The roadmap of change exists out of a lot of different parties that all need to collaborate and take action to successfully implement the system. To make this happen, there should be one organization that maintains overview and connects all these stakeholders. A new organization could be established which focusses on implementing a blue economy on Texel. However, this could also be done by the existing organization that is trying to stimulate blue economy principles: ZERI.
ZERI stands for the ‘zero emissions research and initiatives’. They state that their members take on challenges, other will consider impossible or too complex. Through a common vision they seek for sustainable solutions for society, which are inspired by nature’s design principles and are locallt available. They believe in working with many problems simultaneously and facilitate inter-departmental operations. Their projects vary from pure industrial projects to community based initiatives, to business related enterprises, to government and bilateral and UN aided co-operation. This makes them a good organization to maintain overview on all involved stakeholders and execute the action plan (ZERI,2013).
Separation of waste
An increased separation rate at Texel is essential, since waste becomes a resource. An interview with Ms. Saanen confirmed that inhabitants of Texel cannot be obliged to separate waste. As discussed in chapter 6 increasing the consumer waste separation rate stands on the following four pillars (Saanen, 2014):
- Consumer waste separation must be easy and attractive for inhabitants
- Importance of separation must be transparent
- Subsidies must be provided to stimulate waste separation.
- A proper collection bin for individuals or neighborhood
These pillars form the basis of the agenda of change.
2015 - 2020 Find stakeholders for the project
In order to start implementation in 2020, stakeholders have to be found to execute all the subsystems. To increase success of implementation action plans need to be made in collaboration with involved stakeholders as literature in this course suggests. HVC and the Texel municipality will have to decide on how the profit is divided. Usually the waste processor receives the money for processing the waste, however in this case waste is not always processed by HVC since waste is used as a resource. Therefore part of the profit needs to go to the municipality, so they can invest this back into the community.
2018- 2020 Design of a proper collection bin for blue economy
A proper collection bin is essential to stimulate waste separation to implement the blue economy principle. To increase the involvement of the Texel inhabitants, this collection bin could be designed by an artist from Texel, using locally sourced materials. This must happen in cooperation with HCV, since they are responsible for waste collection.
2018- 2020 Design application and data entry system that creates transparency
Ms. Saanen indicated that it is impossible to cut waste taxes for those who are separating, since this is regulated on a higher level. To increase citizen participation transparency on what happens with the waste after it has been collected is important. An app, which citizen can consult, could give more information by for example releasing movies on the growth of shiitakes with coffee waste of the neighborhoods. QR tags on shiitakes packaging or coffee packaging can be added to refer to this app.
The app can also give statistics to show progress in the separation rate. It should be transparent how much waste (the quantity) is collected per neighborhood, the quality of the separated waste (whether it is truly separated from other waste) and the profits that the HVC and the municipality has made by selling the waste. Ideally inhabitants can influence how these profits are spent and can get insight where the profits have gone to. For example, inhabitants can vote if the profit goes to a local soccer club, plant three in the neighborhood or improve current playing ground of the kids. In this manner, separating waste is beneficial to the community, which could increase waste separation.
To create this kind of transparency an application should be developed in collaboration with HVC and the municipality, since they have to provide this kind of data. This application should be supported with an data entry system HVC and the municipality can access to enter their data to communicate this to inhabitants.
2020 Distribute the collection bin for free to all inhabitants by obtaining a subsidy
To increase the separation rate, the collection bin should be distributed for free. The municipality of Texel could obtain a subsidy for this, to produce the collection bins. In 2014 a subsidy was provided to ‘Preijde Plant Marketing’ that stimulates the transition of food towards local ‘Wadden-products’ (Waddenfonds, 2014). Our designed system stimulates local food production by using waste as a resource. It is therefore likely that a collection bin to make this happen, could receive a subsidy as well. In case it is not possible, the municipality could also make an investment themselves. A higher separation rate, leads to more profit since the municipality can sell more waste. Distributing free collection bins that makes this happen, is therefore an investment.
2020-2025 Education on waste separation
Once the collection bins are distributed, education on how to dispose waste and on how to use this bin is necessary. Cognitive ergonomics is important in the design of the collection bin to increase the separation rate. The collection bin can be distributed with a folder, which briefly explains how to dispose waste and gives an introduction on the application. This folder should communicate that by separating waste, inhabitants have influence on how profit is spend by the municipality. The application can be consulted to gain transparency, vote on how profit is spend and questions on waste disposal.
2020-2065 Promote Localized products
Local products, which make use of waste separation such as Shiitakes, can be labeled as products of the “Texel Blue Economy”.Texelaars could feel proud they have contributed to this, which could make these products more attractive to buy. The possibilities of this idea have been explained in the interview with Ms. Saanen and refer to the ‘Buy Irish’-case.
2020-2025 Prepare program for primary school on waste separation
Since children are the future, educating them on waste separation can make a huge difference. Together with involved stakeholders, teachers and parents of children who go to primary a school a program can be developed that highlights the importance of separating waste and explain how waste separation is done in an optimal way and what happens with the separated waste afterwards. Goals of this campaign would be to show the efforts of the government to protect the environment of Texel and awareness of the state of the environment on Texel. This program can be supported with excursions to the facilities of involved stakeholders.
2020-2065 Update the app
The app needs to be updated with new information and data on waste separation. Since the municipality and HVC will obtain profit from it, it makes sense that HVC and the municipality are responsible for updating this application to stimulate a higher waste separation rate.
2025-2030 Find new stakeholders
Once the program has run for five years, new stakeholders can be attracted with the success of the program. Additional promotion can lead to an expanded network of stakeholders to create a self-supportive Texel.
2025-2065 Program in primary school on waste separation
The program on primary school can be initiated. Excursions will get children in contact with waste separation and the importance of it for the environment of Texel. When they come home they will tell their parents about it, which can stimulate waste separation in their home. Assuming that children will remain in primary school for 8 years a time span of 40 years leads to 5 generations, which are familiar with the concept of waste separation. Children who participated in 2025 are grown up adults in 2065. It can therefore be assumed that in 2065 waste separation is fully integrated in the daily life.
