ΕΡΓΑΣΤΗΡΙΟ ΜΕΤΑΛΛΕΥΤΙΚΗΣ ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑΣ & ΠΕΡΙΒΑΛΛΟΝΤΙΚΗΣ ΜΕΤΑΛΛΛΕΥΤΙΚΗΣ, ΣΧΟΛΗ MHX. ΜΕΤΑΛΛΕΙΩΝ-ΜΕΤΑΛΛΟΥΡΓΩΝ, ΕΘΝΙΚΟ ΜΕΤΣΟΒΙΟ ΠΟΛΥΤΕΧΝΕΙΟ

The BlockWASTE project (Innovative training based on Blockchain technology applied to waste management), which is funded under the Action KA2 of the Erasmus+ Programme (Contract No: 2020-1-EL01-KA203-079154), addresses the interoperability between waste management and blockchain technology, in order to promote its proper treatment through educational training. In this direction, the project aims to:

- identify the benefits of the Blockchain Technology within the municipal waste management (MSW) process;
- create a study plan that allows the training of teachers and professionals of the organizations and companies of the MSW sector, in the field of Circular Economy and Blockchain Technology;
- develop an interactive tool based on Blockchain Technology, which will make it possible to put into practice how data obtained from urban waste would be managed to evaluate different forms of MSW management.

The project is mainly addressed to:
- Enterprises and SMEs, IT professionals, urbanisms and waste management professionals.
- Universities (professors, students and researchers).
- Public bodies.

24 months (1/10/2020 - 30/09/2022)

Municipal waste accounts for about 7 to 10% of the total waste generated in the EU. However, this waste stream is one of the most complex to manage and requires transparency and reliability of information provided to those involved in the process. Blockchain technology is a new field of study that has not yet been widely integrated into curricula. The BlockWASTE project will serve as a basis for initiating education in Blockchain technology through its application to solid waste management. At the same time, BlockWASTE will demonstrate the feasibility of using Blockchain in the Circular Economy, so that the data collected is shared in a secure environment where there is no room for uncertainty and mistrust between all parties involved.

By harnessing the potential of digital technologies, the circular economy can strengthen the EU's industrial base and encourage business creation and entrepreneurship among SMEs. Models driven by digital technologies such as IoT, big data, Blockchain and artificial intelligence will accelerate not only circularity but also the dematerialisation of the economy and make Europe less dependent on raw materials. BlockWASTE intends to be the start of a modernisation of the ways of teaching and learning for stakeholders, i.e. professionals, students, researchers from the sectors involved and public organisations, who will be closely linked to the digitisation process, as progress in this digital and greener era will depend on their digital knowledge.

The project is coordinated by the Laboratory of Mining Technology & Environmental Mining of the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). It is implemented in collaboration with the following partners:

- STICHTING SAXION (Netherlands)

- ASOCIACION EMPRESARIAL DE INVESTIGACION CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DEL MARMOL Y LA PIEDRA (Spain)

- TALLINNA TEHNIKAULIKOOL (Estonia)

- FACHHOCHSCHULE BIELEFELD (Germany)

The BlockWASTE project is implemented by 5 partners from 5 EU countries, Greece, Spain, Netherlands, Germany and Estonia. Its results, however, are targeted at a European audience. 

In this phase, the main focus of the dissemination activities was on presenting the project, its aims and objectives, the members of the project consortium and the activities that have been carried out. This was done through a wide range of public dissemination channels about the project. As an example, the Laboratory of Mining and Environmental Technology published the main objectives and characteristics of the BlockWASTE project and the results of the research on the current status of digitisation techniques in waste management in the e-magazine of EESDA (Hellenic Solid Waste Management Association), which is distributed to about 3,500 members of the Association. Bielefeld University published two reports on the project website (https://blockwasteproject.eu/) as well as on open access platforms (SSRN, Academia and Research Gate):

- State of Digitalization in European Municipal Waste Management

- Comparative Study of five EU member countries: Estonia, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, and Spain.

The Laboratory of Mining & Environmental Technology will use the results of the project in undergraduate and postgraduate courses on environmental management, municipal and industrial waste management, solid waste treatment and materials recycling.