Bilateral visit between Podravje (SI) and Zealand (DK)
INERTWASTE project's bilateral visits journey brought us to the Nykøbing Falster this time, where representatives of Podravje region (Slovenia) and Zealand region (Denmark) met on 19 May 2025. Seven representatives of the City Municipality of Maribor, the Municipality of Guldborgsund and the Regional Development Agency for Podravje - Maribor performed a vibrant exchange of know-how and information regarding the inert and construction waste management, as well as circular economy good practices in both partner regions, that have a transfer potential. At the beginning of the bilateral meeting a discussion on strategic and action planning in the field of municipal and regional waste management was performed, exchanging the experiences by elaboration and integration of circular economy strategy and action plan into the community, respecting inclusion of all four key stakeholder groups of quadruple helix.
Further on, recycling and reuse of construction and demolition waste from public construction projects was discussed, taking into consideration the good practice case of closing urban loops by increasing reuse of construction and demolition waste in the Maribor Municipality (managed by the public utility company Nigrad) to be potentially replicated in the Guldborgsund Municipality.
As the municipalities are important drivers of region’s circular economy, legislative framework for implementation of activities addressing waste management and circular economic solutions was discussed. Participants exchanged the information on regulation of construction and inert waste, its processing and reuse of material. In that context the good practice of the obligatory processes by demolition of buildings and the reuse of construction materials in the Guldborgsund Municipality was presented.
Beside the local and regional legislation and administration compliances, also the great importance of digitalisation of construction and demolition waste management processes in the form of digital material passport was discussed. Participants focused on the Danish good practice of the OpenCirc digital solution for the construction industry's material passport and its comparison to the emerging digital material passport system of construction and demolition waste in Maribor and possible exchange of experiences.
At the end of the meeting participants discussed also about the sustainable mobility and energy solutions in connection with construction and inert waste project topics (i.e. solar power plants at degraded landfills, biogas produced out of sludge, energy efficient construction). To strengthen the bilateral cooperation, participants agreed to continue with the exchange of information, knowledge and good practices in the areas of circular economy.