VIBE – Valuing Impact through Behavioural Engagement

European cities play a key role in achieving climate neutrality, yet progress toward a circular economy remains slow. According to the European Climate Law, the European Union aims to reach climate neutrality by 2050, but Europe’s circularity rate was around 12 % in 2023. Waste prevention, reuse, and recycling are some of the core pillars of the European Green Deal, the Fit for 55 package, and the EU Waste Framework Directive. National strategies reflect these goals but struggle with implementation at local level. Latvia’s National Waste Management Plan (2021–2028), Germany’s Zero Waste Strategy for Berlin (2020–2030), Portugal’s PERSU 2030, Spain’s Circular Economy Strategy 2030, and Hungary’s local Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans all highlight reuse and repair but lack coordinated, citizen-friendly systems. Fragmented services and weak public communication prevent citizens from actively participating. The project responds to this gap by strengthening local circular economy infrastructure and aligning urban action with European and national climate objectives.

The project builds a scalable model for Urban Resource Centers in European cities. These centers act as local hubs that combine repair, reuse, recycling, education, and community engagement in one accessible place. The project team works with municipalities in Riga, Zugló, Berlin, Lisbon, and Catalonia to plan infrastructure based on behavioural insights and real citizen needs. It supports cities in connecting existing repair hubs, recycling centers, second-hand markets, and waste services into a coherent system instead of isolated initiatives. Citizen-driven communication campaigns raise awareness and make circular services easy to understand and use. Engagement pilots test how residents interact with Urban Resource Centers and how participation can increase. The project also assesses greenhouse gas reductions from reuse and repair activities to demonstrate climate benefits. Through workshops, stakeholder exchanges, and policy dialogue, the project enables municipalities, businesses, and civil society to replicate Urban Resource Centers across Europe.