Salutacions des de València! While two days were not enough to learn more than a couple of phrases in Valenciano, the region’s language, it was enough to bring our team together to catch up, brainstorm, and unwind with some paella… This meeting marked the end of the third year of REDOL – this time next year, our project will have finished already, but we are certain that its results will continue to fuel innovation and the circular economy.
So, how did we spend this time? We were welcomed at ITENE, our hosts for the duration of the General Assembly, just outside of the city of Valencia. Adelaida Prieto, the institution’s deputy technical director, gave a wonderful introductory word, after which we went straight to business, to present the current status of the tasks spread among different work packages, and prepare a clear to-do list for the upcoming months. The second part of the day was reserved to defining exploitation routes. The workshop was led by our colleagues at Strane Innovation, who guided our brainstorming exercises on how to create viable, circular business models. The day ended with a two hour guide around the city centre of Valencia and a cosy dinner at a local restaurant.
On the second day, we held our technical workshops: one per each of the value chains we are focusing on in REDOL (plastics, packaging, WEEE, CDW, and textiles). The discussions were quite animated and everyone was excited to share their updates! Later on that day, we were super lucky to be walked around the ITENE premises and become familiar with all their innovative solutions on sustainable packaging – thanks to Félix, Francisco, and Jaime who proved to be excellent tour guides.
All in all, it was a productive meeting from which we came out with well-defined goals for the upcoming months, as well as potentially a few extra-kilos from all the delicious food…Coming up next? You’ll see!
