During the annual event of the Green Heart Administrative Platform, Jacques Rozendaal and Frank Rijkaart endorsed the Green Heart Circular Economy Action Plan on behalf of 11 municipalities in the Green Heart and the province of South Holland. Province of South Holland and Platform Groene Hart Werkt! took the initiative in early 2024 to draw up a Circular Action Plan together with companies, knowledge institutions and governments. This regional plan is now ready. The 11 municipalities affiliated with the platform have embraced the plan and support the initiatives.
Strengthening existing initiatives
In three intensive working sessions with entrepreneurs, government representatives and educational institutions from the Green Heart – led by KplusV – we agreed on what the joint ambition is when it comes to the circular economy. What is needed to scale up current initiatives? What actions and collaborations are needed to realize the ambitions? Who has what role in this? These questions formed the basis for the development of the Green Heart Circular Economy Action Plan.
The plan focuses mainly on strengthening and scaling up various existing initiatives. The plan identifies concrete themes and lines of action. The implementation of the actions will be initiated in the coming period.
Regional cooperation crucial
The focus is mainly on biobased and circular construction, fiber-rich crops as a new business model and waste/residuals as raw materials. Participants expressed that regional cooperation is crucial. Directors of the municipalities involved shared their compliments on the practical plan and pledged support.
The manufacturing, construction, waste management and green resource chains are the target groups targeted by the plan. For these target groups, the plan deploys overarching themes: Entrepreneurs in their power, Awareness and behavioral change, Organizing chain collaborations, Government as partner in circularity and Education, Knowledge development and Knowledge sharing.
The plan includes concrete actions such as streamlining circular counters and a single regional landing page, a consumer campaign, a network of circular craft centers and circular procurement.
Are you interested in participating in the implementation? Then contact program manager Platform Groene Hart Werkt!, Madelon Knop, at madelon.knop@gouda.nl or 06-50 80 12 90.
Jacques Rozendaal is president of the Platform Groene Hart Werkt! and alderman in Woerden
Frank Rijkaart is commissioner of the province of South Holland
Administrative Platform Groene Hart includes administrative representatives from the national government, 3 provinces, 35 municipalities and 5 water boards. They focus on the development of a beautiful, vital, sustainable and valuable landscape for residents, entrepreneurs and visitors of the NOVEX area Green Heart.