2020 - 2023: European cross-border project to create a model to help local authorities develop a circular economy in the France-Channel England area.

WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) 2015 estimates that the transition to a circular economy across Europe will create up to 3 million new jobs and reduce unemployment by 520,000 people. For example,400,000 new jobs are expected in France (Club of Rome 2016) and 500,000 in the UK.
These will mainly be new jobs resulting from increased recycling, revenue logistics and secondary markets. If local authorities get the education and training strategy right, they will have the opportunity to create new jobs for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
There is a need for a radical change in the France Channel England area as the latest figures show an unemployment rate of 3.9% (1.3 million people) in England and 8.6% (2.4 million people) in France (among the highest unemployment rates in Europe in 2019) (Statista 2019).

Creating the first cross-border model for local authorities to accelerate the transition to a circular economy

Selected under the European cross-border cooperation program INTERREG V A France (Channel) England, the BLUEPRINT project will achieve this through 3 approaches:

• Ensuring that local authorities have the right policy framework to combine EU waste action with recycling targets of 65% by 2035
• Mobilizing social enterprises to train people to benefit from the new jobs created 
• Enabling households to change their behavior to increase their recycling rate and support growth the transition to the circular economy.

Partners

The BLUEPRINT project has a budget of €5.6 million over 3 years, co-financed by €3.9 million from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund). It brings together French and British partners: Essex County Council (project leader), Kent County Council, EcoWise, Anglia Ruskin University, Peterborough Environmental City Trust, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, BUILDERS School of Engineering, Brighton and Hove City Council, UniLaSalle, Morlaix and Neoma Business School.