Applications for the Circular City Labs Shkodra are open from 26th of August to 29th of September 2024.

What is Circular Economy?

 

The Circular Economy is an economic model designed to minimize waste and maximize resource use by keeping products, materials, and resources in circulation for as long as possible. Unlike the traditional linear model, which follows a “buy, use, dispose” approach, the circular economy emphasizes durability, reusability, repairability, and recyclability. This approach is essential for managing the increasing volume of global waste, as it promotes reducing, reusing, and recycling materials. By extending product lifecycles and cutting down on raw material extraction, the circular economy helps conserve resources and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

 

 

What is Circular City Labs Shkodra?

 

Circular City Labs (CCL) is an innovative accelerator program aimed at tackling urban waste issues by fostering circular economy solutions. Following the success of Circular City Labs – Tirana, we are excited to announce the launch of Circular City Labs – Shkodra (CCL Shkodra). This initiative focuses on developing sustainable solutions for Organic Waste, Packaging Waste, and Textile & Garment Waste, with a special emphasis on creating livable cities.

 

CCL Shkodra is a program designed to find new and effective ways to manage waste and promote sustainability in cities. It is an accelerator program meaning it helps businesses and projects grow faster by giving them the tools, resources, and support they need to succeed. This program focuses primarily on three main types of waste: organic waste (like food scraps), packaging waste (like plastic and cardboard), and textile and garment waste (like old clothes). However, circular economy solutions for other waste types are also welcome. The goal is to create better, cleaner, and more livable cities by finding ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle these kinds of waste.

 

The CCL Shkodra program is part of a broader initiative to transform Albanian cities into innovation-driven, circular, and knowledge-based economies. This program is supported by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through the EU 4 Circular Economy and Livable Cities (EU4CELC) and EU4Innovation (EU4I) programs. CCL forms part of the BMZ Initiative for Climate and Environmental Protection (IKU) and runs from 01/2023 to 12/2025.

 

The CCL Shkodra program is implemented by Yunus Social Business Balkans (YSB Balkans), under the umbrella of its “Growpreneur Accelerator Programme”, in cooperation with DEEP Ecosystems and ARKA. The initiative aims to empower local actors in the Shkodra region to design, prototype, test and pilot viable circular economy solutions that have the potential to scale, replicate and generate positive environmental and social impact. Four entities presenting the most effective solutions will be selected to be piloted in the market and will each receive an award of EUR 50,000 in the form of grants.

 

Who Should Join? Circular City Labs – Shkodra is designed for businesses, startups, and individuals across various sectors and industries, seeking to develop circular economy solutions falling in any of the following four main categories: (i) Food and Agriculture Waste Solutions; (ii) Packaging Waste Solutions; (iii) Textile Waste Solutions, and (iv) Flexible Circular Economy Solutions.

 

The applicants may come from various sector or industries, such as, but not limited to:

 

• • HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafes)

 

• • Retail & Grocery

 

• • E-commerce & IT (focused on solutions for waste management)

 

• • Logistics & Event Management (with an emphasis on sustainable practices)

 

• • City Administration (working on urban waste solutions)

 

• • Academia & Researchers (studying waste reduction and circular economy)

 

• • Civil Society (involved in sustainability and environmental initiatives)

 

• • Food Processing & Manufacturing

 

• • Agriculture & Farming

 

• • Packaging Industry

 

• • Fashion & Textile Industry

 

• • Waste Management & Recycling Services

 

• • Consumer Goods

 

• • Health & Beauty

 

• • Hospitality & Tourism

 

• • Education & Training Providers

 

 

The program encourages especially encourage female founders and women-led businesses to apply, aligning with its commitment to gender development policies.