EcoRevolutionaries - The Global Movement of Upcycling Entrepreneurs

Volume 1

ECO

REVOLUTIONARIES The Global Movement of Upcycling Entrepreneurs Meet the Founders

FEB 2023 Photo Credit: 3WLabel

in this volume

EcoRevolutionaries | Content

2 | Volume 1

04

28

Fashion

Food

CUITU MIRET Crispina Ffrench 3WLabel Upcycle It Now RE.STATEMENT

Rugsal Trading Matriark Foods Matthew Karmel

19 Plastics Renegade Plastics RePack The Climate Change Company Flipside Plastics

35 Glassware 19

ReRe:Sklo SmoothEdge

40 Art 19

Adeola Balogun

EcoRevolutionaries | Editor's Note

Dear Reader, My name is Jeremy Bao, and I am the Editor of EcoRevolutionaries, a magazine that celebrates the work of pioneering entrepreneurs across the world. This publication features a collection of written articles and summaries based on one-on-one interviews with 15+ founders & CEOs of startups and businesses.

Each individual has created an innovative solution targeting discarded waste and disposable materials within their respective industry.

Now, more than ever, it is important for us to be aware of how our day-to-day actions impact the environment. By taking small steps in the right direction, we, as individuals, can make a difference in today's world. Together, let us work toward developing sustainable solutions that pave the path toward a greener planet.

EcoRevolutionaries is excited to showcase the efforts of these change-makers and is committed to exploring what companies are doing right now to make a positive change.

Jeremy Bao, Editor

EcoRevolutionaries February 2023 Profiles of

Anna Kytövuori

Domagoj Boljar

Crispina Ffrench

Irina Moreno

Alhaji Siraj Bah

Hannah Le

Matthew Karmel

Christina Johnson Curran Hughes

Jonne Helgreen Dennis Debie Laska Paré

Anna Hammond

Roksolana Khudoba Samuel Wright

Adeola Balogun

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | CUITU

INTERVIEW with

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

Turku, Finland

2019 Anna Kytövuori, Evi Oivanen, Vilma Piironen

Photos: CUITU What is CUITU?

into the trash.

CUITU is a company that creates modern accessories for urban nomads. The design is inspired by 70s futuristic vibes and urban landscapes. We make our androgynous accessories by upcycling pre-consumer textile waste. By using surplus fabric, we hope to encourage a shift towards a circular economy and a more sustainable future within the fashion industry.

Since completing the certification had been my dream, I chose the second option. And while jumping into the garbage was a terrifying experience, the saddest part was seeing all the trash deep into the ocean. This experience awakened in me a motivation to take action in sustainability.

What inspired you to start the business?

My story began when I studied international business at the University of Turku in Finland. I felt that my career wasn't going in the right direction, so I did an exchange, where I lived in Bali for half a year and became a certified scuba diver—something that I had wanted to do for a long time.

During training, it was the rainy season, and all the trash from nearby rivers flowed directly into the sea, forming these large garbage patches. One of our dedicated training locations happened to be right below one of these patches, and my diving instructor said that I had two options: quit the course or dive

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When I returned to Finland, I put myself in different places to meet many people. I met the team in 2019 when we met and bonded over the shared goal of reshaping the fashion industry. We developed the idea for our company the same year and participated in a startup competition in which Nuori Yrittäjyys recognized us as "The Best University-Born Startup in Finland 2019."

What has been the most rewarding part of running a sustainable fashion business?

Honestly, it's the happy customers.

With CUITU, it's not only that we produce the items and so on, but we knew from the first place that we wanted to create these go-to experiences that strengthen the brand's connection to the community. We've done

collaborations with art and music events. The feeling of having people coming together and seeing our customers being excited about our products are the true highlights of my experience.

How has the company’s mission and values impacted your dayto-day actions?

We visited the factory where we sourced our zippers, and I remember being really excited about the experience. Getting to see the production process firsthand, from start to finish, completely changed how I look at zippers nowadays. I had never thought about all the details that went into their design.

Regarding daily choices and consuming fashion, I generally shop in second-hand stores or very select brands. I pay attention to the materials labels make clothes from and how they make them. And if the fitting is not perfect, I like taking them home and fixing them a little bit. I also enjoy making DIY projects.

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | CUITU What projects is CUITU working on right now?

We are working on a special launch of the new edition that will launch in Amsterdam this spring, using some of our bestseller designs. In this collection, we are exploring the theme of retro-gaming nostalgia.

What is the company's bestselling product?

Our most popular item is the Combo bag, featuring a compact size and multiple ways to wear it. With two distinct compartments, it can help keep your belongings organized throughout the day. We constructed the bag from upcycled materials and included a removable strap that allows customers to wear it as a crossbody or a belt bag.

How do you envision the fashion industry in the next few years?

What advice do you have for someone who wants to make a difference?

Reflecting on my experience, I'm grateful for how it all went. I think the critical theme is to be curious about everything. When approaching people or situations, or solutions, curiosity is the key. How to actively do something about it is by putting yourself in different places because that's how you get a broader perspective. Hold true to your values, and that's your map for wherever you go.

And if you want to create change, it's foremost that you go for it. I know failing fast is a famous philosophy, but it is accurate because it often happens that you have an idea and keep trying to make it better and better and better, but then you never actually launch it. So it's crucial to go for it, and the solution will eventually improve with experience and feedback.

I believe that there will be more versatile business models in this industry. Rental services, repair & reuse, or repurposed clothing will have a more significant role.

And despite such changes, the need for artistic expression will remain, but with a more innovative approach than in the past. With the rise in digital fashion, NFTs, and online filters, consumers will have more opportunities to try out and use products.

For more information, please visit: https://www.wearecuitu.com/

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When approaching people or situations, or solutions, curiosity is key. Hold true to your values, and that's your map wherever you go.

INTERVIEW with

Based in:

EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | MIRET

Founded in: Founded by:

Zagreb, Croatia

2018 Domagoj Bolijar, Hrvoje Boljar

Photos: MIRET

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | MIRET Two brothers are shifting the paradigm of footwear production through ecological sneakers made from 97% natural materials.

Seven years ago, the Boljar brothers decided they would embark on a journey to “change it [the shoe industry] from the inside [out]." Today, their MIRET sneaker brand has become one of the most successful Croatian fashion startups.

After graduating with a BA in Entrepreneurship from VERN' University and a MA in Industrial Design from the University of Zagreb, respectively, Domagoj and Hrvoje Boljar took over their family's shoe business. Together, they collaborated with luxury brands to bring fashionable sneakers to life.

However, as they negotiated with suppliers and outsourced manufacturers, the Boljar brothers soon learned of the harmful ecological effects of shoe production and consumption.

“Not only did I witness the devastating environmental impact of every single step in the shoe manufacturing process, but I also felt as if everyone was completely oblivious to this issue," Domagoj said regarding his inspiration behind starting the business.

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According to a lifecycle assessment conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, each pair of sneakers generates 30 pounds of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of running a 100-watt light bulb nonstop for one week. Now multiply that number by the 23,000,000,000 pairs of shoes manufactured each year, and consider all the toxic chemicals and oil derivatives used along the process.

Driven by the goal of revamping this “dark side of footwear," the Boljar brothers spent the next few years researching sustainable materials, designing aesthetic components, and searching for suppliers to develop a viable product.

“Finding suppliers was the most challenging part of the developmental stages," said Domagoj. “In addition to 1) finding green producers and 2) finding ones that were completely transparent about their material,

we also had to ensure that 3) the producers were passionate about sustainability and 4) willing to work with a smaller company."

In 2020, their idea for an innovative ecological sneaker came to fruition. “MIRETs are made from 97% natural materials, such as linen, hemp, eucalyptus, and 100% natural wool from New Zealand," explained Domagoj.

“They are the only sneakers in the world with Standard 100 OEKOTEX® certification, a designated label that recognizes a product as containing zero toxic substances harmful to human health.”

Since launching, MIRET has won global recognition, including “Sustainable Fashion Gold" at the 14th International Design Awards™, and has attracted investors from all over the world during their 2020 Kickstarter campaign. In 2023, MIRET hopes to become the first B Corpcertified company in Croatia and scale up its sustainable solution as they seek to expand into the American and Australian markets.

For more information, please visit: https://www.miret.co/

EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | Crispina Ffrench

INTERVIEW with

Based in:

Started in:

Massachusetts, USA 1987

Photos: Crispina Ffrench What inspired you to become an environmentalist & textile alchemist?

At that time, I was in college at MassArt in Boston and was working my way through school. I had three part-time jobs and was trying to figure out how to make enough money to pay my bills. I made a little stuffed toy called a Ragamuffin that was recycled. The first one I ever made was out of handmade felt, and people liked it.

So I made another one, and another one, and people were buying them from me.

And then I was riding my bicycle to work at this little café in Harvard Square. I saw a sign that said, “looking for crafts to sell at this craft store." It was a co-op craft store, and I called them, and they were excited to see the Ragamuffins I had made. And they loved them.

Over the years, I've worked with my employees to make over 10,000 Ragamuffins. I didn't realize it then, but I had started a business with $20, a pair of scissors, and wool sweaters I had bought at a local Goodwill thrift store.

Around that time, new legislation

introduced the Bottle Bill in Massachusetts, where I lived. It was the first public conversation about garbage and recycling I had ever heard. It made me think about what was recyclable and what that even meant. Because, honestly, at the time, it wasn't a household word. People didn't have blue bins on the curve, and none of that infrastructure existed.

I was interested in nature, life cycles, and how plastic was nonbiodegradable. And so I realized that not only was it inexpensive for me to start a business as I did, but it also spoke to that part of what I was interested in.

What's the process of converting old sweaters into Ragamuffins?

I started out using sweaters because many people donated shrunken sweaters to thrift stores.

So, whoever had them, their husbands washed them, and now it doesn't fit. I knew these sweaters weren't comfortable or wearable and thought they would be a good thing to use.

I would visit the Goodwill or Salvation Army and buy the colors I was looking for. I liked

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | Crispina Ffrench bright and patterned colors for the toys and would machine wash and dry everything to ensure they were clean. Then, I would take my very sharp pair of fabric scissors and cut the shapes that I needed out of those pieces. With a yarn needle, I would sew the pieces together to create the Ragamuffin.

What's your experience working with brands like Patagonia?

I loved it. And it's interesting because I'm circling back around to that now. When I first worked with Patagonia, it was in 1995. It was the first scrap project they ever did, and at that time, they started using polar fleece, and most of their production was happening offshore. I collaborated with them to design a couple of different pieces, but it didn't go too far because it didn't make any sense to ship trash from the production floor in some far-off country across the ocean in an expensive way. So it planted a seed in their production to understand that something could happen.

I also worked with Timberland, where we did their holiday decor for all their stores for one year, using all upcycled recycled materials. As a small company of just 40 people, it was an enormous job for us that was super fun.

The most recent large-volume project I did was with Eileen Fisher. Their headquarters is based in Irvington, New York, and they are still using the influence I proposed. They rethought how they designed their first life product. Instead of seaming things with many different shapes and sizes that come together in

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ways that might make it difficult to reuse later, they're allowing their pieces to be larger, enabling them to have more potential upcycling uses. Eileen Fisher Renew and Green Eileen are programs that sell already-used products that are equally pristine, clean, and beautiful; but much less expensive.

How do you think the perception of sustainability has shifted over the years?

It's so refreshing. It's just amazing to me, honestly. I feel like it's always been so important to me, and I have never thought about doing anything else for work. It's so encouraging to see a growing awareness across different ages.

There's so much doom and gloom around the world, but the bottom line is that people don't thrive in that negativity. We are concerned about our environment so that we can thrive—not just humans but the biosphere.

There are so many ways that it's just like this great opportunity for people to create a business, create a life, connect, and share skills and knowledge. There's not as much competition in our arena because everybody who upcycles has one common goal, to address our textile waste crisis.

I think the new awareness and attention paid to textile upcycling is beautiful. I don't think it's too late. I think it's perfect.

EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | Crispina Ffrench Can you expand on some projects you're working on right now?

How do you envision the future of upcycling and the textile industry?

I just made a substantial pivot in my path in that I stopped making products to sell. I'm working through the materials I have in my studio and focusing more attention on promoting people in this line of work. I love to design and make things, but to make things just to have them sold is not something that works with my business model.

There will be a shift towards small manufacturers producing for more local communities and a return to individual design. Much of the world that creates clothing for our culture lost their indigenous designs because they get paid money to make cheap clothes. They used to make beautiful garmets passed down for thousands of years. I feel like that will resurge and that there will be more harmony. People are more aware if we look around at what people are becoming vocal about. People are starting to realize the power that they hold by speaking up.

I just launched a podcast last summer that's taking off, which is super exciting. It's called Rags To Riches Textile Upcycling Podcast.

And then last year, in April, I hosted the first annual Rags to Riches Textile Upcycling Summit.

It's an online virtual event, and I'll be hosting it again this year from May 17th to 19th. I'm using a different model this year. The summit will be free, making it more accessible to people everywhere.

Much of the world that creates clothing for our culture lost their indigenous designs. They used to make beautiful clothes passed down for thousands of years. I feel like that will resurge and that there will be more harmony.

People are starting to realize the power that they hold by speaking up.

For more information, please visit: https://crispina.eco/

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | 3WLabel

INTERVIEW with

3WLabel Photos: 3WLabel

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Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

Bucureşti, România

2021 Irina Moreno, Zuzana Mandic

EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | 3WLabel From the three R's to the three W's, a sustainable fashion label has

redefined the fashion industry by becoming the first Romanian brand to use deadstock in its production.

Though born in Romania, Irina Moreno lived in the United States for almost 20 years. And when she finally returned to Romania in 2018, she was shocked to see that there was “nothing done in sustainability."

According to Moreno, there are over 4,000 factories in Romania alone, ranging from small factories with as few as 20 workers to large factories with over 1,000 workers.

And “each factory generates between 300 and 1,000 kilograms, not pounds, of waste each month."

Dismayed by the lack of sustainable practices in the Romanian fashion industry, Moreno decided to take matters into her own hands and teamed up with co-founder Zuzana Mandic to establish 3WLabel.

Together, they created a clothing brand that sells “garments designed to last in your heart and your wardrobe." Moreno claims that the production process is “99% sustainable" and strives to raise awareness centered on ecofriendly practices little by little.

After performing thorough research on fabric production in each factory, she buys just enough deadstock to turn waste into products without creating waste herself.

Instagram giveaways.

Despite the challenges she faces, Moreno continues to work hard.

She's received €20,000 in European grants. Now, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in textile sustainability, studying consumer behavior towards garments made from pre-consumer waste and practices of apparel manufacturers towards waste disposal: “I want to know why factories are not choosing better ways to dispose of their waste.

What prevents them? Is it maybe more difficult to invest in machines that would, for example, shred the small pieces?"

Moreno believes understanding consumer behavior, legislation, and manufacturing costs is necessary to learn about and teach people the importance of sustainable fashion. And influencers' clothing choices are crucial in consumer decisions between sustainable and “fast fashion".

Her upcoming collection of garments exhibits a Zoey vest in tweed khaki, a dark navy Viola dress, and a few other fabrics and designs. Each piece, tailored to the customer, is numbered out of a maximum of 100 and is part of a limited-edition series similar to that of artworks. Moreno commented, “this concept is innovative for the fashion industry, which typically produces an enormous number of units for each design."

Currently, 3WLabel is solely an online shop. However, as Moreno continues to spread sustainable practices and grow her business, she hopes to sell her products to concept stores “where people can see, try on, and order" her products.

For more information, please visit: https://www.3wlabel.com/

Because sustainable fashion is a generally new idea in Romania, Moreno has faced difficulties persuading consumers to buy into this new concept. She wears her clothes out daily and promotes them on social media through

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | 3WLabel

SNEAK PEAK Upcoming Collection

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | Upcycle It Now

INTERVIEW with

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

California, USA

2011 Christina Johnson

Photos: Upcycle It Now How did you get into upcycling?

My family had a tailoring and alteration shop, so I grew up around machines and clothing. I always had a fascination with the scrap bin and used to take the pieces and make things out of them. I confounded myself with the idea of throwing away valuable material. It was something I could still use.

At UC Davis’ design program, I met my professor, Anne Savageau, a prominent advocate for sustainability and waste reduction.

I fell in love with the idea of not only being able to make things but also being able to do so responsibly.

After that, I completed an internship in New Delhi, India, where I made bags and accessories from recycled materials. There, I realized that upcycling was not just a passion but something that could become a legitimate business.

Could you tell me a little bit about the process of making upcycled accesories?

We generally make accessories out of clothing. So we will work

with clients to take an unusable delaminated rain jacket and create a new product. There are a lot of companies that get their rain jackets either disposed of or taken back.

When we started talking to Patagonia, they mentioned that the rain jackets were a sore point because they wear out quickly.

There's not much you can do to repair it as you can't delaminate it.

So we decided to collaborate with them and make a line of products out of the material.

My overarching goal is to work with brands and help them create an avenue for end-of-life products.

We don't necessarily want to be our own brand but act as a third party that helps other brands reduce their textile waste.

What does Upcycle It Now aim to do?

Be a case study that proves the circular economy works. The thing that says this works, it doesn't work the same way that we've been doing, but it's pretty close.

And it's possible.

What has been the most rewarding part of running the business?

What's exciting is when we have a successful project or when orders sell out way quicker than the brand or retailer expected. It shows that people will pay a little bit more for, appreciate the story, and get excited about a product made from recycled material. The emotional connection with the piece is greater, and I'm excited about the consumer respecting the craftsmanship and value.

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | Upcycle It Now What projects is Upcycle It Now working on currently?

We have a lot of materials that different clients have left over and are doing our best to find homes for those materials. I'm working on getting into outdoor retailer specialty shops on the West Coast, such as Sports Basement or REI, as well as community-owned shops supplying outdoor gear.

We tend to gravitate toward these businesses because people who love the outdoors tend to understand the importance of sustainability and preserving nature.

It's hard to turn large entities around, but if you have hundreds and hundreds of smaller fish moving in the same direction, you can create a great movement.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to make a difference?

Recently, I have noticed the starting of many great organizations. Think about going to them and asking about their problem points and roadblocks.

It's easy to jump to solutions, but it's necessary to slow down and look at the problem holistically to see where we can bridge the divide. Maybe one person's issue is another person's solution. I see collaboration being a significant part of a sustainable future. We've got many little movements happening, and our key players aren't.

There are a ton of avenues you can take. Learn as much as possible and find what drives you.

You have to love what you're doing and be passionate about it.

Take and absorb as much information as possible. Then find solutions while ensuring where you put your time is a place you enjoy because it's hard. It's a little bit arduous. It's not always glamorous.

Yesterday, I read a good quote by Marcus Eriksen, the founder of 5 Gyres Institute, that said, “it's hard to turn large entities around, but if you have hundreds and hundreds of smaller fish swimming in the same direction, you can create a great movement." I always try to think about that. We've got many little people going in the right direction. As long as we keep that up, things will happen. Things will move.

For more information, please visit: https://upcycleitnow.com/

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | RE.STATEMENT

INTERVIEW with

Based in:

RE.STATEMENT

Founded in: Founded by:

Texas, USA 2022 Hannah Le

Photos: RE.STATEMENT What is RE.STATEMENT? RE.STATEMENT is an online marketplace for upcycled fashion.

How did you find yourself as the founder of RE.STATEMENT, and what was it like starting out?

My mom has been doing sewing alterations all my life. So watching her cut and put things together, she'd have a ton of leftover fabric, and she always turned them into something new.

One day, I was online shopping and was tired of not finding what I wanted. I was thinking about my favorite and most unique items and came up with the idea.

Have you had any prior experience with sustainability or entrepreneurship before starting RE.STATEMENT?

I went to the University of Pennsylvania, studied at Wharton there, and majored in operations management and marketing, specializing in entrepreneurship and innovation. I'd always known that I wanted to be in a startup as long as it was mission-driven.

Before starting RE.STATEMENT I had always viewed sustainability as something important. I remember running a publication called The Good Startup, which focused on exactly that.

Sustainability has always been on my mind when considering what I wanted to do with my career.

How did you go about finding designers?

The designers on RE.STATEMENT have already been upcycling..

Before our marketplace existed, they were selling either on Etsy or Depop, but mostly they're all over Instagram. So it's easy to find their work using proper hashtags and looking at their sales channels there. They have specific goals for where they want to be in their design process. And so reaching out to help them is as easy as just sending them a message. But we also had a signup form on our website for people who hear about RE.STATEMENT. The designer community is strong, and they love to recommend other designers. I get a ton of signups a week from designers who are excited to sell on the platform. We go from both ends, an outbound strategy and inbound.

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EcoRevolutionaries | Fashion | RE.STATEMENT What difficulties have you had in convincing consumers to try RE.STATEMENT products with them made from upcycled materials?

The biggest challenge with consumers is the educational aspect. Many people aren't familiar with upcycled clothing, so they need an extra step to get educated on it. We take a few steps back and say, “okay, do you like this piece of clothing?" That's always the first step. That's always been my philosophy with fashion and even in product design. There has to be a use outside the product being sustainable, or sustainability can't scale.

And once they're interested, they're willing to hear more. So once they hear, “this artist or this designer made this from what?"

That piques their interest even more because they see a constraint that the artist had to go through, or like a challenge that the artist went through to create this, and they're overcoming that challenge anyways. There are many different designs and styles of upcycled clothing and this is where it starts.

What projects is RE.STATEMENT working on right now in terms of expanding its network and spreading awareness?

I'm working out of Houston, the energy capital of the world. But from a consumer level, it's tough to get people to think more ecoconsciously than they already are, and we need somewhat of a cultural shift to get that happening.

A few sustainable fashion companies and I are collaborating to create marketplaces events in the local community to give people the space to discuss ecoconscious initiatives. We have a hunch that because so many Houstonians work in the energy industry, they're thinking about it, but from a consumer level, their actions aren't matching what they're doing for a living.

For startup growth, I'm at a startup event every week. This past week, I was a judge for the MassChallenge Accelerator and the Dell Startup Pitch Competition. And so giving startup advice and insights on what it's like being a founder and relating to that is a

big part of RE.STATEMENT's role in the startup community, especially with the Houston Tech Rodeo coming up too.

How has the fashion industry changed over the years? Where do you think it will shift toward in the future?

Many companies are doing this because it's sustainable, which is the right thing to do. But I think, in the future, we're just going to do it because it's the smart thing to do.

Because it's more cost-effective, energy-efficient, and sustainable than creating more material.

Again, it's always fascinating to see how much waste fashion companies will throw out because it's out of season or out of stock. I think developing a new upcycling mindset for these brands is critical. From season to season, companies will spend time figuring out what to do with the leftover materials and turn them into something new, exciting, and even more creative than last season before using new material.

For more information, please visit: https://shoprestatement.com/

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EcoRevolutionaries | Plastics | Renegade Plastics

INTERVIEW with

Renegade Plastics

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

Colorado, USA

2021 Curran Hughes, Tony Ehrbar

Photos: Renegade Plastics

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EcoRevolutionaries | Plastics | Renegade Plastics Renegade Plastics is pioneering a sustainable alternative to PVC and Polyethylene Fabrics.

Today, living a day without plastic is nearly impossible. It's everywhere—from the insulation in our cars to the fibers in our clothes to the casings of our phones, plastic has invaded every aspect of our livelihood.

PVC in the textile industry, commonly known as “vinyl," and polyethylene (PE) have become household names. Throughout 2022 alone, an estimated 50,000 tons of PVC plastic were produced and used for consumption. Not only are these plastics nonbiodegradable, but they can also emit dangerous toxins that harmfully affect humans and the environment.

To combat the growing issues of plastic pollution and greenhouse emissions, founders Tony Ehrbar and Curran Hughes created Renegade Plastics. Working with a female inventor from Korea, the two set out to commercialize the proprietary process of creating a polypropylene-based fabric that is non-toxic, recyclable, and low carbon.

“Our end objective is to build a circular economy for plastic fabrics that one: reduces material, plastic waste, but also two: acts as a negative carbon solution to the plastics industry," said Hughes.

“The production process of PVC is not only carbon-intensive and unrecyclable, but it also prevents the adoption of more sustainable materials like bio-based plastics or carbon capture resins. Our material opens those doors."

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Despite being 30-40% lighter weight, Renegade Plastics' polypropylene fabrics have higher UV, chemical, and thermal resistances than traditional PVC. Their coated fabrics contain no lead, phthalates, dioxins, PFAS, VOCs, and heavy metals, making them a safer option for users across numerous applications.

One challenge Renegade Plastics has faced is the skepticism of consumers because many “have traditionally seen polyethylene as the cheap plastic," said Hughes.

However, the company is working to convince people that they can transform polyethylene into a high-quality material, akin to “making wine out of beer." The company has expanded its reach and is entering the ski industry.

Renegade Plastics is among the growing number of companies working to reduce the environmental impact of plastic.

By offering a sustainable alternative to PVC and Polyethylene, Renegade Plastics is steering us in the right direction.

“I think it's all about action," said Hughes. “For example, we said, hey, you know what? We're no longer going to buy laundry detergent in plastic jugs. It's focusing on one item or use case in your life and changing your behavior around it."

For more information, please visit: https://renegadeplastics.com/

Our end objective is to build a circular economy for plastic fabrics that one: reduces material, plastic waste, but also two: acts as a negative carbon solution to the plastics industry.

INTERVIEW

EcoRevolutionaries | Plastics | RePack

with

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

Helsinki, Finland 2013 John Hellgren

Photos: RePack

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EcoRevolutionaries | Plastics | RePack A Finnish company is transforming the e-commerce market by offering “packaging as a service."

The rise of e-commerce has reshaped the way we live our everyday lives.

Rather than going to an inperson store to purchase a product, we can now order online anytime, anywhere, with just a few clicks and taps on our electronic devices. And while e-commerce is an incredibly convenient form of shopping, the items we buy are almost always shipped in plastic and non-recyclable packaging.

Inspired by the traditional bottle return system commonplace in Finland, the founders of RePack sought to apply this part of their culture and lifestyle to the packaging industry. In 2011, they embarked on a journey to “end trash on a systemic level," said John Hellgren, CEO of RePack.

The Finnish company employs a reusable packaging model made from sustainable materials. At over 200 partnered companies up to date, retailers offer customers the option to receive their delivery through RePack mailers that come with prepaid postage. Repack incentivizes customers to return these mailers by dropping them into a local mailbox. Upon return, RePack will recondition the package and award customers discounts or rewards.

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EcoRevolutionaries | Plastics | RePack

“We have brands who ship everything in RePack even though it's ten times more expensive than standard single-use packaging. They do it because they want to. It fits their values, and they know that their customer base will appreciate that they are investing in sustainability," said Hellgren.

RePack makes their mailers out of polypropylene, the same material as blue IKEA bags, which makes them highly durable, lightweight, foldable, and easy to source. “They are derived from 100% recycled and upcycled materials and are designed to withstand up to 60 deliveries."

Repack primarily bases its service in Europe and North America, with three packaging collection hubs: Estonia, France, and the United States. In 2021, Repack collaborated with the largest postal company in France, La Poste, for what the company calls “The French Loop." In other words, La Poste intercepts all RePacks received in France to localize the process and promote a circular economy.

As part of the European Green Deal's Circular Economy Action Plan, new legislation was proposed in November, stating that all packaging be made fully recyclable by 2030.

Building something based on

sustainability in today's world is not easy," said Hellgren, “What gives me hope is legislation. If this were to pass, it would be a monumental shift."

On a consumer level, we must be aware of our day-to-day actions and take small steps toward making a positive impact. “Ultimately, we get the world we vote for with our wallets."

For more information, please visit: https://www.repack.com/

Volume 1 | 23

EcoRevolutionaries | Plastics | The Climate Change Company

INTERVIEW with

The Climate Change Company

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

Cluj-Napoca, Romania

2020 Dennis Debie, Sebastian Tudose

Photos: The Climate Change Company What inspired the beginning of The Climate Change Company?

The idea for the company started in 2019. I was working in China at that time. The pandemic came in, and I quit my job to start something new in Romania.

Living there, I went to the seaside once, and my wife told me that the location was 300km away. I was like, "okay, I'm from the Netherlands. I should be able to travel 300 km in a maximum of 4 hours."

In Romania, it turned out to be slightly different. I got introduced to the poor road network.

Everywhere I looked, I could see the total failure of the waste management system. There was no interest in actually recycling. Or even if people wanted to recycle plastic or glass they had, it was impossible to do with conventional recycling methods.

And that's when I started experimenting with the idea of taking all this trash without doing too much and making it complex.

“How can I transform it into something usable? "

24 | Volume 1

Given the numerous other methods to upcycle plastic, why road foundation?

When I founded The Climate Change Company, the idea was, if you want to change, if you want to create a positive impact on the climate, then you need to do something impactful. It needs to be substantial.

And that's when we decided to work on construction material because it is an item used in abundance. There is a need for that all the time and into the future even more.

When we started experimenting, we quickly realized that concrete is the opposite of what we're trying to do. It's already very polluting to produce the cement itself. So that's when we came up with the asphalt idea, and specifically, we thought, okay, “we don't want plastic on the top of the surface of the road because then you're going to create microplastics." We then found that 75-80% of the road is the foundation, not the surface.

And most of the time, the majority of the cost lays in foundation. That was perfect because it not only hides the material from contact with tires, but we can also upcycle a lot of waste.

By then, it was 2020, and we started operations in our laboratory to fine-tune the recipes we were developing. Working with our official partner, the National Institute for Research and Transport, we took the concept into fully certified road construction material. Last year in October, we started working on a pilot project, which was incredible.

It was like all of the hard work just fell into place. Everyone was thrilled.

Now, we're ramping up to cope with the demand that we're seeing. It's exciting to see how the word is spreading around the world. When, I look at our steps on the website, no country hasn't visited it. We're trying to make an impact and so far, everything is going according to plan.

EcoRevolutionaries | Plastics | The Climate Change Company How does your product Littar® differ from traditional road construction materials?

If you want to build a road, you start with a base gravel layer, a base course, a binder course, and a surface course. The base and binder course are the same as the surface—rocks with bitumen, the asphalt mix. On the surface, you have small rocks for a very smooth surface. The lower you go, the larger the size of the particles.

The bottom layer has to be the strongest, consisting of 95% rocks.

And what we did is we developed two materials. One is for replacing part of those aggregates, the rocks, and the sand, which they use for traditional asphalt. We remove and substitute it with a specific amount of plastic and glass. And we also have a version that consists only of plastic, glass, and bitumen, so no rocks at all, but that's more for small-scale applications like parking spots or prefabricated segments.

What projects is The Climate Change Company working on right now?

We are working with some big multinational companies that produce waste in their process.

For example, we did a project last year with Prysmian Group, a global supplier of fiber optic cables (ones that can't be directly recycled). They came to us like, “hey, we heard you use plastic and glass. Fiber optic is plastic and glass. Can you use it?" And we did a project with them, testing and analyzing the whole material. It turned out that we could use it. So that opened the door for other companies to come to us.

Alongside partnerships, we're also doing projects with the local government. In Romania, we have many small villages outside of the large cities that are often inhabited by the older generation.

Through the Rural Development Project, the government wants to make those more attractive to young people. We are involved in that line of work, providing local villages with a small circular economy where the waste they produce, such as plastic and glass, can be reused to build infrastructure.

How do you envision a sustainable future?

We consider ourselves an innovation hub for research and development on climate change and environmental topics. We develop the technology and then hand it over to the industry. For example, with Littar®, we have now certified it, we have a patent on it, and what we do is we license the industry to use our technology. They can independently produce the material without us. We're already working on our second and third solutions right now. That's where we want to be.

We want to break the status quo that everything has to be done by NGOs and goodwill. We believe that as long as we have the right mindset and philosophy, we can become a self-sustainable forprofit company recognized within the industry as the beacon of light.

For more information, please visit: https://theclimatechangecompan y.com/

Volume 1 | 25

EcoRevolutionaries | Plastics | Flipside Plastics

INTERVIEW with

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by: Photos: Flipside Plastics

26 | Volume 1

British Columbia, Canada 2020 Laska Paré

EcoRevolutionaries | Plastics | Flipside Plastics With a flip in perspective, a Canadian startup created an upcycled soap dish for home essentials reimagined.

From the majestic summits of the Himalayas in Nepal to the bright peaks of the Taebaek Mountains in Korea, Laska Paré was surprised by the amount of plastic she would find in the most remote places around the world.

“It was just alarming to me when I would see plastic waste built up in different natural environments," Paré said as she looked back on her time in mountaineering school.

Troubled by the experience, Paré felt the need to deal with the plastic waste crisis and was motivated to move back to Canada, where she landed a job working in the government.

Starting small, she began her own recycling programs inside government buildings, ensuring that everyday items such as pens, markers, and batteries were being disposed of properly. But as time went on, Paré felt as if the bureaucratic pace limited her ability to expand upon these volunteer initiatives and decided to start her own project externally, an enterprise that became known as Flipside Plastics.

Using the space in her Condo,

Paré bought a small shredding and injection machine to turn the plastic waste she found in her downstairs recycling bins into upcycled coasters. And while the process was initially challenging, Paré felt she was “going a step in the right direction."

With the passing of the CleanBC Plastics Action Fund in 2021, Paré secured $50,000 in funding and began biking around Victoria with a team of micro recyclers, contacting cafes around town to collect disposable coffee lids. Paré connected with local businesses to measure market demand and determined that a prototype soap dish would be the best product to make out of these discarded lids.

“People liked that we were going to turn the coffee cup lids they were holding into something new," said Paré.

In 2022 after the pilot project ended, Flipside began sourcing feedstock from a manufacturer in British Columbia to maintain a sustainable supply chain. In doing so, Paré could focus on developing and launching the revised soap dish (Riptide) to the mass market. The new design includes a two-piece set with

drainage holes and an underneath tray that catches all the excess water and soap to prevent them from getting onto the countertop.

Paré is also hoping to make a travel version of her product.

“There's talk of considering a soap dish travel case because people want to bring their own soap when they travel. And more and more companies aren't making travel cases anymore," the CEO said.

Paré imagines a society where cheaper doesn't mean better— where people value long-term impact over short-term benefits.

She hopes to lead a mindset shift towards a circular economy and a cleaner lifestyle for all consumers.

“I think that what we're seeing is more mindfulness in our generation, the more minimalist living. I envision more people being thoughtful in their decisions and really caring about where things come from."

For more information, please visit: https://www.flipsideplastics.com/

Volume 1 | 27

EcoRevolutionaries | Food | Rugsal Trading

INTERVIEW with

Rugsal Trading Photos: Rugsal Trading

28 | Volume 1

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

Freetown, Sierra Leone 2017 Alhaji Siraj Bah

EcoRevolutionaries | Food | Rugsal Trading A Sierra Leonean entrepreneur is using coconuts to fight deforestation and the aftermath of the worst natural disaster in the country's history.

August 14th, 2017 - Torrential rain struck the residential slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain in Freetown, causing a cascading downpour of sludge and debris. Soon after, a thunderous crack echoed across the capital city, followed by an abrupt opening of sinkholes and the collapse of the earth. This catastrophic mudslide marked the worst natural disaster in Sierra Leone's history. A report done on the event by the World Bank identified 1,141 individuals as dead or missing, including 22-year-old Alhaji Siraj Bah's adopted family.

Devastated by the event, Bah decided to “step up and come up with a solution to help." Noticing the abundance of waste in Freetown, Bah founded his own company, Rugsal Trading, named after his mother, Rugiatu, and his father, Salieu. His business creates briquettes made from the scraps of coconuts (one of Freetown's most popular snacks) that serve as an eco-friendly and costeffective alternative to traditional wood-based charcoal.

from vendors, which they bring to the facility where they dry them for a week before being carbonized. The carbonized coconut shells are later ground and mixed with a binder before being extruded and dried in an oven or the sun. The coconut briquettes are then packaged in bags made from banana fibers and sent to customers.

While coconut briquettes emit less toxic smoke and are more economical than conventional wood charcoal, Rugsal Trading still faces difficulty convincing people to buy their product. “It's not easy, though. We've been sensitizing people," Bah said.

“They have been using this wood charcoal for more than 2,000 years. So to change that within just a night that's not possible. It takes

time to build anything great. It took Tesla more than ten years to take them where they are today."

Bah's innovative efforts have gained international attention. In 2019, the United Nations selected Bah as a finalist for the “Young Champions of the Earth" award.

And the following year, he was invited to present his ideas at a venture competition at Harvard Business School.

“There are a lot of young people who are working towards a cleaner and a better future," said Bah. "I think it takes time, but I see a brighter future if we continue to do what we're doing and at a faster speed."

For more information, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/

“In America, most people use gas and electricity for cooking," said Bah. “But to be frank, more than 90% of people in West Africa use wood charcoal. And the rate at which we are deforesting trees increased. It's causing many problems like mudslides, air pollution, and improper waste management."

The production process of Rugsal Trading's coconut briquettes is labor-intensive. Every two days, Bah and his team go around town collecting leftover coconut shells

Volume 1 | 29

EcoRevolutionaries | Food | Matriark Foods

INTERVIEW

with MATRIARK

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

New York , USA

2018 Anna Hammond

What inspired you to start Matriark Foods? How did the business evolve to become what it is now?

Before launching Matriark, I built a healthy eating program for youth and families in public housing. We also had a farm program in upstate New York where we got farmers to donate their surplus produce. There was just a lot going to waste, and many people suffered from food insecurity. That inspired the business to divert food from being thrown away and to create greater access to healthy food and additional markets for farmers.

We launched our first product in the fall of 2019. We got picked up

by Compass Group and US Foods, and by the time we finished all the paperwork, it was the first week of March 2020. We sold a pallet of products. We were like, "this is great. We're off to the races." And then one week later, food service shut down globally.

So I would say that in terms of evolution, it's certainly slowed down our progress from a sales perspective because there was no food service business. Despite the pandemic, we had many partnerships and survived financially over those two years.

We never veered from our original proposition, which was to

30 | Volume 1

divert food from landfill, feed people healthy food, and develop products that were accessible.

I think it only just strengthened.

We became stronger and did more projects aligned with our values. We've gotten ripe in a good way, in a healthy way.

Could you tell me a little bit more about the process of converting leftover food waste and turning them into upcycled food products?

We work at the intersection of manufacturing, where 19 million tons of remnants and off-spec

vegetables are usually sent to landfill nationwide. We've developed relationships with manufacturers to capture and create all the food safety compliance necessary to use the off-cuts and surplus as ingredients. We pay them for the packaging, transportation, and capture, and in turn, they make a little bit of money back on the money they've already spent buying these products. They also don't have to pay tipping fees for sending them to landfill. We work with local and national distributors, including Sysco, US foods, Gordon Food Service, and PFG.

EcoRevolutionaries | Food | Matriark Foods How much food waste has Matriark Foods saved thus far?

We've collected a total of around one million pounds. This number sounds like a lot, but it's just a scratch on the surface of the issue. And different products, to be upcycled certified, have to be proven that at least 10% of the ingredients would otherwise have gone to landfill. And our products are always upwards of 75%. We design the products to be a solution. That's why we're making things that are everyday products. They're not snacks, not specialty items. They're sauces you can put on pasta and use to make soup. They're very versatile products. And we hope they become a household name where everyone contributes to mitigating food waste by purchasing these products.

As of Feb 2023, we've collected a total of around

1,000, 000 pounds.

This number sounds like a lot, but it's just a scratch on the surface of the issue.

On the website, Matriark Foods has a selection of food products that they sell. Was there a reason Matriark Foods chose these products as opposed to others?

Yes, very much so. All of our products come out of the supply chain that we see is needed to take up. So vegetable remnants are such an obvious one. You can't see vegetable remnants without thinking, “that should be broth." Same with tomatoes. It's like you see 3 million pounds of tomatoes going to waste. We can think about 10 million potential products made out of tomatoes, but we look at the most simple product we can make, the products with the most use cases, and that thinking process inspires what the product becomes.

Volume 1 | 31

Have you ever encountered difficulties convincing consumers to try products, considering they're from potential food waste?

We just launched our first retail products, and they've been doing well. People understand the issue of wasted food. There are various places in the supply chain where perfect food is tossed away for reasons of so-called efficiencies that create inefficiencies in our food system. Foodservice has been more difficult because they're just standard products used by food service for a long time, and transforming usage case scenarios is a little more complicated.

We haven't encountered any “yuck" factor. That's because we're very clear about what we do and how we capture garbage. For example, if you go to a grocery store and you buy carrot sticks or celery sticks, imagine all the carrots and celery that are not there. If you're a home cook, you make that into a broth. And we're just doing that on an industrial scale.

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Does Matriark Foods plan to partner with larger companies and promote this technology that reduces food waste?

Absolutely. We're always looking for large company partnerships. If we can partner with large companies with the infrastructure, accounting, and marketing departments, we could make a lot more impact quickly.

Are there any products that Matriark Foods is developing?

We're really excited about a product that we're launching in March. It's a vegetable harvest stew made from New York State vegetables, and it will be specifically for food banks and emergency food. It's a shelf-stable, fully nutritious meal.

For more information, please visit: https://www.matriarkfoods.com/

EcoRevolutionaries | Food | Matthew Karmel

INTERVIEW with Matthew Karmel Could you tell me about your background and what inspired you to pursue environmental law?

It's one of those items that the story is more one of falling into it and then finding it as my passion at the same time. I went to undergrad thinking about mathfinance but was unsatisfied with the jobs I was trying as internships. So I went and worked at a law firm. I went to law school, and then the firm where I was doing a summer position looked at my background, which has some math science, and said, “we'd like you to try the environmental group." And I loved it. I've always enjoyed spending a lot of time outdoors and value the environment, so it was a unique

Based in:

Started in:

New Jersey, USA 2014

opportunity to do something fascinating and diverse.

Environmental law is a very varied and esoteric practice area. It has a lot of assemblage of different things, and you're always doing something different. I'm lucky to do all types of law tasks: transaction, litigation, and regulatory work, all in one day.

And sort of over time, my passion and love for what I do grew, and I could do more of the stuff I love even more, which is the subset of environmental law that intersects with sustainability, and advising upcycled companies is one of those things. And I was recently able to take a big step by joining a new law firm and heading their environmental and sustainability law practice group.

What have been the most challenging legal implications of upcycling?

The upcycling movement has, for the most part, steered clear of legal obstacles. Initially, I was worried that the intersection of food waste laws, waste regulation, and upcycling would intersect and that upcycled companies would be subject to additional legal or regulatory requirements because they were handling waste material. But that hasn't materialized as an issue because, for the most part, states look at it as food diverted into an upcycling process stream and haven't added heightened regulation. The most important legal issue is labeling and certifications requirements The Upcycled Food Association, as well as governing bodies at the federal and state level regulate when you can call something “organic." The same applies to upcycling. The last thing is a general corporate issue relating to funding and getting just general corporate type things which are not of the obstacles. The typical things a business goes through as they grow.

Volume 1 | 33

I saw that Waste360 awarded you “Waste 360 40 under 40."

What's the most rewarding part of being in this sector?

It's getting to help businesses that help the environment. I know that when I'm working with an upcycled food business and helping them, no matter what it is to do, I'm helping them do what they do best, which is sell products that divert waste from landfill and reduce climate change. So the most rewarding part is getting to work with such groundbreaking companies doing spectacular things to change consumerism and the processes that have caused this much negative impact on the planet.

What are issues frequently overlooked when people think about the environment and sustainability?

From a business and startup perspective, people start new businesses aimed at many different things. Legal compliance is always a broader topic than people think. For the upcycled food industry, many laws apply to food producers, whether small-scale or largescale, and there are lots of ways to produce it. So as companies grow, they need to be more careful about their legal compliance.

As a leading environmental and climate lawyer, what makes you hopeful in achieving a sustainable future?

One of the things that makes

34 | Volume 1

me very hopeful is to see how capitalism is moving toward climate consciousness. Money drives solutions. And upcycled food is a perfect example of this.

You're seeing capitalist structures put in place. We can't just divert all the food because we want to. You can't get enough volunteers. You can't sustain a hundred percent volunteer group to deal with the logistical and other issues of eliminating food waste. So once you align economic incentives with it, you can begin making a change. And so the upcycled food movement is an example of aligning economic issues, creating an economic model that furthers sustainability so that it pays for itself or even more so. And whenever that's happening, you have traditional structures that I look at and go, “they need legal support as well."

So seeing these kinds of complex businesses arise, we're going to be able to do more good, and two, there will be opportunities for me to help them do more good.

The most rewarding part is getting to work with such groundbreaking companies doing spectacular things to change consumerism and the processes that have caused this much negative impact on the planet.

Volume 1 | 35

EcoRevolutionaries | Glassware | ReRe:Sklo

INTERVIEW with

RERE: SKLO

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

Lviv, Ukraine

2011 Roksolana Khudoba

Photos: ReRe:Sklo What inspired you guys to start the business? Who's the team?

Nine years ago, we owned a coffee shop. We collected glass juice containers for one of the suppliers and thought they would be recycled or reused. But it turned out that it was easier for the manufacturer to buy new ones. We thought about the idea of recycling bottles. Most of the glass in our country is not processed and, in the best case, ends up in the glass scrapyard. At that moment, we realized we needed to start working towards solving this issue in small steps and actively promoting this topic to more people. That is how we began to develop in the glass processing direction.

36 | Volume 1

Our team usually consists of 3 to 5 employees. Roksolana is our founder and owner of the brand, Olya is a craftswoman who makes goods, and Vlad prepares bottles for cutting/sintering. Before the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, we had more employees. At the beginning of February last year, the situation in Ukraine was precarious, so we were left without the male part of our team.

Could you tell me a little more about the process of converting used bottles into upcycled glasses, vases, and candleholders?

The general production process begins with the preparation of the

container for processing. Our craftswoman Vlada has all the bottles and cleans them off the labels. In the cold workshop, we complete cutting and stamping.

We cut the bottles on a nichrome thread to the specified heights, and, with the help of matting, we apply various patterns and logos of the brands. We then bake bottles in the hot workshop furnace. The bottle is sintered and will become almost flat under its weight. We receive bottles for production locally from coffee shops, wineries, and restaurants.

Our entire team collects the bottles at various events, and sometimes it surprises people. In a week, we process approximately 150 bottles in the cold workshop and 50-60 in the hot workshop.

EcoRevolutionaries | Glassware | ReRe:Sklo What challenges have ReRe:Sklo faced?

How does ReRe:Sklo spread awareness?

At the beginning of our journey, educating customers about recycling and reusing was the number one priority. Many buyers did not understand the need to buy a glass from a bottle considered garbage.

We want to show the possibilities of recycling. A discarded bottle of beer or wine is not garbage but a great alternative to the mass market, aesthetically beautiful and, at the same time, environmentally friendly. We often use the phrase “salvaged glass," saved from landfills, decomposition, and pollution. Our goal is to highlight environmental issues by popularizing the topic of recycling. Interesting videos of the manufacturing process or photos of breakfast with plates made from wine bottles attract people's attention, and in this way, more audiences join eco-awareness.

With the help of Instagram, our video from the manufacturer gained around 790 thousand views and attracted very many buyers who were interested in purchasing our products.

We began spreading awareness among our audience and visitors to the coffee shop. Social networks also came in handy as we started to show all the stages of making a glass or a plate, covering the cleaning and processing of the products. Over time, it made communication with customers more streamlined. Since the creation of our Instagram, our audience has grown significantly. We now have the opportunity to promote the importance, benefits, and safety of using tableware from bottles destined to become trash.

A discarded bottle of beer or wine is not garbage but a great alternative to the mass market, aesthetically beautiful and, at the same time, environmentally friendly. We often use the phrase "salvage glass," saved from landfills, decomposition, and pollution.

In the future, we have plans for collaborations with Ukrainian or global brands in the recycling and glass industries.

The next stage was to convey the value of the products to the buyer because not all people understood why the product from the bottle we received “for free" had a price of $4-10. People were not ready to pay for “garbage."

It was easy to explain the price as we work officially: we pay taxes, have hired workers, and rent a workshop that meets all the production and worker protection requirements. These factors affect the cost of the product, and we do not invest in the raw materials themselves. We invest in production, sustainable packaging, and brand development.

How do you envision a sustainable future?

For more information, please visit: https://www.shchos-tsikave.ua/en

Customization, second hand, thrifting, recycling, rejection of cheap factory items that will not last long, instead choose sustainable items. While a sustainable future is not as close as we would like it to be, small brands like us and the small steps of everyone on this planet are key!

Recycling does not equal free or cheap. But it does equal an ecological and better future. We integrate these tips into our lives and show by our example that recycling is fashionable and ecoawareness is attractive.

Volume 1 | 37

EcoRevolutionaries | Glassware | SmoothEdge

INTERVIEW with SmoothEdge

Based in:

Founded in: Founded by:

Chichester, United Kingdom

2019 Samuel Wright, Leah Goodwin

Photos: SmoothEdge What inspired you to start the business?

As a team, we started experimenting with cutting bottles into glasses in 2017. Most gin bottles had beautiful designs, and we thought it was a shame to discard them, especially since many end up in landfills.

How fast is the business growing, and who is part of the SmoothEdge team?

In 2020, during the lockdown, we had a lot of spare time to grow our brand and saw significant demand for eco-friendly glassware. We became a limited company in early 2021, with Sam, our lead director, working on SmoothEdge full-time from late 2021. Now in 2023, we have grown to a team of 6, three directors, one of which is an environmental analysis/expert who forms a large part of our business, one lead glassware manufacturer, and two volunteering business and marketing developers who all started late 2022.

How do you converting waste bottles into upcycled glasses?

Our process of upcycling waste into bottles all starts with the bottle collection. We collect most

38 | Volume 1

of our bottles from local bars, cafes, and pubs. Once collected, we sort through the waste bottles and then cut, smooth, polish, and clean them to be ready for retail.

Another significant part of our business is also working with gin brands themselves. Because many brand bottles are bespoke made, there tend to be a lot of

“seconds" or unusable waste bottles. So rather than discarding these, they send them to us to be upcycled into glassware. They then sell them in their gift sets etc.

Some weeks, we can go through 50 bottles. In other weeks, we can go through 400+ depending on what brands want and how busy we are with b2c.

EcoRevolutionaries | Glassware | SmoothEdge

What challenges has SmoothEdge faced? How does SmoothEdge spread awareness of upcycling?

When we started SmoothEdge, it was difficult to ensure that our craftsmanship was up to standard. We pride ourselves on providing the ultimate smooth finish, similar to factory-made glass. However, there was a stigma that upcycled glassware was of poor quality as people are trying to do what we do, but with a poor finish which could be putting off customers.

We introduced our 100% craftsmanship guarantee, and once we built our reviews (over 350 5-star reviews), the question of quality no longer appeared. People's perception of waste as being unwanted, I is slowly shifting as awareness regarding waste material improves. Our method of upcycling glassware uses up to 150x less CO2 compared to the standard production of factorymade glass. Consumers know that we are also reducing waste heading to landfills. Our product isn't just glass, but glass for a change.

Does SmoothEdge have any future plans?

In the future, we hope to work with large alcohol brands to spread awareness regarding waste and reduce the burden of waste bottles while increasing the circularity of waste bottles and reducing the need for virgin materials.

For more information, please visit: https://www.smoothedge.co.uk/

Volume 1 | 39

EcoRevolutionaries | Art | Adeola Balogun

INTERVIEW with Adeola Balogun

Based in:

Started in:

Lagos, Nigeria 2019

Photos: Adeola Balogun

You became very well known for making sculptures out of discarded material. How did you become this artist?

Besides being an artist, I'm also an educator, and the need to demonstrate the use of materials is very pertinent. There is a course I teach tied to technical material that spurred me to learn about all the materials around me and their potential. They already have their history, so it's about adapting

40 | Volume 1

them to suit my purpose. With industrialization, there are a lot of materials in our environment: wood, plastic, metal, glass, plastics, tires, and electronic panels. These are available to us as artists, and we must explore them.

What is one of your favorite works?

The bull is one of my signature works, showing the use of tires and electronic panels. It

represents the term “bull market" when the financial market is high.

I constructed the sculpture to the scale of a life-size bull and used electronic panels to cover the frontal section, tires for the body and also welded coins for the back. I'm alluding to the fact that most of society now is becoming cashless while electronic money is taking the frontal stage. To me, it's a metaphor interrogating the current situation of money markets.

EcoRevolutionaries | Art | Adeola Balogun

What was the motivation for your most recent exhibit

TRANSMOGRIFICATION? Transmogrification talks about change toward something that tends to be unpleasant. I’m alluding to the benefits and challenges that come with technology.

With unprecedented levels of advancement, humanity keeps on evolving. Electronics are designed and implemented across fields of nanotechnology, artificial intelligence (AI), and much more. These technologies shape our everyday lives, and depending on how we use them, they have the potential to become devastating to us as human beings.

The metal fish structure hints at human advancement in the oceans. There is much more to be found in the sea than we have on land, with an estimated 80% unknown to mankind.

Scientists are constantly discovering new species and habitats, and there is much more we have yet to explore.

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Is there a project you're working on that hasn't been showcased yet?

Recently, I've been preparing for another showcase.

Unfortunately, the gallery that I was going to exhibit at, the Centre for Contemporary Art, is restructuring its facilities.

Hopefully, it will happen later this year.

The project I'm working on is more or less a sequel to Transmogrification. I still want to continue looking at how people in this digital age are passionate and engrossed with technologies, such as selfies.

There's also an installation that I am using as commentary on the corruption of oil theft in Nigeria. It's broken recently regarding how, in Nigeria, many people in power are involved in selling oil illegally

As we strive towards development, it's impossible not to experience waste issues. However, it is up to us to shift our perspective on waste from being a nuisance to something that can be admired.

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What is your vision for a sustainable environment, and how can we protect it for future generations?

As we strive towards development, it's impossible not to experience waste issues.

However, it is up to us to shift our perception of waste from being a nuisance to something that can be admired.

I use a lot of tires in my work, upcycling them from what used to be irritable material to something that people can look at as an aesthetic object.

As a visual artist, waste materials work as a veritable metaphor. It is necessary to find a medium to engage these discarded materials. That in and of itself is a form of art.

Nowadays, you see people using tires creatively, from tables to chairs to furniture, which was not an option before. In Lagos, for instance, we now have an agency that's in charge of collecting tires.

Instead of burning them as done in the past, they try to upcycle them into something of value. Some people are adopting them as furniture for their gardens or decoration for the interior of their houses.

For more information, please visit: http://adeolabalogun.com/

EcoRevolutionaries | Acknolwedgements

Acknowledgements I want to thank every single person who has encouraged me and inspired the creation of EcoRevolutionaries: the founders & CEOs for sharing their experience with sustainability, expertise in the industry, and vision for the future, and the press & marketing managers who helped provide information, coordinate interviews (despite differing time zones), and supply graphics (websites images used as well).

I am extremely grateful for my parents, who support me every step along my journey. Thank you to my older sister, Lydia, who always bring a smile to my face. Thank you to my cousins, Kylen, Brillian, and Jullian, who never fail to motivate me to pursue my passions.

And thank you, reader, for your interest in the magazine, for caring about the communities around us, and for believing in the power of our actions to create a better world in the present and in the future. I hope this publication brings you enjoyment, knowledge, and inspiration.

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