The parishes of Seide, Castelões, Ruivães and Novais will have circular economy projects funded by the Environmental Fund "Circular Economy in Parishes (JUNTAr+)", a government initiative that, through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Action, supports circular economy projects in Parish Councils. The parishes are among the 19 eligible for funding, from a total of 48 applications accepted for evaluation, with a fixed State contribution of 31.250,00€, per project, which corresponds to a co-financing of 85% by the Environmental Fund.
In this 3rd edition of JUNTAr+, created in 2018 under the Action Plan for the Circular Economy (PAEC), the focus was on the implementation of local circular economy solutions that focus on the construction sector, textiles, post-consumer furniture and electrical and electronic equipment with reuse potential. In the case of the municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão, the following projects were contemplated: "Pano p'ra Mangas - Têxteis a Circular" from the parishes of Seide S. Miguel and S. Paio, "4 R's - Recovery, Renewal and Reuse of Clothes" from the parish of Castelões, "Cápsula Circular" from the parishes of Ruivães and Novais.
The respective Parish Councils together with local strategic partners will develop the approved projects. Among the planned initiatives, it is possible to verify the implementation of Preservation, Recovery and Transformation of Used Clothes and Fabrics Workshops and Clothing and Textile Reuse Workshops, the creation of the Clothes Bank and the implementation of the Exchange Market, to name a few. Along with these actions, the rehabilitation of unoccupied spaces in the parishes covered is also planned, to serve as a support resource for the implementation of the activities provided in the application.
It should be noted that the "Circular Economy in Parishes (JUNTAr+)" programme aims to grant financial support to projects within the scope of the circular economy in Portuguese parishes, highlighting the concerns of communities regarding the efficient use of local resources and fostering the approximation of community agents on this issue. With this support, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Action intends to encourage the implementation of circular economy solutions that demonstrate economic, social and environmental benefits.
In previous editions, the following projects were considered in this fund: "Aldeia Circular" (2018) in Seide, "Reciclagem e Reutilização de Produtos de Apoio - Sem Fim" (2018) in Brufe and "Contigo Vale Mais - Compostagem para Valorização Ambiental" in Esmeriz and Cabeçudos (2019).