2Lifes

How should our gadgets or devices have a second life? How and with whom do we re-use a furniture, a coat or a vacuum cleaner instead of recycling or simply throwing it away? The 2LIFES project is also looking for answers to these questions. However, the main purpose of the project is to develop incentive policies to support reuse.

Europe needs to accelerate its entry into the era of re-use. The old linear economy equation “produce, use and throw away” is not valid anymore. However, a significant portion of reusable home appliances including books, clothes, WEEEs, furniture and food are still being wasted and landfilled. Despite the waste hierarchy in force – Reduce, Re-use and Recycle – and the fact that cities and regions are backing some re-use initiatives, re-use could be much further developed. Waste management programmes include re-use but prioritise recycling, even though re-use is more environmentally and socially friendly.

Thus, the project is meant to be an instrument to help boost re-use through public policies. Based on experience, 2LIFES partners have identitied that re-use is often marginally and partially explored. However, when properly managed, re-use promotes environmental sustainability as well as employment and solidarity.

Our Interreg Europe project 2LIFES, however, focuses exclusively on the issue of "reuse" among the ways of waste management. This area has received less focus so far, despite the fact that the reuse approach is more environmentally conscious and thus contributes greatly to environmental sustainability. A particular focus of the project is to explore re-use solutions supported by the public sector.

The project brings together advanced cities and regions in the political backing of re-use, in addition to others that are in the process of doing so. The problem of masses of reusable goods being prematurely recycled or even landfilled is cross-cutting in the whole of Europe.

The main expected results are the development of new channels, infrastructures and protocols for re-use through instruments in force as well as the awareness-raising of households, businesses and administrations regarding the need to change the consumption patterns. Green jobs around re-use initiatives are also expected.

Interreg Europe framework for stakeholders’ involvement is excellent for 2LIFES, since re-use initiatives require the collaboration of municipal waste services with SMEs, civil society, NGOs, social enterprises and training and employment services.

A projekt futamideje: 2019. augusztus – 2023. július