18.04.2019.
By signing the agreement, the director of the Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund, Dubravko Ponoš, and the manager of the Social Cooperative Humana Nova, Ivan Božić, have confirmed the vision this cooperative has been promoting for years. “We have two projects; the first one is related to extending the scheme for collecting textile from households in Čakovec and Varaždin worth 98,630 kunas, and the second concerns the design and development of 5 new textile products made from old textile materials worth 143,000 kunas, which will be incorporated in the daily activities of the cooperative. This will open up the possibilities for a new, innovative approach to resolving the issue of textile waste,” explained Ivan Božić, the manager of Humana Nova.
“This is a praiseworthy project, and the Fund is supportive of the circular economy and social entrepreneurship. This is not our first, and most certainly not the last cooperation, and we will continue supporting the work of the Social Cooperative Humana Nova in the future,” said Mr. Ponoš. He also added that the technological development in the last 15 years showed the potential for further development. He concluded that the rapid technological developments should be offset by greater efforts to strengthen social connections and develop more empathy in general.
Considering that the Fund supports circular economy, which implies multiple use of products in different ways and their recycling after useful life, the work of the cooperative has been recognised and support has been provided. Humana Nova has recorded an increase in its income and the number of employees, while at the same time it works with the most vulnerable and marginalised social groups to solve environmental and social issues in the community. Humana Nova is the only social cooperative in the Republic of Croatia where 60% of employees are persons with disabilities. It has recognised the importance of social entrepreneurship, and through its daily work and investment in professional, innovative, and sustainable approach it manages to overcome all drawbacks of the market.
