The project will establish four Urban Living Labs (ULLs) of stakeholders to a) map resource fl ows b) identify critical dysfunctional linear pathways c) agree the response most appropriate to the local context d) model the market and non-market economic value of each intervention and e) engage with decision makers to close each loop.

The project will contribute with policy decision support models for economically viable waste reduction, rethinking waste as a resource as well as establish entrepreneurship networks in each ULL to continue working after the formal end of the project.

Results and outcomes

CE-Nexus framework

The CE-Nexus framework leverages the waste minimisation advantages of the Nexus Approach without losing the recycling advantages of existing models. The CE-Nexus framework does this by integrating the Circular Economy (CE) model with the Nexus Approach. The CE emphasises recycling and reusing raw materials, produce, components and products. Unfortunately, the weakness of the CE model is that it can contribute to the Waste-Resource Paradox, whereby waste commodification creates businesses and infrastructure reliant on increasing or maintaining waste streams. On the other hand, the Nexus Approach focuses on reducing waste production by maximising the efficiencies generated by integrating food, energy, and water systems. Since eliminating waste production entirely is impossible, this conceptual framework offers decision-makers and academic researchers a starting point to develop systems that take advantage of both models.

Read more about the conceptual framework

Other results

Summarizing podcast

Article: Searching for inefficiencies in the food–energy–water nexus

Read the results interview!