From 6 to 8 November 2023, Ateliere Fara Frontiere organised a training for social entrepreneurs and social innovation organisations from Romania – “The Circular Economy: from theory to application”. The course took place in Bucharest and included a study visit to the circular economy workshops of Viitor Plus and Ateliere Senza Frontiere. A total of 20 people – employees and founders of social enterprises from all over the country – participated during the 3 days.

The circular economy course was organised in the framework of the SEEDing – Enterprising for Tomorrow project, co-funded by EEA and Norway grants 2021-2027.

An essential course for a sustainable future

The circular economy is more than just a fashionable trend. It is a necessity for the sustainable future of our planet.

The course was delivered by experts from the Department for Sustainable Development, the Federation of Intercommunity Development Associations for Waste Management (FADI) and Ateliere Fara Frontiere.

Experts presented international and national trends and strategies on the circular economy, the current state of their implementation and how social entrepreneurs can contribute to the practical development of the circular economy.

During the first two days, participants benefited from an intensive theoretical session delivered by sustainability experts with over 20 years of experience. This ensured a solid grounding of knowledge about the circular economy, both at the theoretical level and at the European and international policy level.

Visiting champions of the circular economy

The third day was dedicated to study visits, giving participants the opportunity to see practical applications of the circular economy. Visits were organised to the Atelierul de Pânză and to Ateliere Fara Frotiere – the remesh and educlick workshops, where the reuse processes of textile waste, advertising materials and electrical and electronic waste were presented.

These visits were essential to understanding how the theory applies in practice, providing concrete and tangible examples of the circular economy in action.

The companies visited are part of the circular economy champions in Romania included in the Recycling Roadmap.

Feedback and impact

Feedback from participants has been extremely positive. They appreciated the usefulness of the information received, the exchange of experiences with other participants and the examples of good practice observed during the study visits. The open interaction with the speakers was also appreciated, contributing to a deeper understanding and strengthening relationships between participants.

At the end of the course, participants left with clear ideas and concrete plans to implement circular economy principles in their own businesses and organisations. The enthusiasm and interest shown demonstrated that there is considerable untapped potential in this area.

Testimonials from participants

“Attending the course was extremely enjoyable and useful. For me personally, as a social enterprise manager, this course came as a complement to the insufficient information on the circular economy, a concept that I wanted to integrate into my company’s work. It was also very interesting to have the opportunity to see in real life how the principles of the circular economy are applied in two organisations we had the opportunity to visit, which crowned the theoretical information we received.”

“I had some unclear issues about the circular economy when I started the course. The upward trend in recycling, but also the targeted development goals, were elements that were thoroughly covered to bring clarity to where we are as a society.”

EEA and Norway grants contribute to the development of social enterprises and the circular economy in Romania

This course was made possible with the support of EEA and Norway grants 2014-2021 and was one of the first activities carried out within the SEEDing – Enterprising for Tomorrow project, implemented by ADV Romania in collaboration with Unikum Aktiv AS (Norway), Ateliere Fara Frontiere (Romania), Social Finance Association (Romania), RISE Romania. The project was co-funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021. The main objective was to increase the competitiveness of at least 100 social enterprises in Romania with a focus on ICT and green industry.

The course “Circular Economy: from theory to application” was a key activity of the SEEDing project, with high added value for social enterprises and the impact ecosystem in Romania. With the support of EEA and Norway funds, the SEEDing project opened new horizons for social entrepreneurs, giving them the tools and knowledge to contribute to a more sustainable future.