SMILE CITY - Sustainable Materials for Innovative, Low Emissions applications in the CIrcular ciTY
Updated on 27.02.2026
SMILE CITY provides realistic circular systemic solutions to support the evolution towards a carbon-neutral, environmentally sustainable, toxic-free, circular economy by 2050. The contribution to C02 reduction works on two levels:
- an intensive use of recycled materials in replacement of virgin ones, without decreasing the performance of final products;
- the use of such products and applications to increase sustainable mobility.
The project aims to integrate innovative systemic solutions in up to 100 km of cycling paths and implement 20 e-bike charging stations, developed using different types of recycled urban waste: construction materials, EoL tyres and EoL batteries from Electric Vehicles. The foreseen innovations include the creation of e-bike charging stations made of recycled concrete precast elements and PV panels equally produced with recycled materials, the installation of recycled rubber moulded products for urban furniture such as rubber bollard, lane dividers, and rubberized asphalt, which contributes both to increase sustainability and safety. SMILE CITY will thus assemble the technological state of the art of the different value chains involved to implement circular systemic solutions in 7 different EU and non-EU countries, backing the transition towards a regenerative, inclusive and circular economy at local and regional scale across Europe and therefore boosting interregional and cross-border cooperation. In addition, the project will also increase resource efficiency, reinforcing Europe’s strategic autonomy and reduce the negative environmental footprint related to current recycling techniques of the considered urban waste value chains. By supporting awareness raising and information spreading, SMILE CITY will engage both citizens and industrial leaders in the green transition towards climate-neutral solutions for Circular Cities, bolstering the market uptake of circular solutions through regional and local actions. Two partners are CCRI members.
Leading organisation
European Tyre Recycling Association (ETRA)
Cities involved
- City of Bursa (Turkey)
- City of Istanbul (Turkey)
- City of Lucca (Italy)
- City of Manresa (Spain)
- City of Turin (Italy)
- City of Varna (Bulgaria)
Regions involved
- Region Castilla Y Leon (Spain)
- Region of Crete (Greece)
Territorial Clusters involved
Two Urban Living Labs have been set up to work from February to June 2026:
- Urban Living Lab 2.3 - Pilot Design and Planning
- Urban Living Lab 3.6 – Charging Station Design in cooperation with FABER SCHOOL, and Italian Cluster of Labs coordinated by Lazio Innova
Scope and objectives
The General Objective (G.O.) of SMILE CITY is the development of an innovative set of systemic solutions in up to 100 km cycling path and e-bikes charging stations, which will be developed using recycled materials obtained from C&D Waste, EOL Tyres, EOL EVs batteries and PV panels, and validated in 7 different EU and non-EU countries. As a result, the project will support the implementation of circular systemic solutions for cities and urban environment, supporting the transition towards a sustainable, regenerative, inclusive and circular economy at local and regional scale across the regions of Europe, developing low carbon emission mobility by means of low carbon emission recycled materials, therefore boosting interregional and cross-border cooperation.
Key services provided by the project
- Increasing circularity enabling circular systemic solutions
- Increasing resource efficiency/independency and reducing the negative environmental footprint related to the current recycling techniques of the considered urban waste
- Improving information and awareness of citizens and the industrial leaders on circular and climate-neutral solutions for Circular Cities
- Validation of SMILE CITY business model
- Supporting the market uptake of circular solutions through regional and local actions
Key deliverables
- D2.1 Soft mobility: current situation and future planning in the partner cities
Analysis and comparison of mobility current situation in the target cities, problems and issues related to infrastructure, traffic, public transport, pollution, etc.. What has been done and what still needs to be done to foster soft mobility.
- D2.2 Cycling across Europe: policies, infrastructure, successful business models and emerging technologies
The purpose of this report is to present the latest and most relevant information on the state of cycling in Europe as a key deliverable for the SmileCity project. Information that would particularly be relevant to the project and its partners was selected. When relevant, special emphasis was given to the context of the cities and regions involved in SmileCity: City of Bursa (Türkiye), Region Castilla y Leon (Spain), Region of Crete (Greece), City of Istanbul (Türkiye) , City of Lucca (Italy), City of Manresa (Spain), City of Turin (Italy), City of Varna (Bulgaria).
Key messages for project promoters
- Building Sustainable Cycling Cities with Recycled Materials
- SMILE CITY is revolutionizing urban infrastructure with circular economy solutions. Join us in creating a greener future for European cities.
Description of future collaboration with CCRI-CSO
- Spread SMILE CITY information and materials
- Take part to CCRI events
- Offer space in our events
- Networking with other CCRI Projects
- Cooperation with CCRI Members
Environmental outcomes of circular economy solutions
- Significantly increased circularity, reduced GHG emissions and valorisation of local resources
- Contribution to achieving the policy targets of the European Green Deal, circular economy action plan, EU bioeconomy strategy and the European industrial strategy
- Targeting climate-neutrality and zero pollution within a fair and just circular and bioeconomy transitions
Social outcomes of circular economy solutions
- Increased uptake and participation of citizens in circular and climate-neutral practices
- Enhanced knowledge transfer between the cities, regions or their groupings involved in the proposals financed under this topic and other cities and regions in EU Member States and Associated Countries
- Address of economic, social and environmental dimensions of the transition towards a circular economy
Economic outcomes of circular economy solutions
- Addressing more than one value chain to deploy a circular economy
- Highly replicable and scalable circular systemic solution
- More effective widespread uptake and easier replication, scalability and visibility of circular systemic solutions and hence multiplication of their economic, social and environmental benefits
- Creation of business opportunities and jobs in the circular economy at urban and/or regional scale
