The project is implemented in cooperation with Lula University of Technology (Sweden), Aarhus University (Denmark), Podcomp Ab (Sweden), Hitachi Energy Sweden AB (Composites (HPAG)) (Sweden) and Valmiera Municipality. The circular economy is increasingly being encouraged by public authorities and European Union regulations, both for manufacturers and for individuals. In the framework of this project, the circular economy principle will be applied to glass fibre. Both the production of glass fibre itself and the production of composite materials generate a significant amount of glass fibre waste. The current practice is to landfill this waste glass fibre, which is not environmentally friendly, not an efficient use of the material and incurs additional costs for the producer. This is a complex issue that can be solved by bringing together representatives of the different industries, experts, scientists and public authorities to share knowledge, experience and identify the next steps to move the industry more quickly from a linear to a circular economy. The target group of the project is small and medium-sized enterprises, but large companies will also be invited to participate, such as JSC Valmieras Stikla Šķiedra. The project will include various activities to promote cooperation and dialogue between the organisations involved (seminars, conferences, working groups), activities to raise public awareness of the circular economy and the opportunity for students to participate in hackathons.
The project has a total funding of €500,000 and a 2-year implementation period.