How Prague can boost innovation through circularity
Amsterdam, 6 June 2019
The first Circle City Scan in the Czech Republic provides a visual roadmap to kick-start Prague’s circular transition.
Today, 6 June 2019, Circle Economy and INCIEN launch Circular Prague, a visual roadmap that identifies the strategies that are best positioned to kick-start the Czech capital’s transition towards a circular economy. The collaborative Circle City Scan process has highlighted the potential to promote circular lifestyles in ReUse Hubs, using public procurement, boost the construction through circular procurement, and utilise the city’s food waste as biomethane to power the city’s waste collection fleet. To capitalise on the growing circular momentum, the report provides tangible steps to take these projects from concept to reality, and kick-start Prague’s circular transition.
Prague’s households, construction sector, and waste management system are best positioned to kick-start circularity
The Circular Prague report marks the culmination of a Prague’s Circle City Scan; a 12-month collaborative innovation process involving local government, research organisations and businesses. The ‘Scan’ process analyses both the economic and political landscape of the city, as well as uncovers the resource ‘metabolism’ of the city, in order to identify areas of the city with the greatest impact, benefits and momentum to kick-start the circular transition. Contributing a combined CRK 165 billion to the local economy, the city construction and waste management sectors present great opportunities to close the city’s material loops. While Prague’s households, and their generation of 430,000 tonnes of waste each year, are key to create a healthy, sustainable and vibrant city.
“Thanks to the Circular City Scan Prague, we got really inspired. There is a huge opportunity for Prague to make more efficient use of its resources, reduce its climate impact, and at the same time, boost innovation and create new jobs through the innovative circular solutions identified through the Circular Prague project. Now is the time to get these pilot projects off the ground.”
- Petr Hlubuček, Vice-mayor of Prague for the Environment and Safety
Prague can power its entire waste management fleet on 93,500 tonnes of biowastes
To secure the benefits of a circular economy, the promising opportunities for a circular Prague were developed into practical and scalable circular strategies. For example, biodegradable and food wastes present huge and, as of yet, untapped potential for the city. Developing a biogas plant within Prague could transform the 93,500 tonnes of biodegradable waste that is generated in the city each year could produce almost 7 million m3 of renewable biofuels – enough to power the entire waste management fleet (and still have 40% left over!). Recognising this enormous opportunity, the city of Prague has already taken proactive steps towards making this circular project a reality.
UTILISING BIOMASS AS BIOMETHANE
“This project and study helped us to better understand Prague’s material and waste flows. As a result of the process, we have several great pilots projects ideas which we are currently looking to implement. Soon maybe our entire fleet will be running on biofuel from waste.”
- Patrik Roman, CEO Pražské Služby a.s.
To bring Prague’s circular transition from conceptualisation towards implementation, the Circular Prague report presents a detailed action plan for each of the circular strategies that were pinpointed. Each action plan emphasises a collaborative and integrated approach to ensure the circular transition.
Along with the a plant to transform biomass to biomethane, two other circular strategies were developed:
- ReUse Hubs: The decentralised network of circular ‘Hubs’ throughout the city can focus circular activities to circulate value in the 430,000 tonnes of waste that Prague’s household produces each year, as well as inspire and support circular lifestyles.
- Circular procurement in construction: With public sector influencing almost a quarter of construction activities in the city, incorporating circularity within the procurement practices help to close the loop on the sector’s staggering 13 million tonnes of materials and 116,000 tonnes of CO2, while boosting innovation and competitiveness.
From a post-industrial city to an innovative circular hotspot
Over the past decades, Prague has been rapidly reinvented itself as a high-tech, trade and service-oriented economy. Now, the city is recognising the power of the circular economy to boost innovation, competitiveness and create a healthy and sustainable urban environment. Adopting circular strategies can allow companies to create new value out of resources once considered waste, helping to ‘close-the-loop’. These new economic opportunities can boost employment, value-added, and innovation throughout Prague’s vibrant industries.
“Circular Scan Prague is at its end, but the journey of Prague towards the circular economy has just begun. Thanks to an incredible collaboration with our partners from Circle Economy we have managed to create an unseen momentum within the city’s departments, highest political levels, as well as local businesses. Everyone is now on board, and ready to start implementing several circular pilots, we have identified. I hope more Czech and Slovakian cities and regions will follow this journey soon enough. It is time we get serious about the change we need to see around ourselves.”
- Vojtěch Vosecký, Co-founder & Chief Business Officer, INCIEN
Moving from inspiration to implementation
The circular strategies identified and developed through Prague’s Circle City Scan present a clear way forward for the city. Now it is important for the city and its stakeholders to build upon the momentum and energy that has been created in the circular around circularity. Continued collaboration between the city, businesses, and citizens is crucial to ensure the implementation of these pilot projects, and further propel the transition towards a circular economy.
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For further information please contact:
Circle Economy – Annerieke Douma – Director for Cities and Regions – [email protected]
INCIEN – Vojtěch Vosecký – Chief Business Officer – [email protected]