European cities generate millions of tonnes of municipal and industrial waste every year, yet large volumes of potentially valuable materials still end up in landfills or low-value treatment processes. At the same time, urban areas face growing pressure to improve resource efficiency, reduce environmental impact and transition towards more circular economic models. REDOL addresses this challenge by developing integrated circular value chains that transform urban waste streams into valuable secondary resources for industrial and commercial use.
The project focuses on demonstrating how cities can recover and reuse materials that are traditionally considered waste, helping create new circular business opportunities while reducing landfill dependence and environmental pressure. By connecting waste management, recycling and industrial reuse activities, REDOL supports the development of more circular and resilient urban economies.
What is REDOL about?
REDOL focuses on improving the recovery, processing and reuse of municipal and industrial waste streams within urban environments.
The project develops integrated circular value chains capable of transforming underutilised waste materials into useful products and secondary raw materials. Instead of treating waste as an end-of-life problem, REDOL promotes approaches where materials remain within productive economic cycles for as long as possible.
A central aspect of the project is the demonstration of practical urban circular economy solutions across several pilot activities. These demonstrations explore how different waste streams can be collected, sorted, processed and reintroduced into industrial and commercial applications through innovative recycling and recovery pathways.
The project also addresses operational and systemic challenges linked to urban waste management. Efficient circular systems require coordination between municipalities, waste operators, industries and local stakeholders. REDOL therefore works on improving collaboration across the entire waste value chain while supporting more integrated resource management approaches.
Alongside technical implementation, the project explores environmental, economic and replication aspects required for wider adoption. The objective is not only to validate specific recycling and recovery solutions, but also to demonstrate scalable circular economy models that can be replicated across different urban contexts in Europe.
By combining waste valorisation, industrial cooperation and circular business approaches, REDOL contributes to reducing waste generation while improving urban resource efficiency and industrial sustainability.
Why REDOL matters
Urban waste generation continues to increase across Europe, placing growing pressure on landfill systems, resource availability and environmental sustainability. At the same time, many waste streams still contain valuable materials that could support circular production systems and reduce dependence on virgin resources.
REDOL contributes to addressing this challenge by demonstrating how urban waste can become a valuable input for new industrial and commercial applications. Through circular value chains and improved material recovery processes, the project helps reduce waste disposal while creating opportunities for more sustainable resource use.
By supporting practical circular economy implementation in urban environments, REDOL helps accelerate Europe’s transition towards more resource-efficient and resilient cities.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101091668.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
