C-Mag 1 by Ccrave

ISSUE 1

C-MAG

YOUR CIRCULAR ECONOMY STARTER KIT

Team Ccrave's founder & CEO Vincent van Dessel Co-Founder & Digital Marketing Beatriz Azevedo Co-Founder & Content Editor Mariana Lourenço Design Francisca Vilela Writers Liina Edun & Mariana Lourenço

9 easy ways to kickstart your sustainable and circular lifestyle

Table of content

What is the circular economy? An overview and latest insights

Reducing your carbon footprint Top 5 circular brands to watch

Glossary

Welcome to the ﬁrst issue of C-mag by Ccrave! We are a circular economy content and e-commerce platform. Our mission is to support and accelerate the circular economy transition, promoting a circular lifestyle and zero waste and waste-based alternatives. For our first edition of our C-Mag, we created for you a Circular Economy Starter Pack, where you can kick off your circular and sustainable journey. Imagine living in a world where a circular economy is the norm. No worries searching for sustainable, circular, and trustworthy products, everything fair made and causing a positive impact for the planet and its people. Well, this is the world we are creating at Ccrave. Our C stands not only for Circular economy but also for Closing the Loop, Cradle to Cradle, and of course, Change. We are craving change, and we bet you are too. We are pioneering the transition from a linear to a circular economy, and we are glad that you joined us. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed producing it!

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9 easy ways to kickstart your sustainable and circular lifestyle

Take it a step at a time You don’t have to tackle everything at once to live a more circular and eco-friendly lifestyle. The first step is to understand the underlying concepts and focus on what you can do. For instance, what does it mean to be circular? Currently, the linear economy (where we take raw materials, create products, use them, and dispose of them) is the norm. But the circular economy proposes an alternate, more ethical and sustainable option. Circularity means that the waste that we produce is reused and remade into new products. By doing that we avoid filling up landfills and oceans and exploiting raw materials. By understanding why we need to be more sustainable and circular, we can then take the steps to change our lifestyle.

Make use of what you already have When you decide to change your lifestyle to an eco-friendly one, you might want to get rid of all your existing harmful substances. This is wasteful and can be bad for your wallet. You don’t need to get rid of what you already have to live circular, especially if they are reusable items. For instance, if you have reusable plastic storage containers, it’s okay to keep using them rather than throw them away to buy other types of reusable Tupperware.

Focus on the four Rs: reduce, repair, reuse, and recover

Reducing our consumption of single-use items and unnecessary packaging is a good starting point. Repair things that are broken or old and give them a new chance at serving their purpose, rather than discarding them. Also consider how we can reuse the things we have by repurposing them, such as an empty ice cream box that we can use to store something else. Reusing can also mean that we allow others the opportunity to reuse our items, by donating or selling them. Finally, recovering (recycling) helps to: conserve natural resources, prevent pollution, reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, decrease the amount of greenhouse gas emissions, and save energy.

Embrace conscious consumption Be aware of your consumption habits. The way the world operates makes it difficult to maintain a zero-waste lifestyle. Even our fruits from supermarkets are packaged in plastic and styrofoam, which is unnecessary. Unfortunately we can’t always escape it, but if we make a conscious effort to be aware of how we consume, we can slowly start to change it for the better. For instance, start questioning the “normalised” things that you do: do you need a plastic straw when ordering a glass of orange juice, or can you do without it? Can you hang-dry some clothes rather than use the dryer every time? Do you absolutely need a new bathing suit for the summer, or are the ones you already have still in good condition?

DIY where possible There is a lot of information out there on natural home-made products such as face scrubs, cleaning solutions, hair masks, etc. Some are easy to make, such as a natural face scrub made of sugar, lemon juice, and honey, while others require a bit more preparation. Regardless, this means that we can all easily avoid spending our hard-earned money on products that are packaged in plastic and that might contain toxic ingredients, created in poor working conditions by workers who are exposed to the chemicals. With DIY, you create a more positive environmental and societal impact.

Invest in durable and timeless clothes and accessories

The fast fashion world (mass production of cheap, poor quality “trendy” clothing) is a terrible industry. They partake in unsafe, exploitative labour conditions in developing countries (which is the reason fast fashion clothes are so cheap), excessive textile production required to keep up, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. It is better for the environment (and your wallet) to invest in high-quality, capsule items that last and showcase your own taste and individual style.

Create achievable goals

Despite all our best efforts, we cannot succeed at any task if we put unrealistic pressure on ourselves to achieve our goals. Make a list of all the ways you intend to reduce your impact on the environment and how you will achieve that. Be as specific as possible with your timeline and hold yourself accountable. However, if you were not able to do all of them, don’t be too hard on yourself, just reevaluate your list and make adjustments.

Compost your waste

Kitchen waste is a major problem, and often we don’t realise how much food we throw out. If we compost our waste, particularly our food waste, we are providing valuable nutrients to the soil, making it more fertile and of higher quality. With our compost, we are creating natural fertilizers and reducing the need for chemical ones, and helping to reduce harmful greenhouse gasses.

Change your perception of waste

Starting a circular lifestyle begins with changing your perception of waste. Waste has a negative connotation, and it’s too bad because waste materials can be upcycled to create so many beautiful, high-quality products. In fact, turning waste into new products is the best alternative to avoid the exploitation of raw materials. Waste does not have to mean dirty, cheap, or ugly. Quite the opposite.

At Ccrave, we only select circular brands that apply these principles in the circular products that we sell.

Elvis & Kresse Bag

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WOO Upcycled Candle

Wayz Circular Sneakers

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Ccrave is on a mission to prove that waste is beautiful, through our brand partners and their circular products that showcase the durability, quality, and design aesthetics of items made from waste. 8

What is the circular economy? An overview and latest insights The circular economy is the future. Our consumption habits need to change to a circular model in order to protect our resources and combat climate change. The covid-19 pandemic has accelerated its importance, growth, and implementation. Here’s a full overview of the circular economy and latest insights to get you familiarised with a concept that is here to stay.

So what is the circular economy? The circular economy is the opposite of the linear economy, which follows the “produce, use, discard” model, meaning that we use raw materials to produce things and then throw away when they reach the end of life. This is damaging to the planet, creating a lot of waste and depleting resources. The circular economy aims to fight this by recovering and regenerating waste and turning it into new products. In the circular economy, we “close the loop” of raw materials, giving those resources new life by implementing new waste management systems.

What are the circular economy principles? According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, there are three core circular economy principles:

Design out waste and pollution

It is at the design stage that we determine the factors that impact the environment. And it is at this stage that we need to decide how to create more sustainable and circular designs to ensure that waste is not created, or can easily be recycled.

Keep products and materials in use Reuse, repair, and regenerate products and materials. By doing so, we stop wasting resources and using up raw materials. Our landfills are already full, and we reduce the amount of waste piling up there by giving old products a new life.

Enhance and regenerate our natural systems We can enhance nature by creating products that can be returned to the earth and provide nutrients, just like a tree whose dead leaves feed the soil. Focusing only on reducing waste is not enough; we have to also think about how to enrich and improve our natural resources.

Quantity Quality

0.8 Transport

Home

Food

0.7

0.8 Other

1.1

Global consumption per person, per year, in tonnes CO2 equivalent. Source: Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions

How to reduce your carbon footprint Rising temperatures are the main contributing factors to climate change. In order to combat that, we need to evaluate how we consume. Cutting down on our single-use plastic consumption, for instance in the kitchen and bathroom, is a good start, but not enough. We need to take a look at how we can reduce our carbon footprint.

But ﬁrst, what is a carbon footprint? Glad you asked. A carbon footprint is the amount of those greenhouse gases that we emit. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, warming up the earth. This leads to a lot of natural catastrophes like floods, droughts, etc. Most of our carbon footprint comes from food, transport, and housing. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most abundant greenhouse gas that we create, and most of it comes from burning fossil fuels. Pre-covid, our CO2 levels were the highest it’s ever been. If we reduce our carbon footprint, we then reduce the amount of gases released, and help to lower the earth’s temperature. (Calculate your carbon footprint).

How can you reduce your carbon footprint? Plant carbon-absorbing trees or plants at home Plant carbon-absorbing trees or plants at home. Plants absorb the carbon dioxide that we breathe out as well as greenhouse gases. Animals that eat those plants absorb that carbon too, which is reabsorbed into the atmosphere when they die. This is green carbon and does NOT contribute to climate change. Green carbon belongs to the natural carbon cycle: it keeps the planet warm and is essential for life on earth.

Use less electricity at home Install solar panels at home in order to reduce your electricity use. Turn off computers, heaters, lights, fans, and any other appliances when not in use.

Avoid palm oil and pesticides ingredients Palm oil plantations are a big contributing factor to deforestation, and palm oil (and its synonyms) is found everywhere. Pesticides create pollution and kill insects that are vital (such as bees), so try to buy organic food where possible.

Reduce your meat consumption Meat production, especially cows and sheep, create the most greenhouse gas emissions compared to other animal farming. Additionally, clearing of land for livestock leads to deforestation. You don’t have to become a strict vegan, but eating more plant-based meals and cutting down on meat will drastically reduce your carbon footprint. If you’re eating soya, ensure that it’s ethically sourced soya.

Rethink your mode of transportation If possible, use public transport that uses green energy, or cycle and walk whenever possible. You can also try electric scooter rentals, or select the green options when using shared rides like Bolt, Lyft, or Uber. If you need a car, as most of us living outside of metro areas do, try to invest in an electric car.

Try to avoid cutting down trees On a daily basis, most of us are not actively cutting down trees, but we do use a lot of products made from trees. Use recycled paper when possible to avoid the cutting down of trees. During the holiday season, look into renting Christmas trees rather than buying a new tree every year.

Watch your fossil fuels consumption Switch to a provider that offers renewable energy sources Avoid investing in fossil fuels; go with ethical financial institutions instead Avoid products that contain petroleum (they are found in many beauty, skincare, and cleaning products) Join organisations that protect fossil fuels Watch out for greenwashing marketing tactics like “offsetting carbon footprints”

Shop circular, not linear Since the industrial revolution in the1750s, we have been using a linear system where we produce, consume, and discard. This is incredibly detrimental to the environment. We should shop circular instead, only buying products made out of waste materials, or that create zero waste at the production level.

Final Word At an individual level, we can easily follow the steps mentioned above. But the reality is, deeper changes need to happen at a systemic level too. Environmental policies need to be put into place; corporations need to use green energy and sustainable resources; and circular economies need to be implemented for us to properly tackle climate change. On a positive note, circular principles are making their way into various production and manufacturing processes. 16

5 INSPIRING CIRCULAR B R A N D S T O WAT C H Circular Economy is based on three simple principles: designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regen erating natural systems. All major game-changers in sustainable devel opment. Many fashion and lifestyle brands are already integrating these principles into their product design, enabling planet-positive solutions. Discover here 5 hand-picked labels that are pioneering the circular econ omy revolution. Get to know more about their story, sustainable criteria and enjoy a good feeling while shopping for their products!

KOMRADS This planet needs you to give a shit! We present you Komrads, one of our circular brands committed to creating a sneaker with the lowest possible impact on the planet. A sneaker that does not use any natural resources. That didn't involve killing or harming animals or chopping down rainforests and replacing them with rubber plantations. They produce a sneaker made entirely of reused and recycled materials, a sustainable alternative that does not compromise on design, quality and comfort. A great example is their APL model made from apple skin, an ecological alternative to animal leather. They are entirely made with recycled and reused materials such as apple leather, recycled cotton, recycled rubber, reused carbon and recycled plastic bottles. Ethically produced, eco-friendly, vegan and circular. How not to love? Komrads' sneakers are a real solution to the problem and part of the circular economy we at Ccrave preach so much about it!

WOO Worlds of Opportunities, aka WOO, is an inspiring example of a premium lifestyle label that gives back. Their story started decades before its conception in an accumulation of experiences and events in Saskia de Knegt’s life, founder of WOO. Through her early adult years in the medical sector and later in her humanitarian work with the United Nations, Saskia witnessed poverty and suffering first hand and realised that the only sustainable solution is to empower people to help themselves, rather than relying on charity and handouts. They organize a group of female garbage collectors that operate on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Their products increase the demand for upcycled bottles and, therefore, increase the income opportunities for these individuals. The discarded glass bottles are saved from going to the landfill and upcycled into WOO Lucky Candles and Diffusers. By shopping for WOO's candles, you are not only getting an original handcrafted piece but also supporting their inspiring social projects.

CIRCONSTANCE Circonstance From Waste to Useful is a Portuguese brand for accessories made of upcycled marine plastic and designed to fight single-use plastic. A circumstance is a particularity that comes with an event. It can also mean a detail or something appropriate. That is how the designs of the brand can be described: made of details that make a difference and follows you in all circumstances! Founded in 2021 by Calypso, a French eco-friendly woman living in Lisbon, the brand's mission is to help the protection of our beautiful Oceans by fighting plastic pollution. All the products are made out of Upcycled Marine Plastic, collected through the collaborative organization Seaqual Initiative. Circonstance's signature designs help you avoid single-use plastic in your everyday life, thanks to easy-to-carry solutions for a reusable bottle and an integrated and matching reusable shopping bag. They are also stylish and colourful accessories that add a special touch to your style.

HNST HNST JEANS produces conscious denim and has absolutely nothing to hide. Jeans that don’t compromise on style, sustainability or quality. Three years of extensive research and development resulted in the HNST jeans collection, containing 56% recycled cotton, using 94% less water, and emitting 76% less CO2 compared to industry standards. With a circular production process, all made in Europe with ethical labour, they guarantee the best working and quality conditions; while minimising the impact on transport and maximising the transparency of their value chain. For the production of HNST jeans, the company uses cellulose-based materials, and does not include any petroleum based (plastic) fibers or coating. 100% natural means it can be recycled easily, that there is zero micro plastics shedding, and that HNST jeans can be efficiently processed in one and the same recycling stream. Besides, they don’t use toxic chemicals and unnecessary extra labels in their pieces. These are the most transparent and honest jeans you will ever find!

DOOP Doop, the first-ever recycled and recyclable toothbrush with removable heads. When Doop began to analyze the sustainability market, they were on a mission to create a positive change in daily behaviours. They paid particular attention to the great amount of plastic that’s thrown away each day and harming our planet. They believe that plastic pollution is a problem mainly created by irresponsible design practices. Something that lasts hundreds of years in the environment should be used as often as possible, not only for a few days or months. So, what if we embraced our plastic? What if we could transform it into a recycled and recyclable material that everyone can use daily? With the help of academics and scientists, they designed a sustainable and disruptive toothbrush that directly tackles the problem of plastic pollution by giving it a new life. Why change the whole toothbrush when there are only the bristles that get worn? Made from recycled plastics and with removable heads: doop is the last toothbrush you will ever buy. Doop is a statement. It’s a bold move. Doop is for people who care about the environment and take action in every aspect of their lives. Sustainable can be beautiful and stylish, so Doop is a polished, exquisite design object.

Final Word Here we curated for you five inspiring brands that are pioneering the circular economy revolution, but there are many others working with purpose, and commitment to a better future of the planet. We hope our selection motivates you in making more conscious choices when shopping!

Doop Circular Toothbrush

Komrads Apple Leather Sneakers

Circonstance Seaqual Handbag

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Circularity / Circular Economy The circular economy is a model of producing and consuming: it includes sharing, reusing, repairing, recycling, and leasing so as to allow people to use products for a longer period of time. In other words, the benefits of circularity is that it helps to preserve the earth’s raw materials by extending an existing product’s life, and also by creating new products out of existing products or waste materials.

Close the loop Another way to explain the circular economy: it is a system where no material is discarded during production, and all the scraps from the waste materials are reused to create new products.

Cradle to cradle A product that is created in such a way that when its life cycle has ended, it can be turned into another product, in a safe, non-toxic way. Think of it like nature’s cycle: everything that was created will return to earth and contribute to the creation of something else.

Glossary

Linear Economy It is the current economy we live in: take-make-waste. Think of it as a straight line with the following steps: raw materials are taken to make a product, and once the product is no longer useful, it is simply discarded, most likely ending in a landfill.

Sustainable Focuses on the environmental, social, and economical needs of a community or society without negatively impacting its future. 21

Join us in the Circular Economy Revolution Keep learning more about zero waste and waste-based products and circular lifestyle with us! Discover the most inspiring circular fashion, home and lifestyle brands from all over Europe at our platform.

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