We brought together Berlin creatives who operate with secondary materials, open workshop organisers and potential suppliers of these secondary materials to close the loop for textile, wood and event-related waste in Berlin.
ORGANISERS
Circular Berlin, TU Berlin
PARTNERS
TU Berlin – Chair for Circular Economy and Recycling Technologies, Material Mafia and OMA e.V.
FUNDERS
EIT Climate-KIC, Zero Waste Europe
DATE
December 2018
The challenge
Material reuse is on top of Berlin’s waste agenda, but it is not fully realised. The challenge remains around the uncertainty of material properties, unclear local demand for such materials, and missing infrastructure to process them.
Our approach
The workshop focused on:
- the type of materials that can mostly be reused and remanufactured locally in Berlin
- how to engage the local community in Berlin in the process
- what existing and potential skills are already there and
- what it is necessary to develop
- how to professionalise the work in waste prevention and
- use waste as a resource.
The outcomes
These were the key results of the workshop for materials and products:
- Strong interest to focus on the reuse/remanufacture of wood, textiles, and fair waste
- Recycling centres should additionally generate knowledge about materials but also serve as a multiplier for CE in the city
- Proposal for a physical warehouse with a pick-up area for companies for material bundling, sorting, and creating an inventory.
Over 100 registrations from local NGOs, initiatives involved in reuse or remanufacture, open workshop spaces, academia, design, housing companies, funding institutions, and the public sector.
Further steps
The workshop served as the final stage of the CURE (Сentres for Urban Remanufacture) project, leading to the beginning of the next phase for implementing results in the Haus der Materialisierung project. This is where the knowledge building on secondary material reuse will be developed and supported by the digital inventory tool for material supply.
