CCC

Cities across the Baltic Sea Region are looking for new ways to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. While circularity is often approached through infrastructure, waste management and traditional industries, the transition also depends on how people design, produce, consume and use resources. Cultural and creative sectors can help make this change tangible by developing new products, services and business models, experimenting with alternative ways of using resources, and engaging people in new ways of thinking and acting. 

Yet the potential of cultural and creative sectors to contribute to municipal circular transitions remains largely underused. Circular economy strategies often focus on traditional sectors, while links between municipalities, creative professionals, businesses and citizens remain limited. This makes it harder to develop a shared vision and turn circular economy ambitions into solutions that people can experience in their everyday lives. 

Creative Circular Cities (CCC) brought these actors together to make creativity a practical part of the circular transition. Six cities across the Baltic Sea Region – Aarhus, Gdynia, Kiel, Riga, Tallinn and Turku – worked with cultural and creative sectors, businesses, business support organisations, NGOs and citizens to develop and test approaches to local circular economy challenges. 

CCC’s approach was based on co-creation, experimentation and learning. The project supported creative businesses, created spaces for collaboration, engaged citizens through creative activities and tested circular solutions in real-life urban environments. Transnational workshops – so called CCC Labs – enabled partners to come together, exchange experiences and adapt approaches across different local contexts. 

The approach has produced concrete results in all six demo cities. In Turku, an idea incubator connected artists, businesses and circular economy experts and helped shape the ReTurku Circular Economy Carnival, which attracted 1,000+ participants across more than 30 events. In Riga, the Bolderāja Library Garden was transformed using more than 50% reclaimed and repurposed materials, while the first Latvian Circular Economy Forum brought together 350+ stakeholders. In Gdynia, a bulky-waste reuse pilot enabled more than half of collected bulky furniture to find new uses instead of going to landfill. 

In Kiel, the Repair & Upcycling Festival welcomed 750+ citizens, while the Goldmine project equipped 32 industrial designers with skills for circular innovation. In Tallinn, training, incubation and international study activities reached 1,500+ participants, supporting creatives in developing more sustainable products and services. In Aarhus, the Dome hosted 180+ events in 2025 focused on sustainability, circular economy, art and community, while the Lifestyle Hub brought together around 40 creative entrepreneurs and businesses to explore circular business models and turn residual materials into new products. 

Together, these activities demonstrated how creative approaches can connect circular economy goals with local places, businesses and everyday life. The project has also translated the experience from the six cities into the CCC Starter Kit, bringing together practical guidance, case studies, research and a policy roadmap to help municipalities, business support organisations and other actors integrate cultural and creative sectors into their circular economy work. It is available at www.creativecircularcities.com  

Through Interreg Baltic Sea Region cooperation, CCC has shown that cultural and creative sectors can be practical partners in shaping how cities design, test and communicate circular solutions. The project leaves behind tested approaches, practical tools and knowledge that can be adapted by other cities in the Baltic Sea Region and beyond.