As Albania grapples with the challenges of waste management, a new movement towards circular economy solutions is developing. Powered by the EU4 Circular Economy and Livable Cities (EU4CELC), a project co-financed by the EU and BMZ, and implemented by GIZ Albania in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, LoT23 is paving the way for Albania’s transition to a circular economy and a greener future!
One such initiative is the Lab of Tomorrow (LoT) Ideation Sprint—a 4-day intensive workshop—that gathers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), industry experts, and design thinking coaches to explore innovative ways that tackle a business development challenge related to the 17 SDGs. The 23rd cohort of the Lab of Tomorrow was hosted for the first time in Albania and addressed the subject of glass waste. Supported by the EU 4 Circular Economy and Livable Cities project, the sprint was designed to help Albanian SMEs familiarize with circular economy principles and rethink their use of glass. With the aim of shifting away from linear, waste-producing models, participants delved into the creation of circular innovations that could transform the way single use glass packaging is handled.
The Ideation Sprint focused on mobilizing the private sector to redesign their approach to glass, fostering collaborative solutions that align with the principles of a circular economy. Here’s how every day of the exciting 4-day sprint unfolded.
Day 1: Setting the Stage for Circular Innovation
The sprint kicked off with an opening ceremony that brought together a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a circular economy in Albania. Keynote speeches from project partners of the EU 4 Circular Economy and Livable Cities initiatives set the tone, emphasizing the urgency of reducing waste and the potential for circular innovation to reshape business practices in the glass packaging industry.
Participants were introduced to the structure and goals of the Ideation Sprint, as well as the key circular economy principles that would guide their work. The focus was on how Albanian SMEs can transition from linear models of production and disposal to more sustainable, regenerative practices. The day concluded with an overview of the ideation process, setting the stage for the following days of collaboration and creative problem-solving.
Day 2: Prototyping Circular Solutions
On the second day, teams dove deeper into the mechanics of designing and testing solutions. The day began with an introduction to prototyping and testing, essential steps in turning ideas into actionable, scalable solutions. Facilitated by design thinking coaches, participants learned how to create early-stage models of their concepts, which would allow them to gather feedback and refine their ideas.
The day also included an introduction to the Demo session, which would take place on the final day. Teams were given guidelines for preparing pitch decks, which would outline their business models and proposed circular innovations. The emphasis was on how to effectively communicate their ideas to both technical experts and a broader audience.
Day 3: Testing and Business Model Development
The third day of the sprint brought participants face-to-face with real-world challenges. Teams focused on testing their prototypes, gathering insights on what worked and what didn’t. In the afternoon, participants attended a glass workshop, where they gained practical knowledge about the properties and potential of glass as a material in a circular economy. This hands-on experience gave them new perspectives on how glass packaging can be reused, recycled, and rethought in innovative ways.
Following the workshop, teams spent time developing their business model canvas—a strategic tool that helped them map out their circular innovations from production to disposal (or reuse). The aim was to create models that could be not only profitable but also sustainable, addressing the pressing issue of glass packaging waste while supporting Albania’s transition to a circular economy.
Day 4: Final Presentations and Demo Session
The final day brought the “shattered glass pieces” together and a colorful mosaic was created. In the morning, teams worked on fine-tuning their pitch decks, incorporating the insights they had gathered over the previous days and were onboarded for the follow up phase the Incubator. The latter will be a testing and developing period during which the selected participants will design and bring their solutions to their customers. The Incubator of LOT23 will be implemented by Partner Albania for Change and Development in cooperation with GIZ Albania. Coaches provided feedback and helped participants prepare for the afternoon’s Demo session, where each team would present their circular solution.
The afternoon began with a keynote speech from Ms. Elvana Rama who addressed the ministry’s commitment to fostering a circular economy and the critical role that initiatives like the Lab or Tomorrow play in mobilizing the private sector actors towards more sustainable practices. Following her remarks, each of the four teams presented their solutions to an audience of experts, project partners, and other fellow participants. They received valuable feedback from a panel of experts, which included representatives from the private sector and environmental organizations. The event concluded with a networking session, where participants had the opportunity to network and celebrate the success of the sprint.
Through these four days of intense collaboration, Albania took an important step towards addressing its glass packaging waste crisis. By rethinking the role of glass in the economy, mobilizing private sector engagement, and fostering circular innovations, the Ideation Sprint participants laid the groundwork for a more sustainable future for the country.
What happens next?
The proceeding phase after the Ideation Sprint will be the Business Incubator. What happens at this stage is the finetuning of the business models that were presented during the Sprint. The four selected joint venture teams will enter the incubation phase to refine, test and pilot their glass solutions for their respective target markets.
The following teams have successfully passed the first screening during the Sprint and will soon embark on the Incubation journey.
1.Albania Glass Recycling (Developing recycling solutions for glass waste)
2.Re- Living (Re-use of glass jar packaging in Gjirokastra/ Developing a take back scheme)
3 ReuseAglass (Development of take back systems for microbreweries and wineries)
4. Circular Art Hub (Transforming glass packaging into functional and artistic products)
We encourage you to stay tuned and follow the progress of our teams in the next three months. We will see you again next year during the Demo Day, the final event where the teams will showcase their final business pitches. Till then!
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