CIRCULAR RENOVATION IN TARTU

Project facts

Project promoter:
Tartu city government(EE)
Project Number:
EE-CLIMATE-0017
Status:
Completed
Final project cost:
€386,448
Donor Project Partners:
Municipality of Trondheim(NO)
SINTEF AS(NO)
Other Project Partners
Estonian Circular Economy Industries Association(EE)
Information Centre for Sustainable Renovation(EE)
Tallinn University of Technology(EE)

Description

With this project there will be pilot methods to prove construction materials'' circularity usage: instruction materials to self-constructors and proposition of standardization for grand-constructors. Also training (to empower circular economy stakeholders) architects, engineers, designers, construction companies, waste handlers, local government officials. Business model pilot for construction materials circular usage centre and digital data-base prototype for City of Tartu will be developed. And demonstration of circular usage construction materials in public bicycle pavilions > 4 will be implemented.

Summary of project results

The project aimed to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through greater material efficiency in construction. Construction materials are not reused (in 2019 only 0,7% of construction and demolition materials were reused). The idea was to integrate circular principles within the City of Tartu which is at a renovation stage. 

With this project the City of Tartu solved technological barriers (the pilot of proving materials recyclability), regulatory barriers (renewing Tartu''s waste plan with integrating recycling principles into it), organizational barriers (developing a busines model for construction materials recycling-bank). Also to present the recyclability of demolition materials - four bicycle pavilions were built. Best practices were gathered with the help of donor state partners. Tartu created a database called: www.ringrenoveerimine.ee 

The project implemented a construction materials recycling bank which has been a successful start for this kind of bank. The beneficiaries are not only the habitants of Tartu but the bank operates so that everybody in Estonia can use it. The bicycle pavilions are in everyday use and a fine example of reusing construction materials. The interest in these pavilions has reached further than just the city of Tartu (as they are in public space and different athletes, museum visitors, tourists, etc use them). Within the municipality of Tartu there were trainings for officials about circular economy solutions and with their final event they presented their knowledge to a wider public.  

Summary of bilateral results

The bilateral cooperation was productive. The team visited their partners in Oslo in May 2023, all project partners were present. The circular usage bank idea came from this study-visit. Norwegian partner contributed also at a meeting in Tartu in September 2023.

Information on the projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants is provided by the Programme and Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, who are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of this information.