HOOP D6.3 Report on the engagement activities implemented through the Biowaste Clubs in the Lighthouse Cities and Regions

The HOOP project aims to provide Project Development Assistance (PDA) to eight Lighthouse Cities and Regions for the future implementation of bio-based processes for the valorisation of the organic fraction of the municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and urban wastewater sludge (UWWS). The goal is to help unlock bio-based investments and deploy local bio economies in Europe. Facilitating this change requires multi-stakeholder takes place in Biowaste Clubs.

Each of the eight HOOP Lighthouse Cities and Regions has set up its own local or regional Biowaste Club and carried out its first stakeholder engagement activities through Biowaste Club meetings. In order to meet each Lighthouse’s target groups and goals for engagement, each Biowaste Club’s set-up, format and size vary. While some are built upon existing local initiatives, others bring stakeholders together for the first time. In some Lighthouses, Biowaste Clubs are accompanied by citizen science activities. The chapters below document the stakeholder engagement activities that have taken place so far and what can be expected next.

The first preparatory step for establishing the Biowaste Clubs was to assess the status quo of each biowaste value chain. Secondly, stakeholder mapping identified key actors along the value chain and assessed their interest, relevance and influence in HOOP activities as well as their connections with each other. Thirdly, the CSCP developed a “How to Biowaste Club Playbook” and provided training webinars to Lighthouse partners on the concept, tools, set-up and execution of Biowaste Clubs.

The CSCP and WP6 partners organised bilateral “Welcome Talks” with each Lighthouse and facilitated an internal presentation series for them to present to and discuss with each other their biowaste value chain, previous related work, vision for HOOP as well as challenges, promising practices and envisioned pathways for stakeholder engagement. Additionally, bi-monthly WP6 jour fixes are being used to keep all Lighthouses and HOOP partners updated on current developments in each Lighthouse. As WP6 aims to facilitate exchange of learnings and promising practices across Lighthouses and Biowaste Clubs (task 6.2). the first HOOP study tour
took place in June 2022 in Almere and Münster.

All of these WP6 activities culminate in a stakeholder engagement plan tailored to each Lighthouse. These individual plans are detailed in this document. It is important to customise the plan to each Lighthouse due to their diversity in experiences, ambitions and local contexts. Accordingly, the structures between the chapters vary slightly to accommodate the most relevant topics in each Lighthouse.

One trend that emerges when looking at the eight Lighthouses together is the focus on citizens as a key target group for stakeholder engagement. All Lighthouses want to improve their separate collection rates and quality by understanding and tackling the challenges citizens face in separating their biowaste. Some Lighthouses are considering using citizen science to do so. A second common theme among Lighthouses is the understanding that stakeholder engagement needs to accompany any scaling-up of pilots or neighbourhood activities. A third key topic is the connections and potential conflicts between EU and national legislation and the potential barriers in national legislation and policies. These issues are tackled in the ROOTS initiative. In addition, there is the
common challenge of creating acceptance of bio-based products for the implementation of HOOP technologies to enjoy long-term success.