About BLUEPRINT to a Circular Economy
Lead partner: Essex County Council
Project duration: April 2020-March 2023
Budget: €5,619,864 (€3,877,706.16 (69%) was provided by the European Regional Development Fund)
The BLUEPRINT Project will help local authorities in England and France to implement a circular economy. The project had three work streams:
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Work Package 1 - Ensuring local authorities have the framework to work towards a circular economy
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Work Package 2 - Mobilising social enterprises to provide circular economy training
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Work Package 3 - Helping schools and households to change their behaviour to support circular economy growth
Outputs
The project delivered the following outputs by March 2023:
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A new BLUEPRINT Model
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A local authority monitoring and evaluation framework service
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A local authority training programme and network
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A training programme to develop skills and employability
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A series of behaviour change campaigns
Results
The project’s outputs had the following results:
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35+ local authorities implementing the BLUEPRINT Model
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1,300+ individuals trained to secure jobs within the circular economy (15% will secure jobs within two years of completing the programme)
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20+ organisations upskilled to deliver training
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78,000+ individuals shifting their behaviour to support circular economy growth
What's the challenge?
The transition to a circular economy in Europe could be worth €1.8 trillion a year by 2030. BLUEPRINT will help local authorities to take advantage of this exciting opportunity.
Currently, low recycling and high unemployment rates are treated as two separate issues. The BLUEPRINT Model will transform this approach!
The model will help local authorities to create waste management strategies that also address social value and innovation. By doing so, local authorities can also prioritise welfare gains and reduce the risk of economic exclusion. This will produce outcomes that are better for both the planet and the population.
BLUEPRINT will help local authorities to understand the potential jobs created by a circular economy. These include reverse logistics and secondary markets. The project will also enable residents to play a part in the circular economy. By involving families, schools and households, BLUEPRINT will help local authorities to meet the EU recycling targets of 65% by 2035.
A cross-border approach
BLUEPRINT adopted a truly cross-border approach by creating a model to be used across the FCE region and beyond!
Partners engaged with more than 30 local authorities to develop the model, learning from other countries and regions to create a holistic BLUEPRINT.
The project also engaged training bodies and households from both countries. Cross-border collaboration ensured the training scheme and behaviour change campaigns were replicable and transferable.
