How Can Local Waste Inspire International Cooperation?

Plastenco Presented the Czech Approach to Circular Design at Social Design Days in Tbilisi

In early July, we presented the work of the Plastenco team at the international Social Design Days conference in Tbilisi, Georgia. Organized by the Design Institute Georgia, the festival—now in its fourth year—brought together designers, architects, universities, companies, and public institutions to discuss how design can help address current environmental and social challenges in Georgia.

Our participation was made possible thanks to an invitation from the Czech Center in Tbilisi, represented by architect Osamu Okamura, support from the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Georgia, and a partnership with KOPOS. In addition to Jitka Hvězdová’s lecture, we also organized a three-day pop-up exhibition showcasing products, materials research, and the methodology we have been developing at Plastenco over the long term.

It Wasn’t Just About the Products

At first glance, we brought Glimmers light objects, material samples, student projects, and examples of our experiments with waste plastics to Georgia.

However, we quickly realized that it wasn’t the products themselves that sparked the greatest interest.

The most common question was:

How does it all come together?

How can we connect universities, students, companies, research, and real-world material challenges? How can we create a system that doesn’t end with a prototype but leads all the way to a real-world application?

That’s exactly what we presented in Tbilisi—not individual projects, but the approach behind them.

Czech experiences that make sense abroad as well

In recent years, we at Plastenco have gradually developed a model of collaboration that connects:

• materials research,
• universities,
• design and architecture students,
• industrial partners,
• pilot projects,
• and subsequent commercialization.

The conference demonstrated that this model could be of interest even beyond the Czech Republic.

Georgia is currently at the beginning of its journey toward a circular economy. This made the participants all the more open to discussing new approaches and seeking inspiration from international experiences.

„Thank you once again for your support, trust, and contribution. It means a great deal to the Georgian community and to the Design Institute, and we sincerely appreciate your commitment.“
— Nino, Design Institute Georgia

From the First Grant to an International Platform

One of the themes that came up repeatedly during the conference was collaboration between students and companies.

In the Czech Republic, we have been developing this idea for several years through the Reborn Design project and the TAČR PlastIT grant project, which connects companies with waste materials, universities, students, and expert mentors.

The discussions in Tbilisi led us to the conclusion that a similar model has the potential to work in an international setting as well.

That is why we began considering the creation of an international platform building on the Czech experience, one that would connect students, universities, and companies across Europe through real-world material challenges.

Georgia, in particular, could become one of the first places where we could successfully develop this concept together.

Georgia as a Land of Opportunity

One of the most valuable parts of the entire trip was our discussions with local partners. They confirmed to us that Georgia is a country with an exceptionally active community of young designers and a rapidly developing private higher education sector. At the same time, there is a strong desire here to explore new paths and experiment.

As Osamu Okamura from the Czech Center in Tbilisi aptly wrote after the festival ended:

“Georgia is a small country with great possibilities.”

In our view, this sentence best captures the atmosphere of the entire event.

The Beginning of a New Chapter

For us, Social Design Days was more than just a conference. And we certainly don’t view our participation as a completed project.

Rather, we see it as the beginning of new partnerships, new student challenges, and new international collaborations.

Because circular design isn’t a finished product that can simply be exported.

It comes about through people, collaboration, and a willingness to share experiences.