The project aims to raise awareness and empower youth and women entrepreneurs in the Municipality of Gjakova regarding sustainable development, the circular economy, and environmental protection.
By delivering capacity building workshops, concrete economic opportunities and fostering active civic participation in sustainable practices, the initiative directly drives local innovation and enhances the overall socio-economic well-being of the community.
Promoting Circular Economy practices, particularly within the textile industry, by encouraging the adoption of circular principles focused on reducing waste through recycling and reusing materials, as opposed to the traditional 'take-make-dispose' linear model. As part of the project, an online Circular Economy platform re-ko.org was created, along with research assessing waste management practices in the textile sector. The initiative also included the creation of sustainable fashion collections, organization of the Western Balkans Circular Economy Fair, and an awareness campaign featuring e-newsletters, podcasts, best practices, success stories, and short videos to promote circular economy concepts. The project is building capacities of the textile industry in waste management and the application of circular economy principles in production operations. Additionally, a Circular Economy Book a flagship activity will be published to further support the transition to sustainable green business practices in Kosovo and Western Balkans.
The establishment of the Circular Economy Creative Center in partnership with the Municipality of Pristina, serving to pilot Kosovo’s first public model for sustainable textile waste management. This pioneering initiative drives a regional shift toward a reuse-first textile system in the Western Balkans, reducing landfill dependence and mitigating climate change through sustained recycling rates. By establishing a functional cross-border framework cooperation with LCDF, the project aims to reduce textile waste streams; strengthens green social enterprises and SMEs in both Kosovo and North Macedonia. This scalable model is anchored by its core components including defined collection, sorting, reusing, upcycling, and recycling mechanisms, standardized operating procedures, clear material tracking, and dedicated research and development (R&D) facility for innovation in textile.
Promoted the principles of Reuse, Reduce, Redesign, Recycle, and Repurpose of textile waste, while integrating Circular Economy and Social Entrepreneurship concepts. The project supported students from the Secondary Art School in creating two sustainable fashion collections using textile waste, fostering innovation in eco-friendly fashion and raising awareness about sustainable practices in the textile industry. Additionally, it established a textile waste collection system, a thrift shop, and a recycling facility, piloting the production of composite textile tiles. The project has become self-sustaining and continues to operate successfully.
Donate, volunteer or work with us on the next project.