The primary goal was to introduce circular economy practices to SEEs across the partner countries to foster environmentally friendly operations and social inclusion. Specifically, the project aimed to: - Raise awareness regarding the synergy between social economy and circularity. - Build capacities and green skills among SEE managers and employees through hands-on training. - Equip participants with the tools to assess and transform their organizations' circular profiles. - Empower workforce self-efficacy, particularly for marginalized employees, to act as a change agent and thus provide for better inclusion of people with fewer opportunities into the labour market. - Develop concrete SMART Implementation Plans for four SEEs to embed circularity into their daily operations. - Foster transnational peer-learning to share challenges and solutions across European contexts.
The transition to a circular economy in the EU remains slow, with a circularity rate of only 11.7% in 2021. While the private business sector has begun adopting these practices, Social Economy Entities (SEEs), despite their innovative nature, often lack the resources, time, and specialized knowledge to integrate circularity into their operations. This project addressed the critical need to bridge the "knowledge-action gap" for SEEs in Austria, Poland, Germany, and Italy. We identified that SEEs, which often employ individuals with fewer opportunities, are uniquely positioned to act as community role models for sustainability if provided with practical, "learning-by-doing" training. By addressing the dual challenges of environmental protection and social inclusion, we aimed to leverage circular thinking to improve the competitiveness and resilience of these organizations within the social sector.