A business strengthening program for circular business models in Colombia.
An acceleration lab for circular models in reusable packaging, powered by GIZ and led by Impact Hub Medellín in Colombia.
What is EcoGiro?
Circular City Labs (CCL) is a circular economy project by GIZ, the German Cooperation Agency, with a local implementation called Ecogiro.
The program connects talent, technical knowledge, and international networks to accelerate solutions with high environmental and economic impact potential.
Program focus areas:
Reuse models
Real circularity approach
Active participation of women
Corporate intrapreneurship and B2B/B2C solutions
Así fue el programa
EcoGiro en el 2024
In 2024, EcoGiro brought together visionary companies, global experts, and strategic partners to co-create reuse solutions with real impact. These results reflect the power of collaboration and the commitment to a more circular future in Colombia.
✅ 12 accelerated companies
🔁 9 pilot proposals developed
💰 1 winning company funded for implementation
🌱 3 additional pilots supported financially
🌐 Participation of Colombian experts from the diaspora in Germany
What we are doing in 2025
The 2025 edition of EcoGiro is already underway. This year, we are strengthening our collaboration network and taking innovation further with new activities and more companies involved.
🚀 14 companies currently participating
🧪 1 reuse hackathon held with a sponsoring company
⚙️ 4 new hackathons planned
🌍 Active connection with members of the Colombian diaspora who support acceleration processes
EcoGiro Objectives
Generate knowledge and capacity within companies to include and adapt their business models to circularity.
Offer personalized guidance based on the identified potential for introducing a reuse model.
Increase women’s participation in circular business models, as well as in the circular economy and reuse sector.
Desarrollar modelos de negocio de re-utilización, que contribuyan a la sostenibilidad.
Select a project proposal to test a reuse model.
Hackathons EcoGiro
Co-creating solutions that connect people with reuse
These are intensive collaborative innovation spaces where creative and strategic minds come together to design campaigns that inspire a shift toward the use of reusable containers and packaging. These workshops bring together students, professionals, and representatives from the public and private sectors to tackle a specific challenge.
In partnership with Haceb, one of the country's leading appliance manufacturers, this challenge called on creative minds to design solutions that would increase the recovery of cardboard and plastic packaging generated by its products.
💡 The teams worked with real data and specialized technical support, and presented their proposals to a panel of experts from the business, environmental, and academic sectors.
Organized in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Medellín, the Secretariat of the Environment, and ICLEI, this hackathon proposes a communication challenge: to promote the use of reusable containers and packaging in the city through creative, relevant, and effective campaigns.
💡 At the end of the day, teams will receive direct feedback from experts in sustainability, communication, and the circular economy to strengthen and project their ideas toward actual implementation.
EcoGiro in the media
Real prototypes that are changing the way we consume.
One of the main achievements of the EcoGiro program in 2024 was the creation of nine pilot proposals focused on reusable packaging systems. These solutions were not only designed within the framework of the program, but are also being tested in real-world contexts, thanks to the joint work of companies, experts, and partners.
EcoGiro in the media
Real prototypes that are changing the way we consume.
One of the main achievements of the EcoGiro program in 2024 was the creation of nine pilot proposals focused on reusable packaging systems. These solutions were not only designed within the framework of the program, but are also being tested in real-world contexts, thanks to the joint work of companies, experts, and partners.
📖 Read the full story here:
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Do you have any questions?
Write to us at medellin@impacthub.net