ALTRNTV’s sustainable Revival: reopening in Bucharest’s historic centre

In its second year of activity, ALTRNTV has moved into a rehabilitated historic building, in the heart of Bucharest’s Creative Quarter, and over 140 Romanian designers of sustainable products present alternative products, designed to have as small CO₂ footprint.

ALTRNTV, a space known for the sustainable alternatives it offers consumers in terms of clothing, accessories, cosmetic products, and home-deco items, is reopening on Saturday, April 6, at 5:00 PM, at 18 Constantin Mille Street, on the first floor of the former Palace Hotel, whose renovation was recently completed. In the store, over 140 Romanian designers showcase environmentally friendly products, including names like Katerini MOU, Loomescu, Little Truffles, Pottery Paw, Ițe Urbane, Craxittude, MATCA, Deplin, Fizic Studio, Little Paris Atelier, MAD, and others.

Sustainable urban regeneration

The space is located in a recently rehabilitated building, listed on the Historical Monuments list of Bucharest Municipality, which for more than 100 years housed hotel Palace. ALTRNTV is included on the map of creative spaces in Bucharest and is located in Bucharest’s “creative quarter.”

Eco-design and smart solutions for sustainable commercial spaces

The space was designed using materials with a low environmental impact: the lampshades are made from recycled paper waste, using the papier-mâché technique, and the pillow covers for the spaces designated for the coffee area are made from an alternative material, pineapple leather. The Signify smart lighting system is designed to optimize energy consumption and is made from recycled CDs, while the furniture from the first store was redesigned and reused in the new space.

“What was very important to me when I joined the ALTRNTV community is that I am in contact with people who are just as passionate about this sustainable branch and who constantly support, come up with initiatives and projects through which I can continue to create and…survive as a small brand, […] and then ALTRNTV unites us, the artists, and gives us the courage to continue and to find our inspiration outside our workshops as well.”, adds Adelina Toma, designer Ițe Urbane brand.

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Social impact

Between 2022 and 2024, ALTRNTV created 12 new jobs, opened a new market for 140+ Romanian designers from both rural and urban areas, and indirectly supports over 350 production employees who work with designers from the community. In 2023, the team launched the e-commerce platform www.altrntvshop.com and carried out the campaign to promote female entrepreneurship, VOICES OF WOM(EN)TREPRENEURS, with the support of the US Embassy in Romania.

Social entrepreneurship

A social start-up from 2021, ALTRNTV discovers and promotes designers of sustainable products and donates all profits to the humanitarian projects of the Merci Charity association. It is a circular economy project initiated by the Merci Charity association with the support of NESsT and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship, and a winner of the NESsT – IKEA Social Entrepreneurship Poland and Romania Accelerator competition 2021-2023. In 2022, the ALTRNTV team participated in the Black Sea ClimAccelerator program organized by Impact Hub Bucharest.

ALTRNTV also produces clothing items from organic materials (under Atelier Merci name) since 2015 and recycles textile waste from production by turning it into RE(FABRIC) textile bags.

ALTRNTV supports and motivates Romanian designers of products with a smaller CO₂ footprint who contribute to slowing down climate change and is supporting sustainable development goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, and sustainable goal 13: Climate Action.

ALTRNTV also hosts a specialty coffee shop, ALT COFFEE, and educates young students and pupils to make sustainable choices, through guided tours in the shop and consistently urging them to read the labels of the products they purchase. By proposing alternative products to the classic ones that pollute more heavily, ALTRNTV promotes the principles of the circular economy.