Last  15^th  and 16^th of July, as part of the European project CO-VALUE, two focus groups were held at the Las Atalayas industrial park in Alicante within the framework of Citizen Engagement for Knowledge Valorisation under the lead of Alicante Science Park. These sessions took place in the context of the circular economy experimentation pilot, aiming to explore citizens’ perceptions and proposals regarding the use of plastics and their impact on daily life.

On Tuesday 15^th , the focus group with young people under 25 was conducted, while on Wednesday 16^th  the group of participants over 25 took place. Each session involved 12 participants, with equal representation of men and women and diverse socio-demographic profiles, which greatly enriched the discussions and outcomes.

Throughout the activities, guided by a specialist Stickydot and facilitated by a local facilitator participants reflected on the role of plastics in their daily lives, their environmental impact, and possible alternatives within a circular economy approach. The insights gathered will serve as a basis for developing proposals aimed at Citizen Engagement for Knowledge Valorisation.

These focus groups in Alicante were the first activities with citizens from diverse societal environments, as part of the CO-VALUE’s commitment to recognising, valuing, and applying citizen knowledge to address collective challenges such as sustainable resource management and the transition to a circular economy. Other focus groups and activities involving citizens will be held in Alicante soon.