s flagship “living lab,” having launched the “Joulitte” blockchain-based energy sharing token, and a biogas boat that converts De Ceuvel’s Café organic waste into biogas and fertilizer.

From De Ceuvel, the group continued on to the Buiksloterham neighborhood to view examples of cutting-edge sustainable and circular architecture. The students were inspired by “Palais Recup” developed by the owner salvaging all sorts of materials first, and then enlisting the services of an architect to design a home from what was available — a true example of innovation, experimentation, and creativity.

The group finished off the tour at NDSM-wharf, inside a shipbuilding hangar from 1919 which has now been transformed to “Kunststad” or “Art City”. Here artists had an opportunity to build a studio of their choice, co-creating what is said to be Europe’s largest breading ground for creatives.

They say an Ivy League education can open many doors. The most important of those being the one that leads you outside to “Challenge the status quo and change things around. From waste and pollution, to up cycling and recovery.”— As stated at the entrance to De Ceuvel.

Text by Beth St. John, Social Entrepreneur, Writer, and Founder of Aspire Institute. Photos by Thomas Schlijper.

A Dutch delegation is ready to meet you at the Smart City Expo in Barcelona this November. One of the Dutch participants is the project REPAiR, a collaboration project between six cities and the European Commission. AMS Institute and Metabolic are involved in the Amsterdam part of the project.

REPAiR develops a tool to get more insights in waste flows in peri-urban areas.
Would you like to learn from them? Stop by at the Dutch Pavilion!

>>REPAiR will give a demo and presentation on Tuesday morning the 13th of November, between 10.30 and 12.

Smart City Expo World Congress Barcelona, 12-15 November 2018
Gran Via, hall 2, Street D, Stand 479
#SCEWC18

Want to watch more video's?
Click on the tag Smart City Expo 2018 below, or on this link: https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/posts?tags=smart-city-expo-2018

A Dutch delegation is ready to meet you at the Smart City Expo in Barcelona this November. There you will be able to meet the startup Madaster. Madaster was founded only year ago and is ready accelerate the circular economy. They are transforming the Amsterdam financial district with their materials passport.

Would you like to innovate with them?

Share your knowledge with Pablo at the Dutch Pavilion!
He will also give a presentation on Tuesday morning the 13th of November, between 10.30 and 12.

Smart City Expo World Congress Barcelona, 12-15 November 2018 Gran Via, hall 2, Street D, Stand 479
#SCEWC18

Want to watch more video's?
Click on the tag Smart City Expo 2018 below, or on this link: https://amsterdamsmartcity.com/posts?tags=smart-city-expo-2018

On the 31st of October, Amsterdam Economic Board is organizing the 'Gooi en Vechtstreek: Slim, Groen en Gezond' event with the aim of boosting regional cooperation in the field of circular economy. An important event, says Wimar Jaeger, alderman in Hilversum and a brand new member of the Amsterdam Economic Board: 'You connect to a network of circular ambitions and show the world you take the subject seriously.'

EINDHOVEN - The city of Barcelona is globally known as one of the leading examples in Smart City developments. And that is even more so during the annual Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) that is held in Barcelona from 12 to 15 November. A Dutch delegation of companies, knowledge institutes and governments, including Amsterdam Smart City, visits the event as part of a Smart City mission that is led by Mayor of Eindhoven and president of the Brainport Eindhoven foundation: John Jorritsma.

“The Smart City Expo World Congress is thé meeting place for all parties involved in the topic smart cities and how citizens interact with smart applications. So, it is of interest to companies, entrepreneurs, start-ups, cities and knowledge and research centres involved in smart cities”, says leader of the mission John Jorritsma.

Six main themes
“Our goal is to present what our country offers in the field of smart city solutions and show the added value of the Dutch organisations and companies within the Smart City sector, as concretely as possible”, says Jorritsma. This is done along six different tracks:

- Safety & Security
- Healthy Urban Living
- Urban Mobility
- Climate and Energy
- Circular Economy
- Data

Excellent network
“Because of the international audience that visits this exhibition, participation offers many opportunities to get in touch with the right people,” says Jorritsma. “Moreover, the presence of government officials during the mission can lead to opportunities companies would not have had without the presence of government representatives.”

Programme
The programme starts on Sunday evening November 11th with an informal kick-off reception. On Monday November 12th, the business event ‘The Dutch & Smart Cities: Shaping the future by challenging today’ will take place. During this business event workshops, deep-dives and roundtable discussions will take place that focus on social challenges and technological concepts in cities. From Tuesday 13th to Thursday 15th November, the Holland Pavilion of Smart City Expo will host World Congress pitches and networking moments.

Amsterdam Smart City will join the mission in Barcelona, just like last year. We hope to see you there!

For more information about participation, costs and possibilities please contact the Netherlands Enterprise Agency by sending an email to innovatiemissies@rvo.nl or check <https://www.rvo.nl/actueel/evenementen/vergroot-uw-netwerk-tijdens-de-innovatiemissie-smart-cities-barcelona>.

Heard about Circular Economy but don’t know what it means in practice? Check out this report that analyzes over 200 Circular Economy initiatives taking places in the US.

Pollution is the major problem all over the world. There are many industries that contribute to this pollution. But do you know that the clothes that you wear are one of the biggest reasons for the growing pollution? Yes, you heard it right. According to reports, the fashion industry holds the second place for being the most polluting industry in the world. Research says, 20% of global waste is generated from the fashion industry. Along with this, the industry is also responsible for 10% of global carbon dioxide emission which is extremely harmful to the living creatures. However, after realising how much pollution this industry is causing, experts are trying to come up with the sustainable solutions. Scientists all over the world are working extensively to decrease the pollution level generated from the fashion industry.

Take a pause from your busy life and look at our planet’s incredible sustainable natural cycle. Have you ever given a thought that our planet wouldn’t have lived billions of years without this natural cycle where the excretion of one living species tends to be another’s food – a natural zero waste management system.