Fancy helping make the Canary Islands a little less wasteful? There’s a hackathon taking place in Tenerife this week, bringing together students, professionals and budding entrepreneurs to work on some very real environmental challenges.
Organised by the Canary Islands Government’s Ministry of Ecological Transition and Energy, the event will focus on turning ideas about the circular economy into proposals that could actually be put into practice. Always a useful starting point. Ideas are great, but they do need to leave the notebook eventually.
The Tenerife session takes place on Saturday 26 September, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. A second session will be held in Gran Canaria on 3 October, during the same hours.
Ángel Montañés, Director General of Environmental Quality, described the event as a space to connect knowledge, address real challenges and develop solutions that could be applied across the islands.
What Will Participants Be Working On?
The hackathon forms part of the Circular Economy Action Plan (PAEC) 2024–2026, which supports the Canary Islands’ Circular Economy Strategy for 2021–2030.
The challenges include:
- Reducing single-use plastics at events and in the hospitality sector.
- Turning agricultural waste into useful new products.
- Encouraging repair and reuse.
- Using eco-design to reduce waste in tourism.
- Improving how resources are used across the islands.
Participants will work in multidisciplinary teams, with guidance from industry experts, before presenting their ideas to a jury.
Proposals will be assessed on innovation, environmental impact, feasibility and their potential to be applied in the Canary Islands.
The top three proposals from each session will receive recognition, with the results announced the following day.
Who Can Take Part?
The event is open to students, professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs from a wide range of backgrounds, including:
- Creative industries
- Technology and engineering
- Science
- Business
- Law
You can register individually or as part of a team. Participation is free, although places are limited.
Registration is available at www.circularcanarias.com.
As Montañés put it, the event is intended to encourage anyone with ideas for a more circular Canary Islands to get involved, share knowledge and explore how local talent can help tackle environmental challenges.
Not a bad way to spend a Saturday, particularly if you’ve got a good idea and fancy putting it to the test.