Urban Upcycling: High-quality reuse of residual flows

Upcycling: High-quality reuse of residual flows 

In recent years, valuable residual flows are increasingly given a second life through upcycling. For example, furniture is refurbished, remanufactured into new furniture, or (partially) reused for other forms of high-quality products (repurposed). Upcycling takes place at local initiatives but also in so-called "circular craft centers" that municipalities are developing. A circular craft center is a place where discarded products and materials that are delivered to a recycling center can be given a second life. 

Upcycling offers social opportunities 

According to Rob Lubberink, a researcher at the Urban Economic Innovation research group, upcycling offers many social opportunities. "It increases awareness about the value of things, creates new social employment, and stimulates local entrepreneurship, especially in an urban environment." All kinds of organizations - municipalities, waste collectors and processors, social organizations, makers, designers, and producers - are therefore keen to work with upcycling. 

Research into scaling up initiatives 

However, there are still many questions about how they can approach this together as chain partners, notes Marco van Hees, a researcher at the Circular Design and Entrepreneurship research group. "How can they best arrange the assessment, storage, and processing of materials? How does the design and realization of attractive products proceed? And how can they realize feasible and scalable circular business models for circular craft centers and for upcycling discarded furniture and residual flows? With Urban Upcycling, we help them answer those questions and look at opportunities to scale up the initiatives." 

Urban Upcycling 

In Urban Upcycling, the HvA investigates how upcycling of residual flows can take shape in cities. In this way, discarded products, parts, and materials are given a second life, and we work towards a fully circular Netherlands in 2050. 

Urban Upcycling Methodology 

In the research project, the HvA, with a large consortium, conducts research into three aspects: 

1. The development of innovation ecosystems around urban upcycling. What do ecosystems look like, how do they develop over time, and which elements are successful and which are not? This is happening in the regions of Almere, Amersfoort, Amsterdam, Leiden, Rotterdam, and Zwolle. 

2. The consortium also researches which business models for upcycling are successful and in what way upcycling initiatives can be scaled up sustainably. This not only looks at financial feasibility but also at social value and influence on current raw material scarcity. 

3. Then, it is examined which concrete products can be made with upcycling. How do consumers view upcycling products, and what is the market acceptance of these types of products? 

Education 

The research is conducted by HvA teacher-researchers and students from various fields (Economics, Business Administration, Business Engineering, Product Design). They are assisted by the project partners. Collaboration between research and education is also promoted by an ongoing graduation and internship workshop. In this workshop, students are given the opportunity to acquire joint knowledge about urban upcycling and relevant aspects through a series of excursions, lectures, workshops, and discussions with each other. In addition, the results of the research are incorporated into the education of the Faculty of Technology. 

Team 

• Eva Promes (project leader) 

• Inge Oskam 

• Marco van Hees 

• Deborah Sumter 

• Christel Hofmans 

• Willem van Winden 

• Rob Lubberink 

Partners and Funding 

Urban Upcycling is co-financed with a RAAK-PRO grant from Regieorgaan SIA. The consortium consists of the following parties: 

• The knowledge institutions HvA, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, and Maastricht University 

• The municipalities of Amersfoort, Amsterdam, Almere, Rotterdam, and Zwolle 

• Urban upcycling initiatives WaardeRing (Zwolle), Circulair Warenhuis (Leiden), Pantar, and Buurman Rotterdam 

• Designers of upcycling products Blooey, Studio Hamerhaai, The Upcycle, and Tolhuijs Design 

• Waste collectors ROVA and Renewi 

• Knowledge partners Het Groene Brein and Rijkswaterstaat