Municipal waste management today is a more pressing challenge than ever for cities in the Mediterranean region and requires effective and immediate action. The circular economy could offer a solution to the problem: INNOMED-UP (Promoting UPcycling in Circular Economy through INNovation and education for creative industries in MEDiterranean cities) aims to promote initiatives that trigger circular production and consumption paradigms in the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) sector.
It is a project funded under ENI CBC Med, the cross-border cooperation program dedicated to countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
The circular economy is a model of sustainable production and consumption that aims to reduce waste by encouraging a more conscious use of resources. Through borrowing, reusing, repairing or upcycling materials and products, it is possible to extend their lifespan and thus minimize the environmental impact of our consumption. Adopting a circular approach is essential to reduce the volume of waste production, to mitigate the consequences of the climate crisis, but also to generate value.
This is why INNOMED-UP supports CCIs in implementing circular practices, harnessing the creativity and innovation inherent in these sectors. In fact, the Creative and Cultural Industries-that is, all economic activities in the arts, entertainment, media, publishing, fashion and design sectors-have become increasingly prominent in the contemporary global landscape: in addition to contributing significantly to the gross domestic product of individual countries through job creation and the promotion of local talent and heritage, they are able to generate virtuous mechanisms by influencing even the more traditional and established sectors.
The project, led by the National Technical University of Athens (Greece) together with the Municipality of Prato and CRESM – Centro Ricerche Economiche e Sociali per il Meridione (Italy), the Municipality of Tunis (Tunisia), Birzeit University (Palestine) and the nonprofit Future Pioneers for Empowering Communities (Jordan), involved 86 small and medium-sized enterprises in the cultural and creative sector to which a budget of about €400. 000 for the launch of innovative pilot projects, for the purchase of machinery related to the circular economy and for access to courses and training tools on the topic. It has also led-among other outputs-to the development of the digital platform innomed-up.eu and two guides for companies, policy makers, and organizations active in the circular economy.
