Article by Mihaela Lupu, volunteer within GIL Bacău.
When we talk about a circular economy, we are talking about extending the life cycle of products. The circular economy involves a number of things we can do to continue using the object or material in question and not end up in the bin.
Shared use
There are many things that can often be used in common, so we can reduce overproduction of certain products. For example – a book, gardening items etc.
- Renting
There are items we can rent when we no longer use or need them. Although we often find the term -renting- when we talk about premises or cars, today we can also rent wedding/wedding dresses, construction items, etc.
- Reuse
Nowadays there are many disposable products that can easily be replaced with environmentally friendly and reusable ones. A practical example is even water containers made of glass/metal/hard plastic that can be used for a long time. Another example is fabric bags instead of plastic ones, these can even be made from t-shirts or clothes that are no longer useful.
- Refurbishment
Refurbishment is the process of improving a product for continued use and extending its life.
- Recycling existing materials and products
Recycling is the introduction of waste into a technological process in order to reuse that material for the same or another purpose.
We can think of glass that is collected and goes through a process of shredding and melting so that we can make other items we need.
More details on the circular economy can also be found at the following link https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/ro/headlines/economy/20151201STO05603/economia-circulara-definitie-importanta-si-beneficii?&at_campaign=20234-Economy&at_medium=Google_Ads&at_platform=Search&at_creation=RSA&at_goal=TR_G&at_audience=economie%20circulară&at_topic=Circular_Economy&at_location=RO&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-pyqBhDmARIsAKd9XIP-Rgo7n0LcnADTD-YEnyOu6w213jF9Igkw2MD4Dy1nJ_9yUhIUrGgaAtsiEALw_wcB
What can we do?
There are many products that we ourselves can save and extend their life cycle.
One of the existing initiatives in Bacău comes from Arți-Crafți.Hubtelier. It aims to reduce discarded items through events where people can come with things they no longer need and take in exchange what others have brought in turn. We can think of it as a barter system – except there is no limit to the number of items you can bring or take home. You don’t necessarily have to bring anything with you but you can come straight away and take items you need because you are helping to extend their life cycle.
How did this initiative start?
Andreea Ungureanu, the host of these events at Hubtelier, tells us:
“The idea came to us after we saved some bags of small things from a friend in Bucharest who had just finished a long-awaited sorting. Clothes, accessories, make-up, we found lots of cool items for different sizes and seasons. I started to try it on and called my friends to pick out things too. And here we are, trying on different pieces one by one, voting on who’s dress/pair of trousers/jacket fits best, having lots of fun and renewing ourselves with what might have ended up in the bin. Instead, we all left feeling won over and excited about our new free “purchases” .
And we left with something else – the inspiration to get together more often to swap clothes. And when Alexandra Brinzac, who is also an eco-therapist passionate about climate change and the emotions it brings, suggested bringing the Free Shop concept to Bacău, we said “yes!”, we really had to do it. This is how CIRCULAR: Free Shop was born, a series of events aimed at promoting the circular economy, reducing waste by renovating old things and involving the community of young people from Bacău in leisure activities and, indirectly, environmental protection.
We decided not to force participation in the sense of being mandatory to bring things to exchange because there are already many items looking for a new home and some of them can be taken on a donation of choice. From clothes, accessories, perfumes to items for the home, pets and children, it’s worth visiting us and seeing how you can make the most of what you already have and help reduce waste!”
If you’re wondering when the next event will be, we have good news for you. It will take place on 28 November, from 6pm to 8pm at Hubtelier Bacau, inside Central Plaza, on the 1st floor, next to the Sports Hall.
The project is run by the Romanian Academic Society in partnership with Act For Tomorrow Association and Vellenes Fellesorganisasjon with the financial support of Active Citizens Fund Romania, a programme funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through EEA Grants 2014-2021. The aim of the project is to increase the capacity for mobilization and civic engagement, especially among young people, by developing a set of monitoring and advocacy methods and tools to improve the quality of public transport, education and waste management services provided by local public administrations in urban areas.
The project is implemented by The Romanian Academic Society in partnership with the Act For Tomorrow Association and Vellenes Fellesorganisasjon and benefits from a 249.989 euros grant from Active Citizens Fund Romania, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA Grants Grants 2014 -2021. The content of this website does not necessarily reflect the official position of the EEA and Norway Grants 2014-2021; for more information, visit www.eeagrants.org. More details about Active Citizens Fund Romania are available at www.activecitizensfund.ro.