Green Ideas 2021 National winner

“Green Ideas” is an annual competition that supports the development of small, local and sustainable business ideas in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Greece and has been held since 2012. Each year, three representatives from each country compete in a regional competition. 

 The Association for Social Innovation “ARNO”, for the seventh year in a row organize the local competition. This year’s winner is Atelier Irina Tosheva with the idea “Mini Irina Tosheva”.

The new label “Mini Irina Tosheva” will be a line of clothes and accessories for pets. Local production will be based on sustainability and solving the problem of textile waste which will be the main resource in the production. When completing the team, preference will be given to marginalized groups and women makers who face barriers to employment. Services and business models that will be established would mean a triple win (environmental, social and financial). It will create an appropriate customer base that, in addition to “following the trend”, will understand the value of investing in domestic production and contributing to the support of the circular economy. With the communication approach and promotion activities there would be opportunities for advancing policies and laws and raising awareness of animal rights and welfare through active involvement of civil society organizations and local shelters will be identified and discussed.

“I’m interested in establishing new services and business models to extend the product life cycle. New business models for environmental, financial and social triple win. I strongly believe that we will save the planet not with new fabrics or techniques, but simply by changing the way we do business.”-said Tosheva.