Our first joint study visit took place in Krško, Slovenia from March 14th to 17th. It is part of a Erasmus + partnership project, funded by the EU, in the field of Youth which focuses on the value of waste, more specifically when it comes to plastics, textiles and food.
Participants from Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary were welcomed to Krško, Slovenia.
This partner visit focused on the Value of Wasted plastics. We explored how sustainable companies, guided by the principles of eco-design and lean innovation, can contribute to a better world. With this field trip, we offered a unique opportunity to see inspiring examples and gain practical skills in the field of lean sustainable innovation and business modeling.
Here is a brief description of what the program was:
- On the first day, our participants were warmly welcomed by the ZMŠ youth center in Krško which was the accommodation for the duration of the stay. We had a slow start with presentations and icebreaker games followed by an early dinner at the local restaurant Apolon.
- On the second day, we visited the waste collection company of Novo Mesto, where we were welcomed and guided by Mr. Emilio Murtič. We saw and learned how they handle waste and could ask questions about the collection and sorting process of waste in Slovenian municipalities. We then drove to Ljubljana, where we had a guided tour of the creativity hub Rog Center, led by Mrs. Renata Zamida, who is also the head of the center.
After the tour, we had lunch at the vegan restaurant Grashka Deli, located in Center Rog which serves plant based meals made out of locally sourced ingredients. This was followed by a visit of the KNOF Collection store in Ljubljana.
- On the third day, we visited the KNOF headquarters, where we got to experience the KNOF circular laboratory, and then a creative workshop led by the director, Mrs. Mojca Žganec Metelko. All participants designed objects out of plastic waste coming from the plastic recycling process. After lunch we had a workshop at ZMŠ Krško, led by Mrs. Polona Hrovat Mavsar on the topic of systems thinking which put forward the lifecycle of daily products and the different stakeholders involved in the process. We ended the day with a delicious dinner.
- On the last day, we met at the KNOF headquarters, where we had a round table with a reflection on the acquired knowledge and experience. Then we went shopping in KNOF's Reuse Boutique Stara šola Krško and ended the study visit with lunch.
We are already looking forward to the next two study visits, which will be:
- June in Hungary focused on the Value of Organic Waste.
- September in Croatia focused on the Value of Textile Waste.
