Riga Prepares to Launch Its First Circular Economy Centre
Riga City is on the way to open its pilot Circular Economy Centre by the end of this year.
In April and May 2024, the Riga Energy Agency hosted a call for interior design ideas for the first Circular Economy Centre. The winning concepts and ideas have been incorporated into the ongoing design services procurement process.
In the meantime, the dedicated team at Riga Energy Agency has embraced “A Different Working Day” for two consecutive Fridays in July 2024. The staff of the Agency came together to clean, paint, and renovate the premises, ensuring the Centre will have a welcoming appearance.
Ieva Kalniņa, Project Manager of Riga Energy Agency says: “As employees of the municipality, our daily responsibilities typically revolve around computer work and occasional interactions with citizens.
In Riga municipality, we have an opportunity to organise a “different working day” when we – a municipal institution – are free to choose what we would like to do, whether it is planting trees, helping out in a zoo or anything else. We – Riga Energy Agency – decided to step out of our usual routines in the “different working day” and refurbish the premises of the Circular Economy Centre, a centre that is about to be established in the frame of the CURE+ project.
This initiative demonstrates our commitment to our community and sends a positive message: 22 civil servants volunteered their time and effort to benefit our citizens. This event was significant for us, not only because of the physical transformation of the space but also because it was a learning process for everyone involved. None of us are professionals in refurbishment, so we embraced the challenge and gained valuable hands-on experience.
By this initiative, we hope to create a more welcoming environment for the citizens who will use the Centre. This effort underscores our dedication to improving our city and supporting sustainable practices through the CURE+ initiative.”
Riga Circular Economy Centre is being established within the framework of the project “Centres for Urban Resources, Reuse and Remanufacture (CURE+)”. Once fully renovated and redesigned, the Circular Economy Centre will be a multifunctional place where citizens will get acquainted with the principles of the circular economy, as well as repair and prolong the life of different goods in a woodwork workshop; it will also host events such as masterclasses, seminars and lectures.
Riga Energy Agency is implementing EUKI project CURE+ in cooperation with the Tartu City Government, Municipality of Kavala, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Elisava Barcelona School of Engineering and Design. The project aims to improve the management of construction and demolition waste generated by households through reuse and repair respecting the principles of the circular economy.