Enhancing Circular Glass Packaging Solutions in Albania

Incubation and Grant Management for Glass Waste Solution from Lab of Tomorrow (October 2024 – October 2025)

Partners Albania has been selected as a grant implementer of Albania’s first Circular Business Incubation program, part of the Lab of Tomorrow program an initiative of the EU 4 Circular Economy and Livable Cities Project implemented by GIZ Albania. This grant is dedicated to empowering local SMEs that use glass packaging, supporting their efforts to create circular solutions to manage glass waste and drive sustainable change.

We are pioneering this initiative through the EU 4 Circular Economy and Livable Cities project (EU4CELC), co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented by GIZ Albania in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MoTE).

The project is designed to accelerate Albania’s transition to a circular economy, empower municipalities to develop sustainable cities, and contribute to better public health, the creation of green jobs, and improved energy efficiency.

The project objective is to address critical challenges in the country, particularly the issue of glass waste, which largely ends up in landfills due to a lack of effective recycling systems. This situation not only leads to environmental damage but also creates economic inefficiencies, as businesses, especially beverage producers, must import expensive glass bottles.

Partners Albania is leading the implementation of one of the project’s components, focused on grant management, incubation, and the piloting of glass recycling and glass reuse solutions. This initiative involves four venture teams originating from the Lab of Tomorrow program.

Key activities include:
• Needs Assessment – The project will perform a needs assessment with the teams, to determine how much support is envisioned as part of the teams’ developed business proposal, ensuring that each venture team receives the targeted support they require.
• Incubation Program – The incubation program will run 12 weeks. It will include a mix of workshops, market visits, and regular engagement sessions. These engagement sessions, held periodically, will feature virtual or in-person interactions with the incubation team, mentors, legal and industry/sectorial experts.
• Grant Implementation – Following the incubation program, a Demo Day will be organized, and successful teams will be selected to receive financial support in the form of grants to further develop and implement their business solutions.
• Monitoring and Evaluation – Sub-grantees will submit periodic narrative and financial reports while the project team will conduct regular on-site visits. At the end external evaluators will assess grant impact.

Targeted Groups
The project will impact direct beneficiaries of four (4) venture teams of around five (5) businesses/NGOs on HORECA, Wineries, Breweries, Agrotourism, Glass Recycling, Crafting and Waste Management sectors.
Indirect beneficiaries include those employed in new green jobs, professionals in the private sector and municipalities involved in waste management, and the general population of Albania through improved environmental conditions and more livable cities.

Expected Results
• Piloting of Solutions for Increased Glass Reuse and Recycling: Supporting the establishment of project pilots for a comprehensive infrastructure for glass collection, sorting, cleaning, and recycling will significantly reduce the amount of glass waste ending up in landfills and the reuse of glass and glass packaging.
• Private Sector Innovation: encouraging private sector participation through idea competitions and incubation programs, that will stimulate the development of innovative solutions for glass reuse and sustainable alternatives.
• Green Job Creation: The implementation of new waste management systems and recycling initiatives to create green jobs across various sectors, contributing to economic growth and sustainability.
• Enhanced Energy Efficiency: Through improved waste management practices and the adoption of circular economy principles, the project will contribute to enhanced energy efficiency in Albania, reducing the need for energy-intensive glass production and imports.

Link :  Enhancing circular glass packaging solutions in Albania

_________________________________________________________________________

The LoT23 Incubation and Grant Management program, implemented by Partners Albania, is supported by the EU 4 Circular Economy and Livable Cities project (EU4CELC), a project co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ Albania in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Environment (MoTE).