Launching Challenging Changes at Nijmegen

Raymond Janssen interviews Harriet Tiemens and Ad Lansink (Phoyo: Sophy van Kempen)

After the book launches in Brussels, the Dutch presentation of Challenging Changes took place on 18 December 2017 in the Council Hall of Nijmegen. As an introduction, Vera Dalm, director of Milieu Centraal, pointed out the meaning of knowledge transfer: ‘Let’s keep communication about waste simple’. With examples, such as the ban on plastic bags in stores, she showed that legislation can have a major impact. ‘And why do not we make coffee at stations for people who bring their own cups cheaper?’ According to NVRD chairman Han Noten, the waste sector has long been aware of the value of raw materials. ‘But making the transition from waste to raw material still takes a long way. It will work when we do. For that we need enthusiastic people with good ideas. And of course, organizations and legislation to scale up. In addition, we jointly have to look at the bigger picture. ‘ Between the keynotes, Harriët Tiemens, Alderman for Sustainability of the municipality of Nijmegen and author Ad Lansink, were interviewed by Raymond Janssen about the production of the book and the relationship with Nijmegen as Green Capital Europe 2018.

Author Ad Lansink with Bas de Vries and Johny Kerkhof: on the screen pictures of the LokaliteitenKabinet (Photo: Sophie van Kempen)

After the speeches, the first copies of Challenging Changes were presents to Bas de Vries and Johny Kerkhof, representatives of the young guard, who designed the so called ‘LokaliteitenKabinet’. With this surprising construction, they make circular economy visible and tangible for a large public, and at the same time, operational for actors on the market for secondary raw materials market. They suit the action to the word connecting a mechanical, visible system with a digital platform: an innovative contribution matching supply and demand for the reuse of raw materials. Fortunately, the benefits of circular economy are gradually becoming known. Keywords such as environmental benefits, employment, biodiversity and energy saving are receiving more and more attention, also in Challenging Changes through a lot of interesting positive but also critical recommendations for a wide variety of target groups, including producers and consumers