March 2020

Author:Jorgina CuixartUIA Expert

The APPLAUSE project Journal N° 4

Project led by the Municipality of Ljubljana

CIRCULARECONOMY

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The APPLAUSE project

ApPLAuSE (Alien PLAnt SpEcies) - from harmful to useful with citizens’ led activities will experiment a completely new approach to IAPS (Invasive Alien Plant Species) treatment. IAPS will be considered as a resource and starting point of a new business model. A big effort is dedicated to new green technologies in all aspects of IAPS treatment (e.g. pilot enzymatic processing of IAPS fibres instead of chemical) as well as circular economy principles in development of new products (re-use). Through a large-scale educational and awareness raising campaigns, citizens are encouraged to participate in IAPS harvesting and re-use. ICT technology will be used to address target groups and to produce open data, new knowledge and develop new services like IAPS monitoring. Collected IAPS biomass will feed three main ways of further transformation: at home (e.g. food, dyes), at tutored workshops (e.g. to produce wood or paper articles) and in craftsman laboratories (e.g. to manufacture innovative products with market potential in social enterprises and employing vulnerable groups).

Partnership

• City of Ljubljana

• SNAGA - waste management public utility

• University of Ljubljana

• Jozef Stefan Institute

• National Institute of Chemistry

• Pulp and Paper Institute

• Company for arboriculture and forestry (TISA)

• GDi GISDATA d.o.o. Ljubljana

• Centre of Excellence for Space Sciences and Technologies (SPACE-SI)

• Association for the development of sustainable design (TRAJNA)

• TipoRenesansa

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Table of Contents

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4

2. PREPARING THE LEGACY OF APPLAUSE 6

3. ACCOUNT ON THE PROGRESS MADE BY THE PROJECT SINCE OCTOBER 2019 11

3.1 Graduallyclosingdowntheharvestingpart 11

3.2 Graduallyclosingdowntheproductdesignpart 12

3.3 Promotingcivicengagementandgreenactivism through DIY culture 15

3.4 Deliveringenvironmentalandartisticeducation throughworkshopactivities 15

4. SUMMARY ON IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES 18

5. CONCLUSION 22

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

APPLAUSE is heading towards the last few months of implementation. Some activities such as theharvestingcampaignsorthedesignofnewpaperandwoodproductsarefinishing.Twoworkshops,the handcraft papermaking workshop and thewood type letter printing are in full operationwhilethewoodworkingworkshopissoontobelaunched.Theconsortiumisalsoacceleratingtherelease of tools and resources to promote DIYculture in IAPS recovery and use.

Allinall,theprojecthasmanagedtoachievethefollowingresultsfromtheseactivities:

• Thecollectionof59.3m3ofwoodyIAPSand10,928kgofherbaceousIAPSsincethestartoftheproject,

• Theorganisationof23harvestingcampaignsinvolvingapproximately400volunteers.

• The development of the final designs of 6paperproductsand13woodproductsmadeof IAPS.

• The release of the DIY catalogue andaccompanyingvideos.

• The organisation of 218 workshop activities(papermaking, letter printing, dye home-production, woodworking) involving2,770participants.

Theseresultshaveledtonew lessons learned:

• Not all collected IAPS biomass can be usedfor papermaking, woodworking or dyeproduction. Sometimes it is not feasiblefrom atechnical point of view (e.g. certainspecieslackthepropertiesrequiredforpaper

production), but inother instances, it is justnot viable from apractical or economicalpoint of view (not sufficient quantities ofacertainspecies,theprocessistooresourceandcostintensive…).So,onlyafewIAPScanbeusedinAPPLAUSEcircularmodel:

o HerbaceousIAPS:JapaneseandBohemianknotweed,Canadianandgiantgoldenrod.

o WoodyIAPS:Blacklocust,Treeofheaven,Honey locust, Box elder, Horse chestnutandfinallyStaghorn sumacasoneof themost colourful ones.

• Citizens are invited to participate inharvesting campaigns to collect herbaceousIAPS biomass. However, these activities arenot suited for everyone, since they requirevolunteers willing to undertake physicalactivity.Oneofthecollectivesthathavebeenmorekeentoparticipatehavebeenstudentsfrombothhighschoolanduniversity.

• While these harvesting campaigns areagreat resource for raising awareness,the quantity of biomass harvested is notsufficient tocover thedemandofAPPLAUSEproductdevelopers.Thatiswhymuchbiggerquantities of herbaceous IAPS are collectedbyJPVOKASNAGA,themunicipalwaterandwaste management public company, andTISA, aprivate company, collects wood IAPSbiomass. For example, 1kg of IAPS biomass(whichstillneedstobedelignifiedandrefined)can produce 600gr of paper. As for wood,from asingle log, only 40% of the biomasscanbeusedtoproducewoodproducts.This

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percentageislowerinurbantreescomparedtoforesttrees(whichisabout60%)becauseurban treesoftenhavemechanical damages(due to vandalism, metal inclusions such asnails,etc.).

• A participatory and open approach toproduct design has been very beneficial interms of creativity. The final products areattractive and at the same time incorporateintrinsic values of APPLAUSE in terms of circularity, environmental awareness andresponsibleconsumption.

• Having DIY culture as one of the drivers of citizens’ engagement not only empowerscitizenstotakeactionintacklingtheproblemscaused by IAPS; it can also inspire them tobecome more engaged in other green orcivicinitiatives.

• Finally, the workshops are beingatremendous success, especially amongschools. That is because they are able tocombine environmental education withartistic expression and learnings about localcultural heritage. The effective collaborationbetween theenvironmental andeducationaldepartments of the City of Ljubljana hasgreatlycontributedtosuchsuccess.

Theresultsoftheseactivitiesandlessonslearnedare also helping APPLAUSE partners to scopethefuturescale-upofthecircularmodelforthemanagement of IAPS, once the project reachesits end inOctober this year. In this period, theCityofLjubljanahasbeenleadingaseriesoftalksandworkshopswithpartnersthataimtosecurethelegacyofAPPLAUSE.Thesehavefocusedon:developingacommonvisionforthefuturescale-up of the circular model; understanding whatactivities can continue after the project and inwhichform;confirmingpartners’ interest inthefuturebusinessmodel;andscopingtheneedfornewpost-projectalliances.

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2. PREPARING THE LEGACY OF APPLAUSE

As we enter the last months of the APPLAUSE project,theeffortsarenowshiftingfromsettingup processes and activities to gradually closingthem.Itisalsoacrucialmomentfortheproject,aspartnersneedtoworkonafuturepost-projectscenario that secures the legacy of APPLAUSE.

Theuncertaintyofthepost-projectphaseneedstobemanagedproperly.Inmanyoccasions,thedevelopmentofaplanthatensuresthecontinuityof the operations once the grant funding endscomestoolate,inthelastmonthsoftheproject.Then,partnershavelittletimetoreact,andoftenrealisethatcertainthingsshouldhavebeendonedifferentlytofacilitatefutureuseorexploitation.

In APPLAUSE, the ambition to secure the long-term sustainability of the project has beenpresentsinceitsstart.Oneofthemainobjectivesof APPLAUSE is to make the circular model for the managementofIAPSself-sustainable.Asaresult,many processes and activities put in place, aspartofthiscircularmodel,havebeendevelopedwiththatinmind.Here,Iprovideanexhaustivelist:

• Anewdigitalplatformhasbeendevelopedtoassist botanists and green areamanagers inidentifying,locatingandtrackingIAPSspreadacrosstheterritory.Thisplatformalsoincludesa module for managing orders, arrangingcollections and organising deliveries of thepre-processed biomass. The platform willcontinuetobeusedaftertheproject,makingthe entire processmore efficient and easiertooperate.

• Outof the25 IAPS selectedandanalysed inAPPLAUSE, research partners have studiedthechemicalandmechanicalpropertiesofallof them to identify those that are moresuitableforpaperorwoodproducts,dyesorhomeformulationsoforganicpesticide.ThisresearchhasledtosomeIAPSbeingdiscardedas potential raw material to be used inproducts, while others, whose handling andprocessing has proven to be cost-effective,will be turned into viable products. In thatway, the futureoperationof themodelonlyworks with those species that make thecircular model viable from a practical andfinancialpointofview.

• Also, the consortia have gained a wealth ofknowledge on when the right timing is toharvest each species and how to handle itafterwards. As a result, many lessons havebeen learned on how to continue theharvestingoperationsoncetheprojectends.

• APPLAUSE has invested in two physicalworkshops, one for handcraft papermakingand the other one for woodworking. Theseworkshopsaretwomajornewassetsthecityhas gained for the benefit of all citizensbeyondtheprojecttimeframe.

• JPVOKASNAGA, thepartner responsible forthebusinessmodels hasbeendoingmarketsurveys to test the willingness to pay foranumberofAPPLAUSEproducts.Thisresearchwill be really useful once the products arelaunchedintothemarketafterprojectend.

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• ThefocusofAPPLAUSEincitizenengagementcanalsobeseenasasteppingstonetosecurethe continuity of the project beyond itstimeframe. The project is creating a “criticalmass” of citizens who are aware of theproblems caused by IAPS, know how toidentifydifferentspeciesandwhattodowiththem (either transforming them into something useful or hand them over to a collection point). These citizens are thefuture consumers of IAPS-based products;therefore raising their awareness on the problems caused by IAPS is vital in order tomake them appreciate the intrinsic value ofthese products. Only in this way, APPLAUSEcan create sufficient demand to ensure thesustainabilityofitscircularmodelovertime.

• Finally, to further support citizens’engagement,APPLAUSEhasbeendevelopinganAppforcitizens.ThisApp,tobereleasedinMay2020,allowscitizenstotakeaphotoofa plant and automatically recognises if it isa specific IAPS or not. Once the App hasidentified an IAPS, it gives to the citizenrecommendationsonwhattodowithit.ThisAppcanbeagreattoolinfacilitatingcitizens’engagementbeyondtheprojectlifespanandcanevenbecomeapromotional channel fortheproducts/services.

Thesenewtools,products,assetsandlearningscannotbelockedintoadraweroncetheproject

reaches its end date. The City of Ljubljana isdetermined to continue supporting the circularmanagementofIAPS,butnewleadershipsneedto arise within the consortium to secure thefuturecontinuityonceAPPLAUSEreachesitsendinOctober2020.

TojointlydeliberateaboutthefutureofAPPLAUSEcircular model, last year, I hosted a discussionwith the group of partners involved in theoperationofthecircularmodel.Theaimwastodevelopacommonvisiononthefuturescale-upofthebusinessmodelofAPPLAUSE.Toreachthisvision,thesessionwasdividedinto4parts:

1. Identifyingkeygoals,objectives,activities tobefulfilledinthefuturebusinessmodeloncetheprojectends;

2. To think what key skills, experience andresourceswouldeachorganisationbewillingtobringtothefuturebusinessmodel;

3. To analyse the situation by identifying keystrengths, weaknesses, opportunities andthreats to the future business model(SWOTanalysis);

4. The last part focused on jointly develop anaction plan to be implemented during thelast year.

Participantsusedpost-itsofdifferentcolours tofirstwriteindividuallytheirideasandlatersharethemwiththerestofthegroup.

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The first part enabled partners to share theirvisiononthefutureoftheproject.Avisionthatentailscontinuing inspiringcitizens to livemoresustainably(understandingwhatthingsaremadeof and promoting green consumption) whilefosteringcreativity(design,culturalheritage)andincreasing thequality of life in the city (solvingthe problems causedby IAPS).Once this visionwas recognised by all participants, each oneexpressedwhatroletheywerewillingtoplayinthefuturepost-projectscenario:

• For example, the City of Ljubljana plays andwill play a key role as landowner and asdecision-makerinthecity.Itisalsoresponsibleformaintainingthenewdigitalplatformandiswilling to continue raising awareness afterproject end. Also, the City Administration isapurchaserofgoodsandproducts,arolethat

couldcertainlygainimportanceinthefuturebusinessmodel.

• JP VOKA SNAGA, the city’swater andwastemanagement public company, is also a corepartnerinthefuturebusinessmodel.NotonlyitistheoneinchargeofIAPSharvestingandcollection(aidedbyitssubcontractors)butitis also the owner of the workshop facilities(forhandcraftpapermakingandwoodworking)and the collection points for IAPS disposal.Besides, the public company also deliverspublic education campaigns on correctwaste management.

• Theprojectcountsontwopartners,whichareexpertsonwoodmaking(BiotechnicalFaculty,DepartmentofWoodScienceandTechnology)andpapermaking(PulpandPaperInstitute).TheFaculty is keenon continuing its taskas

Results of the discussion on the future scale up of the business model of APPLAUSE

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advisoronthedesignandproductionofwoodproductsandasadvocateofsustainablewoodproduction practices. As for the Pulp andPaper Institute, the organisation can playa role in thepromotionof thepapermakingworkshops and the development andcommercialisationofpaper-basedproducts.

• Finally,thetwocreativepartners,TRAJNAandtipoRenesansa, expressed their interest incontinuingtheirinvolvementaftertheprojectphasebybringingintheirexpertiseonproductdesign (both wood and paper) andworkshopfacilitation.

Parts3and4ofthediscussionfocusedonjointlyanalysing the current vision of APPLAUSE circular model(throughaSWOTanalysis)andformulatingasetofactionstopreparethefuturepost-projectphase. Some of the actions identified were:developing a post-project partners’ agreement,identifying theminimum products and servicesthat make the business model viable anddeveloping an internal and external marketingstrategy. The following figure summarise theSWOTanalysis:

STRENGTHS

OPPORTUNITIES

WEAKNESSES

THREATS

•  Innovative way of handling IAPS •  Supported by scientific research •  Good cooperation within a multidisciplinary

team (technical, creative, educational competences)

•  Strong “green” message •  Local (easier to work together) •  Access to “resources” (biomass) •  Strong commitment towards raising public

awareness

•  Difficulty to get enough biomass, not all of IAPS are suitable for processing (technically or economically not feasible)

•  Difficulty to reach economies of scale •  Partnership not agile enough to adapt to

market dynamics or make strategic decisions •  Not enough focus on marketing and public

relations

•  New legislation on IAPS does not support IAPS recovery

•  Political changes, lack of interest from decision-makers

•  Bad weather conditions or even climate change may affect harvesting of IAPS

•  Unforeseen changes in core team •  Changes in market dynamics or societal

values •  New economic crisis

•  Working on more IAPS or other waste streams •  Cooperating with local craft centres •  Transferring knowledge nationally (rural

communities…) and internationally •  More eco-friendly attitudes among population •  Raising popularity of DIY and Open Source •  Potential alliances with commercial partners •  More strict regulations on IAPS removal •  Other funding opportunities (LIFE)

O

W

T

S

SWOT analysis for the future scale-up of APPLAUSE.

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TAKE AWAY POINT à Leadership and strategic thinking to look beyond

the project timeframeAstheprojectstartstoreachitsend,thepressureontheprojectleaderincreases.Thecoordinator needs tomanage partners’ expectationswhile jointly defining astrategythatsecurestheprojectlegacy.TheCityofLjubljanaismanagingthisby:creatingacoregroupofpartners (abit likeataskforce)who,duetothenatureoftheactivitiestheyimplement,iskeenonplayingapartinthefuturebusinessmodel;promotingindividualleadershipswithinthiscoregroup;consolidatingkeypartnershipswithlocalstakeholderswhohavecollaboratedintheproject(forexamplethecity’seducationaldepartmentorthedistrict-levelcommunitygroups);andengagingtheprojectsteeringgroup,whichisledbytheDeputyMayor,tosecurethebuy-infromstrategicallies.

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3. ACCOUNT ON THE PROGRESS MADE BY THE PROJECT SINCE OCTOBER 2019

3.1 Gradually closing down the harvesting partThroughouttheproject,APPLAUSEpartnershavelearnedthatwinteristheoptimaltimetoharvestherbaceous biomass for papermaking. As forwoodbiomass,thebestseasontoharvestthemisintheautumn,whenthematerialisdryer.Thisprocessdoesnotcomewithoutchallenges;onecan expect snow, rain,mud,morning dew, etc.Importantly, once collected, the biomass needstobeproperlypre-processedandstoredtoavoidanydeterioration.Overall,projectpartnershavemanaged to collect 1,606 kg of biomass duringthese last 6 months. This has been achievedthanks to the work of green area managers as well as the organisation of 23 harvestingcampaigns,involving408volunteers.

Sinceharvestingrequiresvolunteerstoundertakephysical activity, not everyone is keen toparticipate (older people, very young children,families…).Amajor successhasbeen to securethecommitmentofhighschoolsanduniversities(especially those specialised in natural sciencesandforestry),aswellasassociationsinterestedinoutdoor activities. Given the interest of thesegroups in repeating such experience next year,

the City of Ljubljana is already planning tocontinuewith theseharvestingcampaignsaftertheendoftheproject.

These harvesting campaigns are a greatopportunityforcitizenstolearntorecogniseIAPSand become aware of what damage they cancause to the local biodiversity, the ecosystemservices or humanhealth. But as stated above,noteveryonecanparticipateintheseharvestingcampaigns.Infact,muchoftheawarenessraisingisdoneduringthepapermakingorwoodworkingworkshops (see section 3.3)which always startwith an educational talk about IAPS. Since it isoftendifficulttobringrealplantstothesetalks,(herbaceous species deteriorate quickly andwoodyspeciesaretoobig),APPLAUSEhasused3D printing technology to create models forcertain IAPS species. Artisans have painted themodels tomake them look as real as possible.After using them multiple times, workshopfacilitatorshaveconfirmedthatthese3Dmodelsare a great educational resource, especiallybecausetheylooksoreal.

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3.2 Gradually closing down the product design partAPPLAUSE has found out that not all IAPS harvested can be turned into paper or woodproducts.Insomecases,thequantityofbiomassisnotsufficient(1kgofdriedIAPSbiomass,whichstill needs to be delignified and refined, canproduce600gofpaper)orsimplynotavailableduring a certain time of the year. In otherinstances, the quality is missing. Ljubljana haslearned that sometimes trees found in urbanenvironmentscanbedamagedduetovandalismor metal inclusions such as nails or screws,requiring extra care during primary woodprocessing (timber cutting). As a result, onaverage,only40%of thebiomasscollectedcanbe used to produce wood products. Thepercentage is higher (about 60% utilisation) inthecaseof forest trees.However, those“scars”found in urban trees can give to the wood

product a special pattern with more characterandauthenticity.

Thequantityorqualityofthebiomassarenottheonlylimitingfactors.APPLAUSEresearchpartnershave undertaken thorough chemical and mechanical analyses to evaluate the technical feasibility of using different IAPS found in thearea of Ljubljana to produce cellulose pulp ortreated wood. They have found out that somespecies or certain parts of the plant (leaves,blossoms) contain little concentrations ofcellulose,makingtheprocessoffibreproductionnon-viable for papermaking. The conclusion ofthis research has been that Japanese andBohemian knotweed, Canadian and giantgoldenrodandBlack locust species are suitablefor paper-products. And Box elder, Black and

3D-printed models of various IAPS found in the area of Ljubljana.

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HoneylocustaswellasTreeofheavenareverysuitableforwoodproducts.

In addition to paper and wood products,APPLAUSE has tested the viability of usingflowers,leavesandrootstoproducesustainabledyes.SeveralspecieshavebeenstudiedsuchasJapaneseknotweed,Goldenrodflowers,Staghornsumac drupes or Himalayan balsam flowers.Someofthemareonlygoodforprintingpaper,whileothersaremoresuitablefordyeingtextiles.Japaneseknotweedgaveexcellent results,bothon paper and textile substrates. An importantaspecttotakeintoaccountisthatpaperprintingrequiresalargequantityofdye,andthereforeofraw IAPS biomass. Therefore, from a practicalpointofview,onlythosespeciesthatarewidelyspread in the area of Ljubljana (e.g. Japaneseknotweed) are suitable for the production ofIAPS-baseddyes.

This selection process, based on the technical,practicalandeconomicviabilityofusingIAPSasraw material for different products, has led tosomeproblematicIAPSsuchascommonragweed(Ambrosia artemisiifolia) or giant hogweed(Heracleum mantegazzianum) being leftoff thelist. In these cases, a circularmodel cannot beapplied and these species, once located areproperly removed from the environment andsent for waste treatment.

With treatedwood and pulp papermade fromtheselectedIAPS,APPLAUSEpartnershavebeeninvolved in an intense creative process ofprototype development that culminated earlythis yearwith thefinal productdesigns.Duringthisprocess,itwasimportantnottolosesightofthe intrinsic values of APPLAUSE in terms of sustainability, nature preservation, responsibleconsumption and revival of cultural heritage.That is why nature-friendly approaches andtraditionalcrafttechniqueshavebeenappliedto

designandproduction.Also,partnershavetakenintoaccounthowthedailyuseoftheseproductscan support consumers in moving away fromunsustainablepracticessuchassingle-useorfastfashion.Finally,someoftheproductshavebeenspecially designed to support education andawareness raising on the topic of IAPS andnaturepreservation.

The design process has culminated with thefollowingselectionofproducts:

• Wooden products: office table, dining table,wooden frame, wardrobe, bookshelf, greenroof birdhouse, composter, xylophone,servingplateandaChristmastree.

• Paper products made of machine-paper:puzzle,memorygame,DIYgiftbox,

• Hand-madepaperproducts:foragingcalendar,creative herbarium, seed paper & plantingpot, flower envelopes, paper brick,paperdecorations.

Roof birdhouse made of IAPS wood (Source: TRAJNA)

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Inaddition, IAPS-basedpaperhasbeenusedtodevelop promotional materials for the project.APPLAUSE has also put together the mobile

exhibition“Caninvasivealienplantsbeuseful?”,whichwill bedisplayedat 20 frequently visitedpublicplacesduring2020.

Seed embedded paper made of IAPS (Source: TRAJNA)

TAKE AWAY POINT à Fostering creativity through a participatory approachProductdesignhasbeen ledbyoneAPPLAUSEpartner, TRAJNA,which specialises insustainabledesign.However,tomaketheprocessmoreopen,ithascountedwiththeparticipationofotherprojectpartnersaswellasstudentsfromtheAcademyforFineArtsandDesignofUniversityofLjubljana.Oneoftheworkshopswithstudentswasorganisedasacooperativeexperiencethatenabledstudentstoempathisewithlocalorganisationsworking on sustainability issues in Ljubljana (fair farming, responsible consumption,greenurbanisation,socialinclusion).Theexperienceoftheselocalorganisationsservedas inspiration for the students to then experiment, learn and create productsmadeof IAPS. Suchopenapproach really enhanced the creativeprocessbehindAPPLAUSEproducts.Also,theDepartmentofWoodScienceandTechnologyfromtheUniversityof Ljubljana adopted aparticipatory approach. They encouraged their students tousewoodfrominvasivespecies intheirproductdevelopmentprojects.ThankstotheresearchundertakeninAPPLAUSE,studentsknewbeforehandthespecificpropertiesofeachspecies(strength,durability,colour,texture…)andusedthisknowledgetocreatemoreinnovativeandoptimalIAPSwoodproducts.

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3.3 Promoting civic engagement and green activism through DIY culture

APPLAUSEempowerscitizenstotakeindependentactiononIAPSidentification,removalanduse.Inthisway, theentire circularmodel for IAPS canbecome a bitmore self-sustainable. To supportsuchefforts,APPLAUSEhasproducedaDIY(Do-It-Yourself)cataloguewithinstructionsonhowtomake handcraft paper at home, build a woodbirdhouse, prepare homemade formulations oforganicpesticides,etc.AlltheseDIYactivitiesuseIAPS as raw material. In the last few months,APPLAUSEhasalsoproducedshortDIY videos on paperandwoodproducts,whichareavailableonYouTube (only in Slovenian). Another projectactivitythatpromotesDIYculturearetheculinaryrecipes contests that take place on an annualbasis.Theonlyrequisite toenterthiscontest isthat the recipe includes edible IAPS (Jerusalemartichoke tubers or the cherry plum fruits) as

main ingredients. Some of these recipes areavailableonline.

SuchDIYapproach isoneof thethreepillarsofAPPLAUSE citizens’ engagement strategy. Theother two pillars are the “Let’s do it together”(invitingcitizenstoparticipateinworkshopsandvolunteeringactions) and the “Handover” (themoretraditionalapproachtorecyclingorwastedisposal that simply asks citizens to collect anddispose IAPS responsibly). Introducing suchDIYangle and linking it to circularity is one of APPLAUSEinnovations.TheDIYtoolsprovidedbytheproject not only support its circularmodel,they are also aimed at stimulating citizen’screativity (alone, with the family/friends, orduring the workshops), developing greenconsciousness and hopefully inspiring them toapplysuchDIYapproachtootheraspectsoftheirlife(socialactivism,music,clothing…).

3.4 Delivering environmental and artistic education through workshop activities

APPLAUSEhassetupthreemainworkshopsthatuseIAPSasaresource,theseare:

• Ahandcraftpaper-makingworkshop;

• Awoodtypeletterprintingworkshop;and

• Awoodworkingworkshop

The papermaking andwoodworkingworkshopsare located within the premises of JP VOKASNAGA, the municipal water and wastemanagement public company. While the woodtype letter printing is part of a local heritagetypographystudio,tipoRenesansa.Inadditiontothesethreebigworkshops,APPLAUSEorganisesother “let’s do it together” workshop sessions

that do not require big infrastructure. Forexample,theculinarysessions(organisedbyNIC,National Institute of Chemistry) and theworkshops on home preparation of IAPS-dyesandhomedyeingtextiles(organisedbyNICandtheFacultyofNaturalSciencesandEngineering,DepartmentofTextiles,GraphicartsandDesignoftheUniversityofLjubljana).

The handcraft papermaking workshop and thewoodtypeletterprintingworkshopshavealreadybeen operating during the past fewmonths togreat success. Because of that, they haveincreased the number of workshops sessionsthey had initially planned. The wood workingworkshoptooklongertosetup,duetodifficulties

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facedinrefurbishingthepremises,andrecruitingthe staff. Nonetheless, some wood working

sessions thatdidnot require thebigmachinerywere organised during the last few months.

Before and after of the wood working workshop (source: JP VOKA SNAGA)

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Overall,APPLAUSEhasorganised:

• 57handmadepaperworkshops;

• 7woodworkshops;

• 13 letterpress printing and posterdesignworkshops;

• 6freeculinaryworkshops;

• 21 public talks about the traditional use ofselected IAPS, including health benefitsandrisks;

• 16dyehome-productionworkshops.

In total approximately 2,770 people haveparticipated in the activities. These workshopsare an opportunity for children and adults todevelopsomehandcraftandartistictalentswhilelearning about a complex environmental issuesuchas IAPS.Theseactivitieshavealsobecomea great way to recover some old heritage techniques,suchaswoodtypeletterprintingorhandcraftpapermaking.

TAKE AWAY POINT à A showcase of cross-departmental working within the

urban authority in environmental and artistic education

One of the main reasons why these workshops have been successful has been thegood cooperation between the city’s environmental and education departments.These workshop activities, in particular the handcraft papermaking, are targeted tokindergartenandschoolchildren.Sincethestartoftheproject,bothdepartmentshaveworked together, even if one of them (the educational department) is not formallyinvolvedinAPPLAUSE,toengageschoolsacrossthecity.SincetheseworkshopsstartedinDecember2018,thefeedbackfromchildrenandteachershavebeenverypositive.Giventhevaluetheseactivitiesbringtoschoolsintermsofenvironmentalandartisticeducation,theeducationaldepartmenthasalreadyexpresseditswillingnesstocontinuesupportingsuchactivities(evenfinancially)aftertheendoftheproject.

The APPLAUSE team, in particular JP VOKASNAGA,isnowbusydevelopingthebusinessplanfor the future operation of theseworkshops inthe medium to longer term. While schools workshop sessionswill remain a key activity of

the workshop, JP VOKA SNAGA is looking forotheropportunitiesthatmaximisetheuseofitsworkshop’s space andmachinery (teambuildingactivities,eventshosting,training,workspaceforartisans/students,etc.).

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4. SUMMARY ON IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES

ThedifferentprojectswithintheUrbanInnovativeActionsprogrammefacesimilarimplementationchallenges. These have been grouped in seventhematicareas.The following tableprovidesanoverviewofhowthesechallengesareimpactingthe APPLAUSE project (red: high importance,

yellow: medium importance and green: low importance).Arrowsindicateiftheyhaveraisedinimportance(ñ),loweredinimportance(ò),orremained the same (ó) compared to thepreviousjournal.

Challenge Level Observations

Leadership for implementation Highó

Since the end of the project is approaching fast,leadershipremainsacriticalaspectforAPPLAUSE.TheCityofLjubljanaisstronglysupportingandencouragingprojectpartnerstogetinvolvedinthedevelopmentofacommonvisionforthefutureofAPPLAUSEandjointlyimplement a strategy that ensures that the circularmodel for IAPS can be continued in the post-projectphase. This circular model will be presented to theproject steering committee, chaired by the deputymayor,prof.JanezKoželjinMay2020.

Public procurement Lowó

This challenge remains low, as most of the largeprocurement (purchase of machinery) has alreadybeencompleted.Nomajorprocurementsareforeseeninthepost-projectphase.

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Challenge Level Observations

Integrated cross-departmental working

Lowó

The City of Ljubljana set up efficient internalorganisationalarrangementssincetheverystartoftheproject. The core project team already includesmembers from different departments. Such cross-departmentalsettingisademandthatcomesdirectlyfrom the Mayor and it happens in all projectsimplementedby theCity.Also,partof thesuccessoftheworkshopactivitiescanbeattributedtothegoodcooperationbetweentheenvironmentandeducationaldepartments(pleaseseeChapter3.4).Suchoptimallevelofcross-departmentalcollaborationispartoftheworkingcultureofLjubljana.Importantly,it isnotonly restricted toCitydepartments, it ratherexpands to Ljubljana’s “one big city family” of organisationsdeliveringpublicservicesinthecity.The“onebigcity family”concept iswidelyacknowledgedby all public employees, who are used to workingtogether,bothattechnicalandpoliticallevel.

Adopting a participative approach

Highó

A circular economy tends to be more complex thanalinearone.Tohandlesuchcomplexity,itisimportanttoconnectdifferentdisciplinesandadoptaparticipatoryapproach. APPLAUSE has been capable of deliveringa coherent project thanks to a multi-disciplinaryconsortium that includes experts on social sciences,natural sciences, economics, digital technologies orarts & design. Occasionally, there are differentunderstandingsandapproachestoacertaintopic(thathappened more frequently at the beginning of theprojectwhen partners did not knoweach other thatwellyet).Buthavingsuchdifferingviewshashelpedtoimplementbetterandmoreinnovativesolutions.PubliccampaignsonIAPShavebeenrunninginLjubljanasince2015.APPLAUSEhasscaledthemupandmanagedtomaintain a high level of engagement thanks to the motivationandcommitmentofprojectpartners.Also,the participation of external partners in certainactivities (for example students of arts & designparticipatinginproductdesignworkshops)hasenrichedthe results of APPLAUSE even further.Evenifbynow,goodworkingrelationshipshavebeenestablished, it is important for Ljubljana to keep thischallenge high in their agenda.

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Challenge Level Observations

Monitoring and evaluation Highñ

Ljubljanahasmanagedtosetupagoodprocedureformonitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) whichincludesmonthlyreportingbyrelevantpartners.SinceApplause is the first project dealing with IAPS ina circular approach,notonly in theareaof Ljubljanabut also in Slovenia, the indicators used tomeasureperformancecandirectlypinpointtotheactualeffects(number of IAPS removed, biomass turned intoproducts, number of people participating in theactivities).InadditiontotheseKPIs,thereareotherindicatorsthatcapture the economic, social, environmental, andcultural benefits of APPLAUSE. These need to beprojected into the future to fully understand thepotential impact of applying a circularmodel for themanagement of IAPS. These indicators and theirpotentiallong-termeffectsarethe“evidences”thattheteamcanusetoconvincedecision-makersandstrategicpartnerstosupportthecontinuationofAPPLAUSEafterthe end of the project. Because of that, the level ofimportanceofthischallengehasrisen.

Communicating with the target beneficiaries

Highó

ThischallengeremainsahighpriorityforLjubljana.Tobeaseffectiveaspossible,theteamalwaystriestouseexisting communication channels (the city’s socialmedia accounts, national newspapers, TV) aswell aswell-established local events (such as theneighbourhood day) to communicate with citizens.Project partners as well as members of the policyguidance group and project steering committee alsocontribute to such outreach. For example, one ofAPPLAUSE partners, theUniversity of Ljubljana, useditsowncommunicationchannelstoinvitestudentstotheharvesting campaigns. Likewise, twomembers ofthe policy guidance group are teachers. They quicklymadethe linkwiththeeducationalsector inordertouse the project as an opportunity to improve theircurricula.In addition, APPLAUSE has implemented two majorcommunicationactions,theannualIAPSfestivalaswellasthemobileexhibitiontoreachouttomorecitizens,bothlocallyandnationally.

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Challenge Level Observations

Upscaling Highó

Astheprojectisquicklyreachingitsend,upscalingisofvital importance. The City of Ljubljana togetherwithacoregroupofpartnershavealreadyheldsometalksto discuss post-project arrangements. The workshopheldonthefutureupscalingoftheAPPLAUSEcircularmodelwasagoodoccasiontokick-startsuchdiscussion(please see Chapter 2). APPLAUSE partners haverealisedthatnotallmeasuresimplementedaspartoftheIAPScircularmodelcanbecontinued.Forthemostimportant ones, such as the IAPS collections or theworkshops,partners (individuallyor inasmallgroup)areworkingonpost-projectbusinessplansand long-termsustainabilitystrategies.

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5. CONCLUSION

Theprojectisquicklywrappingup,whichmeansthat the interest is shifting from theimplementationphase towards thepost-projectphase.ThewayinwhichAPPLAUSEwasinitiallyconceptualised, already facilitates the futurecontinuation of the new circularmodel for themanagementof IAPS.Thetoolsdeveloped (e.g.IT platform), the investments made on theworkshops and the knowledge gained on IAPSharvesting and resource recovery can be easilyintegrated and used in the future scaled-upmodel. Obviously, the intensity/frequency ofcertain activities or the level of commitmentfromdifferent partnersmay change. Therefore,anewsettingandnewleaderships(fromwithinthe consortium or outside the consortium)arerequired.

As we head towards the last six months ofAPPLAUSE,wemight expect the release of thepublic App for automatic identification of IAPS,theopeningofthewoodworkingworkshopandtheconsolidationofthebusinessplansforvariousproducts(paper,wood)andservices(workshops).

However, as I finish these lines, I cannot avoidthinkingabout thedifficultanduncertaintimeswearecurrentlylivingasaresultoftheCOVID-19outbreak. Thishealth crisis isputting theworldon hold, and obviously, itmight affect someofthe activities planned in APPLAUSE. I sincerelyhopethatwewillstarttoseetheendofthiscrisissoonandsomehow,wewillrecoverfromitwithrenewed values towards solidarity, support topublic services and green consciousness. Theessence of APPLAUSE is very much aligned with these values.

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Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) is an Initiative of the European Union that provides urban areas throughout Europe with resources to test new and unproven solutions to address urban challenges. Based on article 8 of ERDF, the Initiative has a total ERDF budget of EUR 372 million for 2014-2020.UIA projects will produce a wealth of knowledge stemming from the implementation of the innovative solutions for sustainable urban development that are of interest for city practitioners and stakeholders across the EU. This journal is a paper written by a UIA Expert that captures and disseminates the lessons learnt from the project implementation and the good practices identified. The journals will be structured around the main challenges of implementation identified and faced at local level by UIA projects. They will be published on a regular basis on the UIA website.