Tunis/Tunisia — Open door days aimed at publicising projects of young Tunisian entrepreneurs in the field of the circular economy through recycling of waste and rubbish began on Thursday in the Tunis municipality and will run until May 13, 2023. The event, held at the Municipal Cultural Centre in the Medina, is part of the Euro-Mediterranean project "Promoting the waste recovery in the circular economy through innovation and training for creative industries in Mediterranean cities" (INNOMED-Up), which was launched in 2019 and will end in August 2023.

Funded to the tune of Ꞓ2.8 million euros (TND 9.2 million dinars), the project aims to encourage young people to embrace the new model of the circular economy by giving new life to certain recyclable wastes, given the scarcity of raw materials and the problems associated with waste management, said Souad Sassi, officer in charge of international cooperation and external relations at the Tunis municipality.

Around fifteen young promoters of circular economy projects have benefited from funding of between Ꞓ5 and 10 thousand (TND 15 and 30 thousand), in addition to a series of training cycles to make them aware of the importance of the circular economy and its impact on the environment.

The projects carried out within the framework of that project concern the composting of fruit and vegetables for the production of fertilisers, the recycling of plastic products and waste fabrics and school supplies.

Sassi said the generalisation of circular economy projects will reduce the dumping of waste in the sea by 30% in the Tunis municipality.

Regarding the extension of the project, Sassi said that study day will be organised at the end of May 2023 with the participation of the various partners to examine the possibility of requesting additional funding from the European Union (EU) to continue the project.