Successful Project—Limited Transfer: Learnings from the Local Circularity Experiment WiedergeBORN

Abstract

The paper presents an evaluation of the strategic experimental project “WiedergeBORN”, conducted by Stadtreinigung SRH, Hamburg’s public waste management company, with stakeholders and citizens in the Osdorfer Born large housing estate. Based on an analysis of the case study, which included document analysis, observation and interviews, the article delineates the genesis of the project, its main stakeholders, and its objectives, measures, and outcomes. Success and failure factors of the project and the possible transfer of lessons learned are then categorized and discussed using the four pillars of accountability as an analytical framework. The place-based approach, which considered local conditions, the close cooperation between key stakeholders, and the early involvement of local actors and citizens, supported the successful development and implementation of measures to improve waste management and cleanliness. Furthermore, the integration of environmental, social, and educational aspects in the measures and the cooperation with actors from these fields were demonstrated to lead to positive outcomes. The transfer of the project’s results and approach remained limited due to a lack of involvement of strategic actors in the project; this hindered an integration of the participating stakeholders into strategies and into policies at the district or city levels.