The July WBCEH members meeting will take place on 31 July from 11:00-12:30, bringing together Hub members for updates, exchange and a focused discussion on circular construction, recycled plastic solutions and recent EU developments related to the Digital Product Passport.
This month’s meeting will feature ReBlock, an initiative developed by the Center for Innovation and Development INOS from Prilep, North Macedonia, as well as a short discussion on why Digital Product Passport developments are becoming increasingly relevant for companies from the Western Balkans.
Agenda
1. WBCEH updates and upcoming activities
The meeting will open with updates from the Hub, including recent activities, ongoing initiatives and upcoming opportunities for members.
2. Member Spotlight: ReBlock, Center for Innovation and Development INOS
This month’s spotlight will feature ReBlock, an initiative developed by the Center for Innovation and Development INOS from Prilep, North Macedonia.
INOS was one of the awarded teams in ARNO’s Academy for Circular Economy, where participating organisations received training, expert support and mentoring. After the Academy, the team continued developing a modular block made from locally recycled plastic, intended for small-scale construction and urban equipment.
Their work responds to a local challenge: limited plastic recycling infrastructure and the fact that collected plastic is often exported. During the development process, INOS worked with a designer to shape ReBlock as a multi-purpose, LEGO-like modular block, engaged technical expertise from the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy in Skopje, carried out experiments, and reached concrete conclusions about what would be needed to move from prototype to implementation.
During the meeting, INOS will share their one-year journey, key successes, challenges faced and lessons learned in turning plastic waste into a practical circular solution.
3. News from the EU: Digital Product Passport
The meeting will also include a short update on the European Commission’s central information hub for the Digital Product Passport (DPP), a key initiative under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation aimed at improving access to product sustainability and circularity information.
For companies from the Western Balkans that export to the EU or are part of EU value chains, DPP developments are important because product data, traceability and circularity performance will increasingly influence market access and competitiveness.
4. Informal networking and exchange
The final part of the meeting will be dedicated to open exchange, allowing members to introduce their work, share ideas and explore potential cooperation.
All WBCEH members will receive the meeting recording and presentations after the session. New members are welcome to join the Hub by filling out this application form and take part in future members meetings and networking activities.
