NEWS: Circular Momentum: Highlights from the 3rd CAROUSEL Meeting in Ptuj

Change begins with community, and the CAROUSEL project is proving that local action, creative upcycling, and transnational teamwork can help small villages across the Adriatic-Ionian region move toward circular lifestyles.

This October in Ptuj, Slovenia, partners from six countries gathered for the third CAROUSEL meeting, sharing updates and fresh ideas in a collaborative spirit. The 3rd partners meeting was hosted by our partner ZRS Bistra in the charming city of Ptuj, Slovenia.

Over two dynamic days (21 – 22 October), partners reviewed the project’s progress, focusing on developing the online Marketplace, launching the Mentorship Programme, shaping the Upcycling Hubs, and planning our joint awareness-raising campaigns. A highlight of the meeting was the study visit to the Repair Café at Center Ponovne Uporabe in Slovenske Konjice, where the team explored inspiring examples of circular reuse in practice. The steering group addressed reporting needs, discussed agreement structures for sustaining the CAROUSEL Marketplace, and reviewed budget execution and planning.

Driving force behind the CAROUSEL Pilots and Community Hubs

At its core, CAROUSEL aims to transform linear consumption patterns into circular practices. The project’s mission centers on connecting citizens, designers, public authorities, and businesses, empowering each group to give “waste” a second life and embedding sustainable thinking into the everyday rhythm of rural communities.​

During the meeting, partners discussed concrete strategies divided into four key modules:

  1. The first module is all about building upcycling communities. This means mobilizing local actors and defining their unique roles in the circular economy, whether as providers, collectors, transformers, or influencers.

  2. Next, the technical development of the CAROUSEL Online Marketplace took center stage. Soon, local makers will be able to manage their own products and stories in dedicated spaces online, while cross-region coordination ensures a unified approach.

  3. Partners also prepared for piloting pop-up shops and upcycling hubs: temporary locations that allow consumers, artisans, and visitors to explore, learn, and purchase upcycled goods.

  4. Finally, all these efforts will be put to the test, with feedback, capacity building, and constant improvement guiding CAROUSEL’s evolution.​

Local Successes: Pilots and Community Hubs

What does circularity look like on the ground? In Chalki (Greece), the local hub is recycling everything from wood and glass to construction waste, turning these materials into benches, signage, and creative art made by artisans and schoolchildren. In Gerace (Italy), the municipality launched a creative reuse laboratory, inviting designers and citizens to give old items new purpose, while also attracting interest from tourists thanks to hands-on workshops and exhibitions. Each country adapts the concept to its local needs, showcasing regional creativity and driving social impact. In Ptuj (Slovenia) and Kraljevo (Serbia), pop-up shops are based on the same principles and will come to life in the upcoming period.  ​

Spreading the Word: Engagement and Events

Communication is a cornerstone of the CAROUSEL project’s approach. By October, the project had engaged tens of thousands through dynamic social media campaigns, educational stories, and videos showcasing real-life transformations. Awareness-raising and promotion efforts are now operating at full capacity and are set to reveal their full potential very soon, employing carefully tailored communications across a wide range of channels to reach every target audience with inspiring, relevant messages. Upcoming national and joint events, including repair cafés, workshops, pop-up fairs, community hubs, the Festival of Circularity, and special thematic days, are still being developed aiming to invite more people to participate, share ideas, and discover the value of products born from upcycling.

The Road Ahead: What’s Next for CAROUSEL?

Looking forward, partners will finalize strategic documents, complete local hubs, and shape the online Marketplace in the upcoming months. Events will continue to build awareness and enthusiasm, with open invitations for new contributors, whether you’re a designer, student, local business, or simply someone who wants to make a difference. Continuous mentorship, knowledge exchange, and practical feedback ensure this isn’t just a one-time effort but the beginning of lasting change.​