October 2019

Author:Jorgina CuixartUIA Expert

The APPLAUSE project Journal N° 3

Project led by the City 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. THE TIME IS NOW 6

3. ACCOUNT ON THE PROGRESS MADE BY THE PROJECT SINCE MARCH 2019 7

3.1 Unveiling the circular model for IAPS 7

3.2 Testinganewdigitalplatformthatsupportsplant identificationandharvest 12

3.3 Thehandcraftpaper-makingworkshopisinoperation 13

3.4 Assessingthewillingness-to-payforthenewcircularproducts 15

4. SUMMARY ON IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES 18

5. CONCLUSION 20

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Aftertwoyearssincethestartoftheproject,mostprocesses and planned activities in APPLAUSEare up and running. This means that the Cityof Ljubljanaand itspartnersare starting to seethe full circular model for the management of invasivealienplantspecies(IAPS)inoperation.

Such operation is divided into six main stages:plantidentification,biomassharvest,processing& storage, value recovery, final production andmarket introduction of new IAPS-based circularproductsandservices.Throughoutthesestages,thevalueofAPPLAUSEiscreatedandcaptured.Butwhat is thevaluepropositionofAPPLAUSE,specifically? The answer is not simply aset ofproducts or services that cover the needs ofspecific end-users.As inmany circular businessmodels, its value is multidimensional, as itencompassesbenefitstofinalend-users,butalsoto the environment and society. In the case ofAPPLAUSE,thevalueliesinitscapacitytobridgeecology (effectively removing IAPS), community(though the involvement of citizens), culture(reviving old craft traditions) and economy(locally producing new circular products out ofwaste)inaninnovativeandcollaborativeway.

Tomake theoperationof this circularbusinessmodelmoreoptimal,inthelast6months,greenareamanagersoftheCityofLjubljanahavebeentestinganewdigitalplatformthatsupportstheminconductingfieldworkandplanningharvestingactions. Also, the workshop for handcraftpapermaking has been inaugurated, providingservices to citizens, in particular educationalactivitiestoschoolchildren.Theconsortiumhasalso started to assess the market demand forthe new IAPS-based paper andwood products

andtomakeplansforthefutureofthiscircularmodel once the APPLAUSE project finishes inayear’stime.

Allinall,thekeyachievementsresultingfromthelast6monthsoftheprojectare:

• AthoroughmappingofallprocessesthattakeplaceinAPPLAUSEcircularmodel,identifyingmainproductsandby-productsaswellasnewmore-environmentallyfriendlyproceduresforpaperproduction.

• ThecompletionofalifelonginventoryofIAPSpresent in Ljubljana’s green areas thanks toanewdigitalplatform.

• The inauguration and ramp up of activitiesat the handcraft paper-making workshop,with 300 citizens participating inmore than15activities.

• Aninitialsurveytoassessthemarketinterestanddemandfromlocals,tourists,schoolsandfamiliesforthenewIAPS-basedproducts.

This implementationperiodhasalsoledtonewlessons learned:

• Circular business models tend to be morecomplexthanlinearonesand,asaresult,theyrequire much closer collaboration betweensuppliers, partners, and customers. Mutualtrustisimperativeforitssuccess.

• Suchcomplexitycanbeeasedthankstodigitaltools(asforexampleAPPLAUSE’splatformforplanttrackingandharvesting)thatstreamlinecoordination efforts and support better andquickerdecision-making.

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• Even if APPLAUSE circular model needsto make sense from abusiness/economicperspective, it is also important not to losesight of the enormous value it can bringin environmental terms, social impact andpreservationofculturalheritage.

• The paper-making workshop is afantasticnew infrastructure for the city that not onlyserves for purposes of citizens’ participationandengagement. Itcanalsobecomeaplacethatsupportsartists,craftsmenanddesignersincreatingnew,moresustainableproducts.

• Finally, the process of recovering aresourcesuchasIAPSthatwasconsideredwastebringsadditional costs. For APPLAUSE, this meansthatthepaperandwoodproductsthatcanbedeveloped will most probably have ahigherprice than those produced with regularpaper and wood. The key is to effectivelycommunicate the originality and addedvaluebroughtbytheseproductstopotentialcustomerswhowillbewillingtopayforsuchvalueproposition.

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2. THE TIME IS NOW

TwoyearssincethestartoftheAPPLAUSEproject,thetimeisnowtostartdemonstratingthepracticalviabilityofacircularmodel forthemanagementofInvasiveAlienPlantSpecies(IAPS).

Theprojectisreachingitspeakpointwheremostof the processes for successfully operating themodelareinplace:fromplantidentificationandharvesting, to processing and storage,development of IAPS-based products,constructionofthepaperandwoodworkshops…Allwiththecontinuousengagementofcitizens.

So, what are the challenges of realisticallyimplementing a circular model for IAPS?Whatvalue proposition is brought forward? Willcitizenspayforthecircularproducts?Howdoweplanforlongtermsustainability?

FromMarchtoOctober2019,APPLAUSEpartnershave worked hard to try to address all theseissues.

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

3.1 Unveiling the circular model for IAPSCircularbusinessmodelsrepresentfundamentallydifferentwaysofproducingandconsuminggoodsandservices(OECD,2018).Somecircularbusinessmodels such as product-as-a-service or sharingplatforms change completely the way weconsumegoods.Others, suchas circular supplychains, tackle the production through fullyrecyclable, renewable or biodegradable inputsthatsubstitutelinearones.

APPLAUSEcircularbusinessmodel for IAPS fallswithinthecategoryofresourcerecoverymodelswheresomethingconsideredaswasteisrevivedforotheruses.InAPPLAUSE,thewastesourceis

a bio-based material (IAPS) that is not onlydamagingtotheenvironmentbutitcanalsobeharmfultocitizensandtheeconomy.Thiswastematerial needs to be located, harvested andprocessedbeforeitsvaluecanberecovered.Thisvaluecomesintheformofcellulosepaperpulp(after the milling and cooking process), woodbiomass,flowersandfood(tuber,fruits…).Onceintothehandsofproducers,thesecanbeturnedinto different products for the market such aswood products, paper products, dyes,biopolymers,etc.

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Figure 1: APPLAUSE circular model

JP VOKA SNAGA, Ljubljana’s water and wastemanagementpubliccompany, is responsible forthedevelopmentofAPPLAUSEcircularbusinessmodel.Duringthelast6months,thepartnerhasbeenmappingallprocessesnecessarytooperatethis circular model. These are summarised in the followingtable:

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Table1: Mapping of all processes taking place in the APPLAUSE circular model

Plantidentification• Visualon-sitedetectionviafieldworkperformedbybotanists.• Analysis from orthophotos and data from satellites to identify

potentiallocations

Biomass harvest• RemovaloftheIAPSaccordingtoseasonalpatternsandordersmade

byproducers.• Transportationtostorage.

Processing & storage• Cuttingofwoodmaterialsandstorageindryarea.• Storageofherbaceousplantsunderoptimalconditions.

Value recovery

Cellulosepulp&paper

• Selectionofwoodbiomassandgreenplants,transportation.• Properties’analysis.• Cookingofthebiomass(delignification).• RECOVERED RESOURCE: IAPS cellulose paper pulp.• BY-PRODUCT: waste from delignification process (black liquor) can

also be recovered and treated to extract organic aroma compounds (e.g. vanillin).

Woodbiomass

• Selectionofwoodbiomass.• Cuttingandproperties’analysis.• Dryingandthermaltreatment.• RECOVERED RESOURCE: Treated IAPS wood.• BY-PRODUCTS:

o Solid wood residues can be recovered and treated to be used as compost, wood chips, biopolymers (PHA) or aromas.

o Liquefied wood residues can be recovered in the form of coatings, adhesives and foams.

Flowers,leaves & roots

• Manual collection of flowers, leaves and roots from herbaceousplants.

• Drying.• Chemicalanalysisandtreatment.• RECOVERED RESOURCE: dried flowers and flower extracts;

homemadepreparationsforpestcontrol;anddyesfortextiles.

Fruits & tubers

• Manualcollectionoffruitsandtubers.• Sorting,washinganddrying.• RECOVERED RESOURCE: Edible fruits and tubers.

Final production

Cellulosepulp&paper

• Productionofmachine-made paper for commercial use.• Productionofcraft-made paper products.• Organisation of handcraft paper-making workshops targeted to

citizens,schoolchildren,seniors…

Woodbiomass

• Productionofwood products includingwood letters for traditionalprintingtechniques,DIYproducts,furniture…

• Organisation of woodworking workshops targeted to citizens,students…

Flowers,leaves & roots

• Extractscanbeusedtoproducesustainabledyesfortextileprinting,paperprintingandcoatings.

• Flowers are also being tested for their use asorganic home-made formulations against pests (asareplacementtopesticides).

Fruits & tubers

• Foodproductscanbeusedasingredients for home meals.

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The primary recovered resources are IAPScellulose paper pulp, treated wood, driedflowers, flower extracts and edible fruits andtubers. However, several by-products can alsobe recovered. In that way, APPLAUSE circularmodelclosestheentireloopofmaterialflowsbytesting potential new uses for waste residuesfrom paper pulp and wood production. Thesetestsinvolvecomplexbiotechnologicalprocessestoextractnaturalpolymersthatcanbeusedassustainablesubstrates for industryapplications(coatings,adhesives,foams…).

Also,oneofthepartners,JozefStefanInstitute,is obtaining bacteria associatedwith the IAPS,whichare capableofdegradingandmodifyingligninfromthebiomass.Thesebacterialisolatesare being further tested in a new way ofextracting the lignin and obtaining delignifiedpulp.Thisprocesshasatleasttwoeffectsonthedevelopment of a greener pulp productionprocess compare to the conventionaldelignification process: (i) preparing pulp atroom temperature (achieving low energy

consumption), without using toxic chemicalsnorproducingtoxicwastesor(ii)incombinationwiththeconventionalpulpingproceduresitcanlowertheenergyconsumptionrateaccordingtothelowerlignincontentofthebiomassenteringthe conventional process. In addition, theresidues of the lignin produced inabiotechnologicalprocesscanbeuseddirectlyas source of aromatic compounds, which arecurrentlyobtainedfromtheoilindustry.

AkeycharacteristicofAPPLAUSEcircularmodelisthatisnotmeanttoachievehighproductionthroughput. The objective is to remain lower-scalewhileguaranteeing,atthesametime, itssustainability from a financial, social andenvironmentalpointofview.Thefollowingtableprovides an overview of APPLAUSE businessmodel as it touches on three main elements: What value is provided? (Value proposition);howthevalueisprovided?(Value creation);andhow does it make financial, social andenvironmentalgains?(Value capture):

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Another defining factor of APPLAUSE’s circularmodelisthatitreliesonsynergeticcooperation,since not one single partner creates valueautonomously. This is a typical characteristic ofcircularmodels,whichrequireclosecollaboration

between suppliers, partners, and customers.APPLAUSEhasachievedthatbyestablishingclearagreements and building mutual trust amongpartnersandcollaborators.

TABLE 2: Value proposition, creation and capture in APPLAUSE circular business model

APPLAUSE business modelValue proposition Value creation Value capture

What value is provided? How value is provided?How does it make financial, social and environmental gains?

• HelpstosolvetheIAPSprobleminLjubljanabytransforming a harmful wasteintosomethinguseful.

• Promotesagreen,circularstoryaboutpaperandwoodproduction.

• Educatesandempowerscitizensintakingcareoftheir local environment.

• Revivescrafttraditionsandsustainabledesign.

• PromotesDIY(Doityourself)cultureandresponsibleconsumption.

• Providessustainablematerialsforindustry.

• Paperandwoodproductswithintrinsiccircularvaluewhichatthesametimeareattractive,functionalandunique.

• Products,guidelinesandevents that encourage citizens’participation(DIYproducts,catalogues,harvestingdays...).

• Hands-onworkshopsforhandcraftpapermaking,woodmakingandwoodlettersprinting.

• Newscientificmethodsfordevelopingsustainablematerialsforindustry.

• Sale/leasingofpaperandwoodproductstolocalsand tourists.

• Supervisedactivitiesatthehandcraftpaperandwoodworkingworkshops.

• Supportfromalliancesandsponsorships.

• Jobcreation(workshops).• Activeengagementof

citizensingreenactivities.• ContributestoLjubljana’s

visiononzerowaste.• Preservationofcultural

heritagepractices.• Valorisation(patents)ofnew

biotechnologicalprocesses.

TAKE AWAY POINT à the value lies in APPLAUSE storyUnderstandingthevaluecreatedandgettingitrightispossiblyoneofthemostdifficultpartsof abusinessdevelopmentprocess. InAPPLAUSE the value lies inAPPAUSE’sstory.Astorythatbridgesecology(effectivelyremovingIAPS),community(thoughtheinvolvementofcitizens),culture (revivingoldcrafttraditions)andeconomy(locallyproducingnewcircularproductsoutofwaste) in an innovativeand collaborativelyway.Suchstoryneedstobepresentallalongtheprocess,fromharvesttothedeliveryandmarketingofproductsandservicestoend-users.

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3.2 Testing a new digital platform that supports plant identification and harvest

Lately, botanists and green area managementemployeesfromtheCityofLjubljanahavegottenthemselves familiarised with new digital toolsthatsupporttheirIAPStrackingefforts.Thenewplatform,developedbythesoftwaredevelopmentcompany GDi, partner of APPLAUSE, builds onstandard asset management proceduressupportedbygeo-localisationsystems.Composedof severalmodules (for fieldworkers, for expertbotanists and for coordinators), the platformprovides an end-to-end solution for themanagementofIAPSinthecity’sgreenareas.

TheteamisfinishingalifelongmonitoringofIAPSpresent in the fields thanks to an online surveythatfieldoperatorsandbotanists completeeachtime they are out in the field. Based on thisinformation (IAPS supply) and the quantities ofbiomass from specific species requested by

partners (IAPS demand), the coordinator andgreenareamanagersdecideonthemostsuitablelocation for specific harvesting actions. Theplatform also allows them to plan a work order(assignapersonresponsible,setupaschedule,getanotificationwhentheorderhasbeencompleted)andgethigh-levelstatistics.Allinall,thisprocesswhichpreviouslywouldhavebeendoneonpaperandExcel,allowstheCityofLjubljanatotakebetterand quicker decision. Making such processes asefficientaspossibleiscrucialfortheviabilityofthecircularbusinessmodel.

GDi is also working on an additional softwaremodule consisting of a new App aimed at thegeneralpublic,thatusesArtificialIntelligencetohelpcitizenstoidentifyIAPSbysimplyusingthecamera on their mobile phones. The officialreleaseofthisAppisplannedforspring2020.

Screenshot of the online survey that field operators and botanists complete when they locate an area with presence of IAPS. Credits: GDi

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3.3 The handcraft paper-making workshop is in operationThese past 6 months have also seen theinauguration and ramp up of activities at thehandcraft paper-making workshop. Thisworkshop is a place of vital importance forAPPLAUSE circular model. Situated within thepremises of a household recycling centre ina central location of Ljubljana, theworkshop iswhere one of the primary recovered materials(IAPScellulosepaperpulp)isgivenanewuse,bytransformingitintohandcraftedpaperproducts.The workshop is primarily used to deliversupervised educational activities to schoolchildrenaswellascitizenswillingtolearnaboutIAPSandtraditionalpaper-making.However,itisalsoaplacewhereproductdeveloperscanhaveaccesstomachineryandrawmaterialtodesign,prototypeandproducenewIAPS-basedcircularpaperproducts.

TillOctober2019,15activitieshavetakenplaceattheworkingwiththeparticipationof300citizens.InMay2019,duringtheGreenWeekevents,theCity of Ljubljana togetherwith JP VOKA SNAGAorganised an open day where curious citizens

could come to the workshop, make their ownhandcraftpaper,printonthemusingdyesmadeofIAPS,andvisitasmallexhibitionofIAPS-basedpaperandwoodfinishedproducts.

Oneofthemainchallengesovercomeduringtheconstructionoftheworkshophasbeensourcingthe right equipment. Paper-making is currentlydoneatindustriallevel,producinglargequantitiesat high speed. However, APPLAUSE workshopproduces paper in a much more artisanal wayand the required machinery cannot simply bepurchased from a regular retailer. Luckily, theright machinery was found in a warehouse ofa local paper-making factory. It was not in usesince it has been replaced by new equipmentyears ago. JP VOKA SNAGA acquired themachinery and after reconditioning, it was putintoworkat theworkshop.A formeremployeefromthepaperfactory,nowretired,hashelpedin the installation of the machinery at theworkshopandtrainedtheyoungstaffonhowtooperateit.

Screenshot of the work orders module that is used to plan and arrange a harvesting action. Credits: GDi

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Papermaking demo at APPLAUSE workshop. Credits: Jorgina Cuixart

Moulds and other utensils used to make paper. Credits: Simona Berden

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3.4 Assessing the willingness-to-pay for the new circular products

Earlier this year, partners came up with morethan 20 different product ideas that could bedeveloped using the recovered resource, inparticular the cellulose paper pulp and woodbiomassfromIAPS.Theseproducts,whichwereaimed at locals, families, schools and tourists,ranged from paper bags for organic wastecollections, to DIY insect huts and birdhouses,educationalgamesorpuzzles.

A key aspect to assess during the projectimplementation phase of APPLAUSE is the

economicviabilityofthecircularbusinessmodelandwhether thesenewproductsmadeof IAPSare attractive to the intended end-users. To doso, in the past fewmonths, a survey has beenconducted toverify themarketacceptanceandalsogetanindicationofthepricingranges.

ConductedbetweenMarch andApril 2019, thefollowing table shows the level of responsesobtainedforeachtargetgroup:

TAKE AWAY POINT à Becoming more circular by extending the lifetime of old, unused machinery while transferring valuable knowledge to new generationsEvenifitwasnotintentionallyplanned,thesourcingofequipmentfortheworkshophas led to the implementationof yet another circular approach inAPPLAUSE.Old,currentlydisusedmachinery thateventuallywouldhasbeendismantled,hasbeenreconditionedandputtowork.Atthesametime,aformeremployeefromthepaperfactorywhousedtooperatethisequipmentwasabletotransferhisknowledgeonpapermaking to younger generations. Reviving craft traditions is part of the valuebroughtbyAPPLAUSE.Thisvalueisalsonoticeableduringtheeducationalactivitiesforchildren.PupilsnotonlylearnaboutIAPSbutalsoabouthowregularthingssuchaspaperaremade.Theycertainlyenjoygettingtheirhandsdirty,butthesepapermakingactivitiesarealsoachanceforchildrentolearntoappreciatethethingsthatsurroundus,fosteringamoreresponsibleconsumption.

Target group N. respondents Method usedSchools 17 Onlinequestionnaire

Residents 333 Onlinequestionnaire

Families 68 Onlinequestionnaireandpaper-basedquestionnaire

Tourists 140 Paper-basedquestionnaire

Table 3: Results of the willingness-to-pay survey

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ThemainfocusofthesurveywastoinvestigatetherelationofthetargetaudiencestowardsDIYproducts,theirlevelofenvironmentalawareness,theirpurchasinginterestandthemarketingandsalespotentialofselectedproducts.Someofthequestionsaskedforaspecificproductwere:

• Do you find this product (description and symbolic image or photo presented with this question) or service useless /useful, do you need it /do not need it, like/dislike, find it boring/interesting, practical / impractical, …?

• What is the likelihood of purchasing this product or service? rating from 1 (very unlikely) to 5 (highly likely)

• Up to how much would you be willing to pay for a selected product or service?

Somehighlevelfindingsofthisanalysiswere:

• Schools expressed much interest in thesupervisedworkshopactivities.

• Touristspreferred itemwas thebagholders,families favoured theDIY insect-house,bird-houseorhedgehog-houseandlocalslikedtheorganicpaperproductbasketforbiowaste.

• The majority of respondents indicated thatthe products were needed and useful,although a lower percentage expressedinterestinpurchasingthem.

• There were large differences between thepricesquotedbycustomersasacceptableandtheirownproposedpriceswhichtendedtobelower.

• Overall, organic paper basket for bio wastehad the highest market potential. Fruit andherb dryer, home composting set, woodencutting boards, the board game “InvasiveSearch in Ljubljana”, and wooden Christmastrees with paper ornaments also hadarelativelysignificantmarketpotential.

TAKE AWAY POINT à Build, measure and learn, the 3 steps for successful new businesses and productsThesethreestepsarethepillarsoftheleanstart-up,amethodologybroadlyusedinbusinessdevelopment.Itconsistsingeneratingaminimumviableproduct(MVP)thatisbuiltfromtheiterationwiththemarketitself. The APPLAUSE survey has beenused to test theMVPs of the differentproducts with potential customers.It has measured their reaction andinterest,andbasedonthat,initialideasarebeingre-assessed,iteratedandsomesimply discarded. These three stepsneed to be repeated along the processto ensure APPLAUSE delivers what themarketwants.

Lean-start-up methodology. Source: https://newentrepreneurship.nl

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Finally, when taking into account the costs ofrecovering IAPS, processing the biomass andtransforming it into products, the APPLAUSEconsortium has realized that the price ofAPPLAUSE’sfinishedproductswillmostprobablybehigherthansimilarproductsmadeofregularpaperorwood.This isnotuncommon in somecircular business models (clothes made ofrecycled fabrics,modularhighquality furniture,etc.). In these cases, companies need to assess

whetherallcustomersoraspecificsegmentwillpaypremiumpricesforenvironmentallysuperiorproductsorservicessuchastheirs.Also,oncetheproduct is out in themarket, it is important toinformtargetcustomersabouttheoriginalityandadded-value of the products so that they areprepared topayahigherprice.Keeping that inmindisessentialforthecontinuousdevelopmentofAPPLAUSE’scircularbusinessmodel.

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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: lowimportance).Arrowsindicateiftheyhaveraisedinimportance(ñ),loweredinimportance(ò),orremained the same (ó) compared to thepreviousjournal.

Challenge Level Observations

Leadershipforimplementation

Highó

Thiscontinuestobeanissueofhighimportanceespeciallynowthattheprojectisheadingtowardsthelastyearofimplementation.Priorities from partners have evolved since the start of theprojectandthepriorityoftheCityofLjubljanaisnowtogaugepartners’ interest in the post-project phase and direct effortstowardsastrategythatensuresthatthecircularmodelcanbecontinued once the project has finished. Such leadership issustained by having the Vice Mayor as chair of the project’ssteeringcommittee.

Publicprocurement Lowò

Mostoftheprocurementforeseenintheprojecthasbeendone,themostdifficultpartbeingthesourcingandconditioningoftheoldequipmentforthepapermakingworkshopthatisnowinplace.

Integratedcross-departmentalworking

Lowó

Asmentioned inprevious journals,Ljubljana’s longtradition incross-departmental working ensures a smooth collaborationwith departments not directly involved in the project. Thiscooperation is particularly visible with the educationaldepartment who has helped in engaging schools andkindergartens, as well as other transversal departments(communicationsoffice,theITdepartment,thelegaldepartment,finance department) who provide regular support to theAPPLAUSEmanagementteam.

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Adoptingaparticipativeapproach

Highó

TheCityofLjubljanaisrealisingthatgettingcitizensinvolvedischallenging, especially in the harvesting campaigns. Peoplealreadyparticipateinothercity-sponsoredevents(neighbourhoodday) and some are worried about doing heavy lifting duringharvesting. Because of that, the City is focusingmoreon highschool students and university students from natural sciencefieldswhoaremoremotivatedforthesetypeofactivities.Somecorporates have also shown interest in participating in thesecampaignsforteambuildingpurposes.

Monitoringandevaluation

Mediumó

Asdemonstratedinsection3.1, implementingacircularmodelfor IAPS is a complex issue. It requires the collaboration ofmultipleactorsinthesupplychain,generatesvariedrecoveredresources and by-products and activities of different nature(fromoperationalharvestingtoprototypingofproducts,citizens’engagementorscientificresearchonnewbiopolymers).Duetoverydiversepartnershipandcomplexityoftheproject,theCityof Ljubljana, responsible for monitoring and evaluation, hasrealiseditrequiressupporttobetteraddressallthesecomplexitieswithin the evaluation framework of the project. An externalconsultant will help to encompass project indicators and testtrustandcollaborationwithinthepartnership.Thelatterisveryimportantbecausemanyoftheprojectpartnerswillcontinuetocollaborateaftertheendoftheprojectandwillbepartofthecorestructureofthenewbusinessmodel.

Communicatingwiththetargetbeneficiaries

Highó

Communicatingwith citizens continues to be an issue of highpriority.TheuseofexistingcommunicationchannelsoftheCityofLjubljana(Website,YouTube,Facebook,Instagram)workswellamongthegeneralpublic.Theprojectcommunicationstrategyalso foreseesworkingwith localNGOsand community groupswho then act as channels to further mobilise citizens. In theprojectAPPLAUSE,60voluntaryactionsareforeseen.Sofar,only19 have been carried out. The three main challenges are:motivating the citizens to devote their free time to workingactivities, providing a large enough group of volunteers andplanningdayswithsuitableweather.Someseniorcitizenswithphysical disabilities have proved to be less motivated to gainknowledge on how to remove invasive plants. Working withthesegroupsrequiresamorepersonalapproach.

Upscaling Highñ

Asmentionedinthefirstimplementationchallenge,theprojecthas only one year left, so the upscaling or, in the case ofAPPLAUSEtheself-sufficiencyoftheIAPScircularmodelinthefuture,israisingonimportance.TheCityofLjubljanaisworkingonanactionplanthatincludes,amongotherissues,developinga post-project partners’ agreement, identifying the minimumproductsandservicesthatmakethebusinessmodelviableanddevelopinganinternalandexternalmarketingstrategy.

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5. CONCLUSION

Theactivitiesthathavetakenplaceinthepastsix months demonstrate that the APPLAUSEprojectisreachingamaturitystate.Thefocusisstill in implementing all the activities that areplanned (plant detection and harvesting,citizens’engagementactivities,developmentoffinalproducts,theAppforcitizens…).Theseareall up and running and continuously beingimproved thanks to the experience gained.However, the attention is starting to shifttowards evaluating the viability of the circularmodelitselfinpracticalterms.

Comparedtoatraditionalbusinessmodel,whereeconomic gains are prime, circular businessmodels also deliver environmental and social gains.Anotherprimarydifferenceisthatcircularmodels require much closer collaboration andtrustwithsuppliers,partnersandcustomers.Asit has been demonstrated in this journal,APPLAUSE circular model already encompassesbothaspectswhichisagreatsuccesssofar.

Inthenextfewmonths,APPLAUSEpartnerswillfurtherexaminetheviabilityofitscircularmodelinordertoplanforitslong-termsustainability.Inaddition,readersofthenext journalwillexpecttolearnabout:

• ThesecondeditionoftheIAPSfestival

• Thenextroundsofharvestingcampaigns

• The inauguration and operation of thewoodworkingworkshop

• The continuous development and markettestingofIAPS-basedproducts

• ThereleaseoftheDIYhandbook,DIYvideosonpaperandwoodproductsand3Dmodelsfor15IAPS

• The recovery of culture heritage on theproduction of wood type for relief printing,supported by a fully equipped workshop(includingsomeraremachines).

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