Research Context. Waste is a significant problem facing a rapidly urbanising world, with challenges at every stage including waste prevention, treatment/management, recycling and reuse, and the health and ecosystem impacts of poorly managed waste. Rising to these challenges, particularly in relation to sustainable cities, is high on the policy agenda at local, national and international levels. For example a recent (2013) UK Government report on waste noted that: We need to develop further the concept of a circular economy, where one person's waste becomes another's valuable resource...Making the changes needed may require innovation and creative thinking... Aims and Objectives The aim of the Network is to develop a forum for knowledge exchange and debate across art & humanities and science disciplines and subject areas with a common focus on waste treatment, management and innovation. This will seek to develop responses to the question: how can arts based approaches inform waste management innovation techniques and processes; and secondly, (how) does place (local context, identity, culture, governance) make a difference to waste generation, waste innovation delivery and uptake? This aim will be met through the following objectives: i)To establish an interdisciplinary network of Europe-wide academics, artists, scientists, practitioners, stakeholders, and interested end-users. We will run four workshops in 4 European cities (London, Amsterdam, Maastricht, Bangor in Wales) to explore and develop ideas, issues and possible solutions and learn from each other, and also run a number of 'pop-up' events piloting arts-based approaches to public engagement and waste. A 'wiki style' open source website will provide network support. ii) to identify particular sorts of waste (e.g. industrial/domestic, organic/manufactured, chemicals/metals, waste-energy, water) and to identify specific 'intervention points', which have good potential for creative interdisciplinary innovation. Applications and Benefits Bringing together different disciplines and different 'communities of place and practice' to address a common problem will have the primary benefit of structured knowledge exchange and capacity building across a number of divides (e.g. academic/practitioner, geographical, artists and scientists). The process of creating and participating in the network will therefore be its key outcome/benefit. The network will also make connections (through the pop up events and through the website) with 'the general public', enabling 'local and lay expertise' to inform the network. We aim to identify, through an iterative process of workshops and facilitated discussion, not only how 'good practice' in one area can be uptaken in another, but to identify what sorts of waste, and what sorts of 'intervention points', may be best suited for taking forward creative interdisciplinary solutions, and to seek future funding to develop these, ensuring a legacy for the network. We also anticipate a number of smaller 'spin off' innovations, which may be quite simple, such as better recycling leaflet design and event management. We aim for the long term benefits to be more sustainable waste management and treatment innovation systems and improved governance including citizen participation, enabling waste to be more sustainably treated and for more value to be extracted from waste streams. This would have clear benefits for the health, wealth and wellbeing of cities and their citizens.