Repair, Create, Innovate. Tech-Park Kaunas and Kaunas Makerspace share their hands-on approach to a circular economy

“With traditional resource use skyrocketing and economies accelerating at unsustainable rates, there is an urgent need to transition from the conventional linear model—which often leads to waste after single-use—to a circular approach that reuses resources efficiently”, says one of the organisers, Tech-Park Kaunas representative Živilė Paužaitė. That is where the focus was given on October 12th, as the concept of a circular economy took centre stage at the “Repair Café” event organised at one of the buzziest makerspace spots in Lithuania – physical, newly reopened facilities in Kaunas.

Circular economy advocates emphasise that by designing products for durability, repairability, and recyclability, we extend their life cycles, which significantly reduces the strain on natural resources and cuts down on waste. Attendees and creators at the event actively participated in repairing broken home devices, glueing fractured personal items, and discussing practical insights shared by Dr. Visvaldas Varžinskas, a leading expert in circular practices.

To further support makers and businesses in adopting these sustainable practices, Tech-Park Kaunas introduced the “MakerTech” platform (https://www.makertech.com/ ) and a comprehensive training program. This program consists of nine modules that equip participants with the knowledge and skills to implement sustainable, circular solutions in their work.

“The modules address various aspects of circularity, from waste management to rethinking product life cycles, aiming to bridge the “attitude-behavior gap.” This gap often prevents well-intentioned businesses from taking actionable steps toward sustainability. With growing interest from creators, the program and the “MakerTech” platform offer valuable resources to those aiming to integrate circular economy principles into their daily operations and innovations”, emphasises another organiser and representative from the Tech-Park Kaunas team Vaiva Kelmelytė.

The event series continued with an exciting follow-up on October 19th, focused on the reuse of plastics in the “Antweight Robotics Workshop” Using recycled plastic from office water dispensers, participants created battle-ready antweight robots, putting circular design principles to the test in an arena. Robots like “Atėnė” “Kiveris,” and “Wall-e” showcased not only durability and agility but also the potential of recycled materials in innovation.

These workshops highlight the importance of viewing waste as a resource—a core principle in circular economy models that Tech-Park Kaunas and Kaunas Makerspace are passionately promoting through hands-on, educational initiatives. With initiatives like these, they are laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future where creativity and responsible resource management go hand in hand.

Programme Manual Online

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