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.
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.
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.
Jeremy Bao, Editor
EcoRevolutionaries
February2023
Profilesof
AnnaKytövuori
DomagojBoljar
CrispinaFfrench
IrinaMoreno
ChristinaJohnson
HannahLe
CurranHughes
JonneHelgreen
DennisDebie
LaskaParé
AlhajiSirajBah
AnnaHammond
MatthewKarmel
RoksolanaKhudoba
SamuelWright
AdeolaBalogun
Basedin:
Foundedin:
Turku,Finland 2019 AnnaKytövuori,EviOivanen,VilmaPiironen | CUITU
Photos:CUITU
CUITUisacompanythatcreates modernaccessoriesforurban nomads.Thedesignisinspiredby 70sfuturisticvibesandurban landscapes.Wemakeour androgynousaccessoriesby upcyclingpre-consumertextile waste Byusingsurplusfabric,we hopetoencourageashifttowards acirculareconomyandamore sustainablefuturewithinthe fashionindustry
Whatinspiredyoutostartthe business?
MystorybeganwhenIstudied internationalbusinessatthe UniversityofTurkuinFinland Ifelt thatmycareerwasn'tgoinginthe rightdirection,soIdidan exchange,whereIlivedinBalifor halfayearandbecameacertified scubadiver somethingthatIhad wantedtodoforalongtime
Duringtraining,itwastherainy season,andallthetrashfrom nearbyriversfloweddirectlyinto thesea,formingtheselarge garbagepatches Oneofour dedicatedtraininglocations happenedtoberightbelowone ofthesepatches,andmydiving instructorsaidthatIhadtwo options:quitthecourseordive
intothetrash
Sincecompletingthecertification hadbeenmydream,Ichosethe secondoption.Andwhilejumping intothegarbagewasaterrifying experience,thesaddestpartwas seeingallthetrashdeepintothe ocean Thisexperienceawakened inmeamotivationtotakeaction insustainability
WhenIreturnedtoFinland,Iput myselfindifferentplacestomeet manypeople Imettheteamin 2019whenwemetandbonded overthesharedgoalofreshaping thefashionindustry We developedtheideaforour companythesameyearand participatedinastartup competitioninwhichNuori Yrittäjyysrecognizedusas"The BestUniversity-BornStartupin Finland2019"
Whathasbeenthemost rewardingpartofrunninga sustainablefashionbusiness?
Honestly,it'sthehappycustomers. WithCUITU,it'snotonlythatwe producetheitemsandsoon,but weknewfromthefirstplacethat wewantedtocreatethesego-to experiencesthatstrengthenthe brand'sconnectiontothe community We'vedone
collaborationswithartandmusic events Thefeelingofhaving peoplecomingtogetherand seeingourcustomersbeing excitedaboutourproductsarethe truehighlightsofmyexperience.
Howhasthecompany’smission andvaluesimpactedyourdayto-dayactions?
Wevisitedthefactorywherewe sourcedourzippers,andI rememberbeingreallyexcited abouttheexperience Gettingto seetheproductionprocess firsthand,fromstarttofinish, completelychangedhowIlookat zippersnowadays Ihadnever thoughtaboutallthedetailsthat wentintotheirdesign
Regardingdailychoicesand consumingfashion,Igenerally shopinsecond-handstoresor veryselectbrands Ipayattention tothematerialslabelsmake clothesfromandhowtheymake them.Andifthefittingisnot perfect,Iliketakingthemhome andfixingthemalittlebit.Ialso enjoymakingDIYprojects
WhatprojectsisCUITU workingonrightnow?
Weareworkingonaspecial launchoftheneweditionthat willlaunchinAmsterdamthis spring,usingsomeofourbestsellerdesigns Inthiscollection, weareexploringthethemeof retro-gamingnostalgia
Whatisthecompany'sbestsellingproduct?
Ourmostpopularitemisthe Combobag,featuringacompact sizeandmultiplewaystowear it.Withtwodistinct compartments,itcanhelpkeep yourbelongingsorganized throughouttheday We constructedthebagfrom upcycledmaterialsandincluded aremovablestrapthatallows customerstowearitasa crossbodyorabeltbag
Howdoyouenvisionthe fashionindustryinthenext fewyears?
Ibelievethattherewillbemore versatilebusinessmodelsinthis industry Rentalservices,repair &reuse,orrepurposedclothing willhaveamoresignificantrole Anddespitesuchchanges,the needforartisticexpressionwill remain,butwithamore innovativeapproachthaninthe past Withtheriseindigital fashion,NFTs,andonlinefilters, consumerswillhavemore opportunitiestotryoutanduse products
Whatadvicedoyouhavefor someonewhowantstomakea difference?
Reflectingonmyexperience,I'm gratefulforhowitallwent I thinkthecriticalthemeistobe curiousabouteverything When approachingpeopleor situations,orsolutions,curiosity isthekey Howtoactivelydo somethingaboutitisbyputting yourselfindifferentplaces becausethat'showyougeta broaderperspective Holdtrueto yourvalues,andthat'syourmap forwhereveryougo.
Andifyouwanttocreate change,it'sforemostthatyougo forit Iknowfailingfastisa famousphilosophy,butitis accuratebecauseitoften happensthatyouhaveanidea andkeeptryingtomakeitbetter andbetterandbetter,butthen youneveractuallylaunchit So it'scrucialtogoforit,andthe solutionwilleventuallyimprove withexperienceandfeedback
Whenapproaching peopleorsituations, orsolutions,curiosity iskey Holdtrueto yourvalues,and that'syourmap whereveryougo
Basedin: Foundedin:
Zagreb,Croatia 2018 DomagojBolijar,HrvojeBoljar EcoRevolutionaries Fashion | | MIRET
Photos:MIRET
Twobrothersareshiftingtheparadigmoffootwearproductionthrough ecologicalsneakersmadefrom97%naturalmaterials.
Sevenyearsago,theBoljar brothersdecidedtheywould embarkonajourneyto“changeit [theshoeindustry]fromtheinside [out]"Today,theirMIRETsneaker brandhasbecomeoneofthe mostsuccessfulCroatianfashion startups
AftergraduatingwithaBAin EntrepreneurshipfromVERN' UniversityandaMAinIndustrial DesignfromtheUniversityof Zagreb,respectively,Domagojand HrvojeBoljartookovertheir family'sshoebusiness Together, theycollaboratedwithluxury brandstobringfashionable sneakerstolife.
However,astheynegotiatedwith suppliersandoutsourced manufacturers,theBoljarbrothers soonlearnedoftheharmful ecologicaleffectsofshoe productionandconsumption
“NotonlydidIwitnessthe devastatingenvironmentalimpact ofeverysinglestepintheshoe manufacturingprocess,butIalso feltasifeveryonewascompletely oblivioustothisissue,"Domagoj saidregardinghisinspiration behindstartingthebusiness
Accordingtoalifecycle assessmentconductedbythe MassachusettsInstituteof Technology,eachpairofsneakers generates30poundsofCO2 emissions,theequivalentof runninga100-wattlightbulbnonstopforoneweek Nowmultiply thatnumberbythe 23,000,000,000pairsofshoes manufacturedeachyear,and considerallthetoxicchemicals andoilderivativesusedalongthe process
Drivenbythegoalofrevamping this“darksideoffootwear,"the Boljarbrothersspentthenextfew yearsresearchingsustainable materials,designingaesthetic components,andsearchingfor supplierstodevelopaviable product
“Findingsupplierswasthemost challengingpartofthe developmentalstages,"said Domagoj “Inadditionto1)finding greenproducersand2)finding onesthatwerecompletely transparentabouttheirmaterial,
wealsohadtoensurethat3)the producerswerepassionateabout sustainabilityand4)willingto workwithasmallercompany"
In2020,theirideaforan innovativeecologicalsneaker cametofruition “MIRETsare madefrom97%naturalmaterials, suchaslinen,hemp,eucalyptus, and100%naturalwoolfromNew Zealand,"explainedDomagoj “Theyaretheonlysneakersinthe worldwithStandard100OEKOTEX®certification,adesignated labelthatrecognizesaproductas containingzerotoxicsubstances harmfultohumanhealth.”
Sincelaunching,MIREThaswon globalrecognition,including “SustainableFashionGold"atthe 14thInternationalDesign Awards™,andhasattracted investorsfromallovertheworld duringtheir2020Kickstarter campaign In2023,MIREThopes tobecomethefirstBCorpcertifiedcompanyinCroatiaand scaleupitssustainablesolution astheyseektoexpandintothe AmericanandAustralianmarkets
Formoreinformation, pleasevisit: https://wwwmiretco/
Basedin: Startedin: Massachusetts,USA 1987
Whatinspiredyoutobecomean environmentalist&textile alchemist?
Atthattime,Iwasincollegeat MassArtinBostonandwas workingmywaythroughschool.I hadthreepart-timejobsandwas tryingtofigureouthowtomake enoughmoneytopaymybills I madealittlestuffedtoycalleda Ragamuffinthatwasrecycled The firstoneIevermadewasoutof handmadefelt,andpeoplelikedit SoImadeanotherone,and anotherone,andpeoplewere buyingthemfromme
AndthenIwasridingmybicycle toworkatthislittlecaféin HarvardSquare Isawasignthat said,“lookingforcraftstosellat thiscraftstore"Itwasaco-op craftstore,andIcalledthem,and theywereexcitedtoseethe RagamuffinsIhadmade Andthey lovedthem
Overtheyears,I'veworkedwith myemployeestomakeover 10,000Ragamuffins.Ididn't realizeitthen,butIhadstarteda businesswith$20,apairof scissors,andwoolsweatersIhad boughtatalocalGoodwillthrift store
Aroundthattime,newlegislation
introducedtheBottleBillin Massachusetts,whereIlived It wasthefirstpublicconversation aboutgarbageandrecyclingIhad everheard Itmademethink aboutwhatwasrecyclableand whatthatevenmeant Because, honestly,atthetime,itwasn'ta householdword.Peopledidn't havebluebinsonthecurve,and noneofthatinfrastructureexisted. Iwasinterestedinnature,life cycles,andhowplasticwasnonbiodegradable AndsoIrealized thatnotonlywasitinexpensive formetostartabusinessasIdid, butitalsospoketothatpartof whatIwasinterestedin
What'stheprocessof convertingoldsweatersinto Ragamuffins?
Istartedoutusingsweaters becausemanypeopledonated shrunkensweaterstothriftstores So,whoeverhadthem,their husbandswashedthem,andnow itdoesn'tfit.Iknewthese sweatersweren'tcomfortableor wearableandthoughttheywould beagoodthingtouse
IwouldvisittheGoodwillor SalvationArmyandbuythecolors Iwaslookingfor Iliked
brightandpatternedcolorsforthe toysandwouldmachinewash anddryeverythingtoensurethey wereclean Then,Iwouldtakemy verysharppairoffabricscissors andcuttheshapesthatIneeded outofthosepieces Withayarn needle,Iwouldsewthepieces togethertocreatetheRagamuffin
What'syourexperienceworking withbrandslikePatagonia?
Ilovedit Andit'sinteresting becauseI'mcirclingbackaround tothatnow WhenIfirstworked withPatagonia,itwasin1995 It wasthefirstscrapprojectthey everdid,andatthattime,they startedusingpolarfleece,and mostoftheirproductionwas happeningoffshore Icollaborated withthemtodesignacoupleof differentpieces,butitdidn'tgo toofarbecauseitdidn'tmakeany sensetoshiptrashfromthe productionfloorinsomefar-off countryacrosstheoceaninan expensiveway Soitplanteda seedintheirproductionto understandthatsomethingcould happen
IalsoworkedwithTimberland, wherewedidtheirholidaydecor foralltheirstoresforoneyear, usingallupcycledrecycled materials Asasmallcompanyof just40people,itwasan enormousjobforusthatwas superfun
Themostrecentlarge-volume projectIdidwaswithEileen Fisher.Theirheadquartersis basedinIrvington,NewYork,and theyarestillusingtheinfluenceI proposed Theyrethoughthow theydesignedtheirfirstlife product Insteadofseaming thingswithmanydifferentshapes andsizesthatcometogetherin
waysthatmightmakeitdifficult toreuselater,they'reallowing theirpiecestobelarger,enabling themtohavemorepotential upcyclinguses EileenFisher RenewandGreenEileenare programsthatsellalready-used productsthatareequallypristine, clean,andbeautiful;butmuchless expensive
Howdoyouthinkthe perceptionofsustainabilityhas shiftedovertheyears?
It'ssorefreshing It'sjustamazing tome,honestly Ifeellikeit's alwaysbeensoimportanttome, andIhaveneverthoughtabout doinganythingelseforwork.It's soencouragingtoseeagrowing awarenessacrossdifferentages
There'ssomuchdoomandgloom aroundtheworld,butthebottom lineisthatpeopledon'tthrivein thatnegativity Weareconcerned aboutourenvironmentsothatwe canthrive notjusthumansbut thebiosphere
Therearesomanywaysthatit's justlikethisgreatopportunityfor peopletocreateabusiness, createalife,connect,andshare skillsandknowledge There'snot asmuchcompetitioninourarena becauseeverybodywhoupcycles hasonecommongoal,toaddress ourtextilewastecrisis
Ithinkthenewawarenessand attentionpaidtotextileupcycling isbeautiful.Idon'tthinkit'stoo late Ithinkit'sperfect
Canyouexpandonsome projectsyou'reworkingonright now?
Ijustmadeasubstantialpivotin mypathinthatIstoppedmaking productstosell.I'mworking throughthematerialsIhavein mystudioandfocusingmore attentiononpromotingpeoplein thislineofwork Ilovetodesign andmakethings,buttomake thingsjusttohavethemsoldis notsomethingthatworkswith mybusinessmodel
Ijustlaunchedapodcastlast summerthat'stakingoff,whichis superexciting It'scalledRagsTo RichesTextileUpcyclingPodcast Andthenlastyear,inApril,I hostedthefirstannualRagsto RichesTextileUpcyclingSummit It'sanonlinevirtualevent,andI'll behostingitagainthisyearfrom May17thto19th I'musinga differentmodelthisyear The summitwillbefree,makingit moreaccessibletopeople everywhere.
Muchoftheworld thatcreatesclothing forourculturelost theirindigenous designs Theyused tomakebeautiful clothespassed downforthousands ofyears.Ifeellike thatwillresurgeand thattherewillbe moreharmony Peoplearestarting torealizethepower thattheyholdby speakingup.
Howdoyouenvisionthefuture ofupcyclingandthetextile industry?
Therewillbeashifttowardssmall manufacturersproducingfor morelocalcommunitiesanda returntoindividualdesign.Much oftheworldthatcreatesclothing forourculturelosttheir indigenousdesignsbecausethey getpaidmoneytomakecheap clothes Theyusedtomake beautifulgarmetspasseddown forthousandsofyears Ifeellike thatwillresurgeandthatthere willbemoreharmony Peopleare moreawareifwelookaroundat whatpeoplearebecomingvocal about Peoplearestartingto realizethepowerthattheyhold byspeakingup
Formoreinformation, pleasevisit: https://crispinaeco/
Basedin:
Foundedin:
Foundedby:
Bucureşti,România
2021 IrinaMoreno,ZuzanaMandic
FromthethreeR'stothethreeW's,asustainablefashionlabelhas redefinedthefashionindustrybybecomingthefirstRomanianbrandto usedeadstockinitsproduction.
ThoughborninRomania,Irina MorenolivedintheUnitedStates foralmost20years Andwhenshe finallyreturnedtoRomaniain 2018,shewasshockedtoseethat therewas“nothingdonein sustainability"
AccordingtoMoreno,thereare over4,000factoriesinRomania alone,rangingfromsmallfactories withasfewas20workerstolarge factorieswithover1,000workers And“eachfactorygenerates between300and1,000 kilograms,notpounds,ofwaste eachmonth"
Dismayedbythelackof sustainablepracticesinthe Romanianfashionindustry, Morenodecidedtotakematters intoherownhandsandteamed upwithco-founderZuzana Mandictoestablish3WLabel Together,theycreatedaclothing brandthatsells“garments designedtolastinyourheartand yourwardrobe"Morenoclaims thattheproductionprocessis “99%sustainable"andstrivesto raiseawarenesscenteredonecofriendlypracticeslittlebylittle Afterperformingthorough researchonfabricproductionin eachfactory,shebuysjustenough deadstocktoturnwasteinto productswithoutcreatingwaste herself.
Becausesustainablefashionisa generallynewideainRomania, Morenohasfaceddifficulties persuadingconsumerstobuyinto thisnewconcept Shewearsher clothesoutdailyandpromotes themonsocialmediathrough
Despitethechallengesshefaces, Morenocontinuestoworkhard She'sreceived€20,000in Europeangrants Now,sheis pursuingaPhD intextile sustainability,studyingconsumer behaviortowardsgarmentsmade frompre-consumerwasteand practicesofapparel manufacturerstowardswaste disposal:“Iwanttoknowwhy factoriesarenotchoosingbetter waystodisposeoftheirwaste. Whatpreventsthem?Isitmaybe moredifficulttoinvestin machinesthatwould,forexample, shredthesmallpieces?"
Morenobelievesunderstanding consumerbehavior,legislation, andmanufacturingcostsis necessarytolearnaboutand teachpeopletheimportanceof sustainablefashion And influencers'clothingchoicesare crucialinconsumerdecisions betweensustainableand“fast fashion"
Herupcomingcollectionof garmentsexhibitsaZoeyvestin tweedkhaki,adarknavyViola dress,andafewotherfabricsand designs Eachpiece,tailoredtothe customer,isnumberedoutofa maximumof100andispartofa limited-editionseriessimilarto thatofartworks Moreno commented,“thisconceptis innovativeforthefashionindustry, whichtypicallyproducesan enormousnumberofunitsfor eachdesign."
Currently,3WLabelissolelyan onlineshop However,asMoreno continuestospreadsustainable practicesandgrowherbusiness, shehopestosellherproductsto conceptstores“wherepeoplecan see,tryon,andorder"her products
Formoreinformation, pleasevisit: https://www3wlabelcom/
Myfamilyhadatailoringand alterationshop,soIgrewup aroundmachinesandclothing.I alwayshadafascinationwiththe scrapbinandusedtotakethe piecesandmakethingsoutof them Iconfoundedmyselfwith theideaofthrowingaway valuablematerial Itwas somethingIcouldstilluse
AtUCDavis’designprogram,I metmyprofessor,AnneSavageau, aprominentadvocatefor sustainabilityandwastereduction Ifellinlovewiththeideaofnot onlybeingabletomakethings butalsobeingabletodoso responsibly
Afterthat,Icompletedan internshipinNewDelhi,India, whereImadebagsand accessoriesfromrecycled materials There,Irealizedthat upcyclingwasnotjustapassion butsomethingthatcouldbecome alegitimatebusiness.
Couldyoutellmealittlebit abouttheprocessofmaking upcycledaccesories?
Wegenerallymakeaccessories outofclothing Sowewillwork
Basedin:
Foundedin:
Foundedby:
California,USA 2011 ChristinaJohnson withclientstotakeanunusable delaminatedrainjacketand createanewproduct Therearea lotofcompaniesthatgettheir rainjacketseitherdisposedofor takenback.
Whenwestartedtalkingto Patagonia,theymentionedthat therainjacketswereasorepoint becausetheywearoutquickly There'snotmuchyoucandoto repairitasyoucan'tdelaminateit Sowedecidedtocollaboratewith themandmakealineofproducts outofthematerial
Myoverarchinggoalistowork withbrandsandhelpthemcreate anavenueforend-of-lifeproducts Wedon'tnecessarilywanttobe ourownbrandbutactasathird partythathelpsotherbrands reducetheirtextilewaste
WhatdoesUpcycleItNowaim todo?
Beacasestudythatprovesthe circulareconomyworks.Thething thatsaysthisworks,itdoesn't workthesamewaythatwe've beendoing,butit'sprettyclose Andit'spossible
Whathasbeenthemost rewardingpartofrunningthe business?
What'sexcitingiswhenwehave asuccessfulprojectorwhen ordersselloutwayquickerthan thebrandorretailerexpected.It showsthatpeoplewillpayalittle bitmorefor,appreciatethestory, andgetexcitedaboutaproduct madefromrecycledmaterial The emotionalconnectionwiththe pieceisgreater,andI'mexcited abouttheconsumerrespecting thecraftsmanshipandvalue
Howdidyougetintoupcycling?WhatprojectsisUpcycleItNow workingoncurrently?
Wehavealotofmaterialsthat differentclientshaveleftoverand aredoingourbesttofindhomes forthosematerials I'mworkingon gettingintooutdoorretailer specialtyshopsontheWest Coast,suchasSportsBasementor REI,aswellascommunity-owned shopssupplyingoutdoorgear Wetendtogravitatetoward thesebusinessesbecausepeople wholovetheoutdoorstendto understandtheimportanceof sustainabilityandpreserving nature
It'shardtoturnlarge entitiesaround,butif youhavehundreds andhundredsof smallerfishmoving inthesame direction,youcan createagreat movement
Whatadvicedoyouhavefor someonewhowantstomakea difference?
Recently,Ihavenoticedthe startingofmanygreat organizations Thinkaboutgoing tothemandaskingabouttheir problempointsandroadblocks It'seasytojumptosolutions,but it'snecessarytoslowdownand lookattheproblemholisticallyto seewherewecanbridgethe divide Maybeoneperson'sissue isanotherperson'ssolution Isee collaborationbeingasignificant partofasustainablefuture We've gotmanylittlemovements happening,andourkeyplayers aren't.
Thereareatonofavenuesyou cantake Learnasmuchas possibleandfindwhatdrivesyou Youhavetolovewhatyou're doingandbepassionateaboutit Takeandabsorbasmuch informationaspossible Thenfind solutionswhileensuringwhere youputyourtimeisaplaceyou enjoybecauseit'shard It'salittle bitarduous It'snotalways glamorous
Yesterday,Ireadagoodquoteby MarcusEriksen,thefounderof5 GyresInstitute,thatsaid,“it'shard toturnlargeentitiesaround,butif youhavehundredsandhundreds ofsmallerfishswimminginthe samedirection,youcancreatea greatmovement"Ialwaystryto thinkaboutthat.We'vegotmany littlepeoplegoingintheright direction.Aslongaswekeepthat up,thingswillhappen Thingswill move
Formoreinformation, pleasevisit: https://upcycleitnowcom/
WhatisRE.STATEMENT?
RESTATEMENTisanonline marketplaceforupcycledfashion
Howdidyoufindyourselfasthe founderofRE.STATEMENT,and whatwasitlikestartingout?
Mymomhasbeendoingsewing alterationsallmylife Sowatching hercutandputthingstogether, she'dhaveatonofleftoverfabric, andshealwaysturnedtheminto somethingnew
Oneday,Iwasonlineshopping andwastiredofnotfindingwhatI wanted.Iwasthinkingaboutmy favoriteandmostuniqueitems andcameupwiththeidea
Haveyouhadanyprior experiencewithsustainabilityor entrepreneurshipbeforestarting RE.STATEMENT?
Basedin:
Foundedin:
Foundedby:
Texas,USA 2022
HannahLe
IwenttotheUniversityof Pennsylvania,studiedatWharton there,andmajoredinoperations managementandmarketing, specializinginentrepreneurship andinnovation I'dalwaysknown thatIwantedtobeinastartupas longasitwasmission-driven BeforestartingRESTATEMENTI hadalwaysviewedsustainability assomethingimportant I rememberrunningapublication calledTheGoodStartup,which focusedonexactlythat Sustainabilityhasalwaysbeenon mymindwhenconsideringwhatI wantedtodowithmycareer
Howdidyougoaboutfinding designers?
ThedesignersonRESTATEMENT havealreadybeenupcycling
Beforeourmarketplaceexisted, theyweresellingeitheronEtsyor Depop,butmostlythey'reallover Instagram Soit'seasytofindtheir workusingproperhashtagsand lookingattheirsaleschannels there Theyhavespecificgoalsfor wheretheywanttobeintheir designprocess Andsoreaching outtohelpthemisaseasyasjust sendingthemamessage Butwe alsohadasignupformonour websiteforpeoplewhohear aboutRESTATEMENT The designercommunityisstrong, andtheylovetorecommend otherdesigners Igetatonof signupsaweekfromdesigners whoareexcitedtosellonthe platform.Wegofrombothends, anoutboundstrategyand inbound
Whatdifficultieshaveyouhad inconvincingconsumerstotry RE.STATEMENTproductswith themmadefromupcycled materials?
Thebiggestchallengewith consumersistheeducational aspect Manypeoplearen't familiarwithupcycledclothing,so theyneedanextrasteptoget educatedonit Wetakeafew stepsbackandsay,“okay,doyou likethispieceofclothing?"That's alwaysthefirststep That'salways beenmyphilosophywithfashion andeveninproductdesign There hastobeauseoutsidethe productbeingsustainable,or sustainabilitycan'tscale
Andoncethey'reinterested, they'rewillingtohearmore So oncetheyhear,“thisartistorthis designermadethisfromwhat?" Thatpiquestheirinteresteven morebecausetheyseea constraintthattheartisthadtogo through,orlikeachallengethat theartistwentthroughtocreate this,andthey'reovercomingthat challengeanyways Thereare manydifferentdesignsandstyles ofupcycledclothingandthisis whereitstarts
WhatprojectsisRESTATEMENT workingonrightnowintermsof expandingitsnetworkand spreadingawareness?
I'mworkingoutofHouston,the energycapitaloftheworld But fromaconsumerlevel,it'stough togetpeopletothinkmoreecoconsciouslythantheyalreadyare, andweneedsomewhatofa culturalshifttogetthat happening
Afewsustainablefashion companiesandIarecollaborating tocreatemarketplaceseventsin thelocalcommunitytogive peoplethespacetodiscussecoconsciousinitiatives Wehavea hunchthatbecausesomany Houstoniansworkintheenergy industry,they'rethinkingaboutit, butfromaconsumerlevel,their actionsaren'tmatchingwhat they'redoingforaliving.
Forstartupgrowth,I'matastartup eventeveryweek Thispastweek,I wasajudgefortheMassChallenge AcceleratorandtheDellStartup PitchCompetition Andsogiving startupadviceandinsightson whatit'slikebeingafounderand relatingtothatisa
bigpartofRESTATEMENT'srolein thestartupcommunity,especially withtheHoustonTechRodeo cominguptoo
Howhasthefashionindustry changedovertheyears?Where doyouthinkitwillshifttoward inthefuture?
Manycompaniesaredoingthis becauseit'ssustainable,whichis therightthingtodo ButIthink,in thefuture,we'rejustgoingtodoit becauseit'sthesmartthingtodo Becauseit'smorecost-effective, energy-efficient,andsustainable thancreatingmorematerial
Again,it'salwaysfascinatingto seehowmuchwastefashion companieswillthrowoutbecause it'soutofseasonoroutofstock I thinkdevelopinganewupcycling mindsetforthesebrandsis critical Fromseasontoseason, companieswillspendtime figuringoutwhattodowiththe leftovermaterialsandturnthem intosomethingnew,exciting,and evenmorecreativethanlast seasonbeforeusingnewmaterial
oreinformation, pleasevisit: //shoprestatementcom/
Basedin:
Foundedin:
Foundedby:
Colorado,USA 2021 CurranHughes,TonyEhrbar
RenegadePlasticsispioneeringasustainablealternativetoPVCand PolyethyleneFabrics.
Today,livingadaywithoutplastic isnearlyimpossible.It's everywhere fromtheinsulationin ourcarstothefibersinour clothestothecasingsofour phones,plastichasinvadedevery aspectofourlivelihood
PVCinthetextileindustry, commonlyknownas“vinyl,"and polyethylene(PE)havebecome householdnames Throughout 2022alone,anestimated50,000 tonsofPVCplasticwereproduced andusedforconsumption Not onlyaretheseplasticsnonbiodegradable,buttheycanalso emitdangeroustoxinsthat harmfullyaffecthumansandthe environment
Tocombatthegrowingissuesof plasticpollutionandgreenhouse emissions,foundersTonyEhrbar andCurranHughescreated RenegadePlastics Workingwith afemaleinventorfromKorea,the twosetouttocommercializethe proprietaryprocessofcreatinga polypropylene-basedfabricthatis non-toxic,recyclable,andlow carbon
“Ourendobjectiveistobuilda circulareconomyforplastic fabricsthatone:reducesmaterial, plasticwaste,butalsotwo:actsas anegativecarbonsolutiontothe plasticsindustry,"saidHughes “TheproductionprocessofPVCis notonlycarbon-intensiveand unrecyclable,butitalsoprevents theadoptionofmoresustainable materialslikebio-basedplasticsor carboncaptureresins Our materialopensthosedoors"
Despitebeing30-40%lighter weight,RenegadePlastics' polypropylenefabricshavehigher UV,chemical,andthermal resistancesthantraditionalPVC Theircoatedfabricscontainno lead,phthalates,dioxins,PFAS, VOCs,andheavymetals,making themasaferoptionforusers acrossnumerousapplications
OnechallengeRenegadePlastics hasfacedistheskepticismof consumersbecausemany“have traditionallyseenpolyethyleneas thecheapplastic,"saidHughes However,thecompanyisworking toconvincepeoplethattheycan transformpolyethyleneintoa high-qualitymaterial,akinto “makingwineoutofbeer"The companyhasexpandeditsreach andisenteringtheskiindustry.
RenegadePlasticsisamongthe growingnumberofcompanies workingtoreducethe environmentalimpactofplastic Byofferingasustainable alternativetoPVCand Polyethylene,RenegadePlastics issteeringusintherightdirection
“Ithinkit'sallaboutaction,"said Hughes “Forexample,wesaid, hey,youknowwhat?We'reno longergoingtobuylaundry detergentinplasticjugs It's focusingononeitemorusecase inyourlifeandchangingyour behavioraroundit"
Ourendobjectiveis tobuildacircular economyforplastic fabricsthatone: reducesmaterial, plasticwaste,but alsotwo:actsasa negativecarbon solutiontothe plasticsindustry
Formoreinformation, pleasevisit https://renegadeplasticscom/
Basedin:
Foundedin:
Helsinki,Finland 2013 JohnHellgren EcoRevolutionaries Plastics | | RePack
Photos:RePack
AFinnishcompanyistransformingthee-commercemarketbyoffering “packagingasaservice."
Theriseofe-commercehas reshapedthewayweliveour everydaylives
Ratherthangoingtoaninpersonstoretopurchasea product,wecannoworder onlineanytime,anywhere,with justafewclicksandtapson ourelectronicdevices And whilee-commerceisan incrediblyconvenientformof shopping,theitemswebuyare almostalwaysshippedin plasticandnon-recyclable packaging.
Inspiredbythetraditional bottlereturnsystem commonplaceinFinland,the foundersofRePacksoughtto applythispartoftheirculture andlifestyletothepackaging industry In2011,they embarkedonajourneyto“end trashonasystemiclevel,"said JohnHellgren,CEOofRePack
TheFinnishcompanyemploys areusablepackagingmodel madefromsustainable materials Atover200 partneredcompaniesupto date,retailersoffercustomers theoptiontoreceivetheir deliverythroughRePack mailersthatcomewithprepaid postage Repackincentivizes customerstoreturnthese mailersbydroppingtheminto alocalmailbox Uponreturn, RePackwillreconditionthe packageandawardcustomers discountsorrewards
“Wehavebrandswhoship everythinginRePackeven thoughit'stentimesmore expensivethanstandard single-usepackaging Theydo itbecausetheywantto Itfits theirvalues,andtheyknow thattheircustomerbasewill appreciatethattheyare investinginsustainability,"said Hellgren
RePackmakestheirmailers outofpolypropylene,thesame materialasblueIKEAbags, whichmakesthemhighly durable,lightweight,foldable, andeasytosource “Theyare derivedfrom100%recycled andupcycledmaterialsandare designedtowithstandupto60 deliveries"
Repackprimarilybasesits serviceinEuropeandNorth America,withthreepackaging collectionhubs:Estonia,France, andtheUnitedStates In2021, Repackcollaboratedwiththe largestpostalcompanyin France,LaPoste,forwhatthe companycalls“TheFrench Loop"Inotherwords,LaPoste interceptsallRePacksreceived inFrancetolocalizethe processandpromoteacircular economy.
AspartoftheEuropeanGreen Deal'sCircularEconomyAction Plan,newlegislationwas proposedinNovember,stating thatallpackagingbemade fullyrecyclableby2030 Buildingsomethingbasedon
sustainabilityintoday'sworld isnoteasy,"saidHellgren, “Whatgivesmehopeis legislation Ifthisweretopass, itwouldbeamonumental shift"
Onaconsumerlevel,wemust beawareofourday-to-day actionsandtakesmallsteps towardmakingapositive impact “Ultimately,wegetthe worldwevoteforwithour wallets."
Photos:TheClimateChangeCompany
Whatinspiredthebeginningof TheClimateChangeCompany?
Theideaforthecompanystarted in2019 IwasworkinginChinaat thattime Thepandemiccamein, andIquitmyjobtostart somethingnewinRomania Livingthere,Iwenttotheseaside once,andmywifetoldmethat thelocationwas300kmaway I waslike,"okay,I'mfromthe Netherlands Ishouldbeableto travel300kminamaximumof4 hours."
InRomania,itturnedouttobe slightlydifferent Igotintroduced tothepoorroadnetwork EverywhereIlooked,Icouldsee thetotalfailureofthewaste managementsystem Therewas nointerestinactuallyrecycling Or evenifpeoplewantedtorecycle plasticorglasstheyhad,itwas impossibletodowith conventionalrecyclingmethods Andthat'swhenIstarted experimentingwiththeideaof takingallthistrashwithoutdoing toomuchandmakingitcomplex “HowcanItransformitinto somethingusable?"
Giventhenumerousother methodstoupcycleplastic,why roadfoundation?
WhenIfoundedTheClimate ChangeCompany,theideawas,if youwanttochange,ifyouwantto createapositiveimpactonthe climate,thenyouneedtodo somethingimpactful Itneedsto besubstantial
Andthat'swhenwedecidedto workonconstructionmaterial becauseitisanitemusedin abundance.Thereisaneedfor thatallthetimeandintothe futureevenmore
Whenwestartedexperimenting, wequicklyrealizedthatconcrete istheoppositeofwhatwe're tryingtodo It'salreadyvery pollutingtoproducethecement itself Sothat'swhenwecameup withtheasphaltidea,and specifically,wethought,okay,“we don'twantplasticonthetopof thesurfaceoftheroadbecause thenyou'regoingtocreate microplastics"Wethenfoundthat 75-80%oftheroadisthe foundation,notthesurface
Andmostofthetime, the majorityofthecostlaysin foundation Thatwasperfect becauseitnotonlyhidesthe materialfromcontactwithtires, butwecanalsoupcyclealotof waste
Bythen,itwas2020,andwe startedoperationsinour laboratorytofine-tunetherecipes weweredeveloping Working withourofficialpartner,the NationalInstituteforResearch andTransport,wetookthe conceptintofullycertifiedroad constructionmaterial Lastyearin October,westartedworkingona pilotproject,whichwasincredible Itwaslikeallofthehardworkjust fellintoplace Everyonewas thrilled
Now,we'rerampinguptocope withthedemandthatwe're seeing It'sexcitingtoseehowthe wordisspreadingaroundthe world When,Ilookatourstepson thewebsite,nocountryhasn't visitedit We'retryingtomakean impactandsofar,everythingis goingaccordingtoplan
HowdoesyourproductLittar® differfromtraditionalroad constructionmaterials?
Ifyouwanttobuildaroad,you startwithabasegravellayer,a basecourse,abindercourse,and asurfacecourse Thebaseand bindercoursearethesameasthe surface rockswithbitumen,the asphaltmix Onthesurface,you havesmallrocksforavery smoothsurface.Theloweryougo, thelargerthesizeoftheparticles. Thebottomlayerhastobethe strongest,consistingof95%rocks
Andwhatwedidiswedeveloped twomaterials Oneisforreplacing partofthoseaggregates,the rocks,andthesand,whichthey usefortraditionalasphalt We removeandsubstituteitwitha specificamountofplasticand glass Andwealsohaveaversion thatconsistsonlyofplastic,glass, andbitumen,sonorocksatall, butthat'smoreforsmall-scale applicationslikeparkingspotsor prefabricatedsegments
WhatprojectsisTheClimate ChangeCompanyworkingon rightnow?
Weareworkingwithsomebig multinationalcompaniesthat producewasteintheirprocess. Forexample,wedidaprojectlast yearwithPrysmianGroup,a globalsupplieroffiberoptic cables(onesthatcan'tbedirectly recycled) Theycametouslike, “hey,weheardyouuseplasticand glass Fiberopticisplasticand glass Canyouuseit?"Andwedid aprojectwiththem,testingand analyzingthewholematerial It turnedoutthatwecoulduseit So thatopenedthedoorforother companiestocometous
Alongsidepartnerships,we'realso doingprojectswiththelocal government InRomania,wehave manysmallvillagesoutsideofthe largecitiesthatareoften inhabitedbytheoldergeneration ThroughtheRuralDevelopment Project,thegovernmentwantsto makethosemoreattractiveto youngpeople Weareinvolvedin thatlineofwork,providinglocal villageswithasmallcircular economywherethewastethey produce,suchasplasticandglass, canbereusedtobuild infrastructure
Howdoyouenvisiona sustainablefuture?
Weconsiderourselvesan innovationhubforresearchand developmentonclimatechange andenvironmentaltopics We developthetechnologyandthen handitovertotheindustry For example,withLittar®,wehave nowcertifiedit,wehaveapatent onit,andwhatwedoiswe licensetheindustrytouseour technology Theycan independentlyproducethe materialwithoutus We'realready workingonoursecondandthird solutionsrightnow That'swhere wewanttobe
Wewanttobreakthestatusquo thateverythinghastobedoneby NGOsandgoodwill Webelieve thataslongaswehavetheright mindsetandphilosophy,wecan becomeaself-sustainableforprofitcompanyrecognizedwithin theindustryasthebeaconoflight
FlipsidePlastics
Basedin:
Foundedin:
BritishColumbia,Canada 2020 LaskaParé EcoRevolutionaries Plastics | |
Photos:FlipsidePlastics
Withaflipinperspective,aCanadianstartupcreatedanupcycledsoapdish forhomeessentialsreimagined.
Fromthemajesticsummitsofthe HimalayasinNepaltothebright peaksoftheTaebaekMountains inKorea,LaskaParéwas surprisedbytheamountofplastic shewouldfindinthemostremote placesaroundtheworld
“ItwasjustalarmingtomewhenI wouldseeplasticwastebuiltupin differentnaturalenvironments," Parésaidasshelookedbackon hertimeinmountaineering school
Troubledbytheexperience,Paré felttheneedtodealwiththe plasticwastecrisisandwas motivatedtomovebackto Canada,whereshelandedajob workinginthegovernment
Startingsmall,shebeganherown recyclingprogramsinside governmentbuildings,ensuring thateverydayitemssuchaspens, markers,andbatterieswerebeing disposedofproperly Butastime wenton,Paréfeltasifthe bureaucraticpacelimitedher abilitytoexpanduponthese volunteerinitiativesanddecided tostartherownprojectexternally, anenterprisethatbecameknown asFlipsidePlastics
Paréboughtasmallshredding andinjectionmachinetoturnthe plasticwasteshefoundinher downstairsrecyclingbinsinto upcycledcoasters Andwhilethe processwasinitiallychallenging, Paréfeltshewas“goingastepin therightdirection"
WiththepassingoftheCleanBC PlasticsActionFundin2021,Paré secured$50,000infundingand beganbikingaroundVictoriawith ateamofmicrorecyclers, contactingcafesaroundtownto collectdisposablecoffeelids Paré connectedwithlocalbusinesses tomeasuremarketdemandand determinedthataprototypesoap dishwouldbethebestproductto makeoutofthesediscardedlids
“Peoplelikedthatweweregoing toturnthecoffeecuplidsthey wereholdingintosomething new, "saidParé
In2022afterthepilotproject ended,Flipsidebegansourcing feedstockfromamanufacturerin BritishColumbiatomaintaina sustainablesupplychain Indoing so,Parécouldfocuson developingandlaunchingthe revisedsoapdish(Riptide)tothe massmarket Thenewdesign includesatwo-piecesetwith
drainageholesandanunderneath traythatcatchesalltheexcess waterandsoaptopreventthem fromgettingontothecountertop
Paréisalsohopingtomakea travelversionofherproduct “There'stalkofconsideringasoap dishtravelcasebecausepeople wanttobringtheirownsoap whentheytravel Andmoreand morecompaniesaren'tmaking travelcasesanymore,"theCEO said
Paréimaginesasocietywhere cheaperdoesn'tmeanbetter wherepeoplevaluelong-term impactovershort-termbenefits Shehopestoleadamindsetshift towardsacirculareconomyanda cleanerlifestyleforallconsumers
“Ithinkthatwhatwe'reseeingis moremindfulnessinour generation,themoreminimalist living Ienvisionmorepeople beingthoughtfulintheirdecisions andreallycaringaboutwhere thingscomefrom"
Formoreinformation, pleasevisit: https://wwwflipsideplasticscom/
Basedin:
Foundedin:
Foundedby: Rugsal
Freetown,SierraLeone
2017
AlhajiSirajBah
ASierraLeoneanentrepreneurisusingcoconutstofightdeforestationand theaftermathoftheworstnaturaldisasterinthecountry'shistory.
August14th,2017-Torrentialrain strucktheresidentialslopesof SugarloafMountaininFreetown, causingacascadingdownpourof sludgeanddebris Soonafter,a thunderouscrackechoedacross thecapitalcity,followedbyan abruptopeningofsinkholesand thecollapseoftheearth This catastrophicmudslidemarkedthe worstnaturaldisasterinSierra Leone'shistory Areportdoneon theeventbytheWorldBank identified1,141individualsasdead ormissing,including22-year-old AlhajiSirajBah'sadoptedfamily
Devastatedbytheevent,Bah decidedto“stepupandcomeup withasolutiontohelp"Noticing theabundanceofwastein Freetown,Bahfoundedhisown company,RugsalTrading,named afterhismother,Rugiatu,andhis father,Salieu Hisbusinesscreates briquettesmadefromthescraps ofcoconuts(oneofFreetown's mostpopularsnacks)thatserve asaneco-friendlyandcosteffectivealternativetotraditional wood-basedcharcoal.
“InAmerica,mostpeopleusegas andelectricityforcooking,"said Bah “Buttobefrank,morethan 90%ofpeopleinWestAfricause woodcharcoal Andtherateat whichwearedeforestingtrees increased It'scausingmany problemslikemudslides,air pollution,andimproperwaste management"
TheproductionprocessofRugsal Trading'scoconutbriquettesis labor-intensive Everytwodays, Bahandhisteamgoaroundtown collectingleftovercoconutshells
fromvendors,whichtheybringto thefacilitywheretheydrythem foraweekbeforebeing carbonized Thecarbonized coconutshellsarelaterground andmixedwithabinderbefore beingextrudedanddriedinan ovenorthesun.Thecoconut briquettesarethenpackagedin bagsmadefrombananafibers andsenttocustomers
Whilecoconutbriquettesemit lesstoxicsmokeandaremore economicalthanconventional woodcharcoal,RugsalTrading stillfacesdifficultyconvincing peopletobuytheirproduct “It's noteasy,though We'vebeen sensitizingpeople,"Bahsaid “Theyhavebeenusingthiswood charcoalformorethan2,000 years Sotochangethatwithin justanightthat'snotpossible It takes
timetobuildanythinggreat It tookTeslamorethantenyearsto takethemwheretheyaretoday"
Bah'sinnovativeeffortshave gainedinternationalattention.In 2019,theUnitedNationsselected Bahasafinalistforthe“Young ChampionsoftheEarth"award Andthefollowingyear,hewas invitedtopresenthisideasata venturecompetitionatHarvard BusinessSchool
“Therearealotofyoungpeople whoareworkingtowardsa cleanerandabetterfuture,"said Bah "Ithinkittakestime,butIsee abrighterfutureifwecontinueto dowhatwe'redoingandata fasterspeed"
Formoreinformation, pleasevisit: https://wwwgofundmecom/
Whatinspiredyoutostart MatriarkFoods?Howdidthe businessevolvetobecomewhat itisnow?
BeforelaunchingMatriark,Ibuilta healthyeatingprogramforyouth andfamiliesinpublichousing.We alsohadafarmprogramin upstateNewYorkwherewegot farmerstodonatetheirsurplus produce Therewasjustalot goingtowaste,andmanypeople sufferedfromfoodinsecurity That inspiredthebusinesstodivert foodfrombeingthrownawayand tocreategreateraccessto healthyfoodandadditional marketsforfarmers
Welaunchedourfirstproductin thefallof2019 Wegotpickedup byCompassGroupandUSFoods, andbythetimewefinishedall thepaperwork,itwasthefirst weekofMarch2020 Wesolda palletofproducts Wewerelike, "thisisgreat We'reofftothe races"Andthenoneweeklater, foodserviceshutdownglobally SoIwouldsaythatintermsof evolution,it'scertainlyslowed downourprogressfromasales perspectivebecausetherewasno foodservicebusiness Despitethe pandemic,wehadmany partnershipsandsurvived financiallyoverthosetwoyears Weneverveeredfromouroriginal proposition,whichwasto
Basedin:
Foundedin:
Foundedby:
NewYork,USA
2018 AnnaHammond
divertfoodfromlandfill,feed peoplehealthyfood,anddevelop productsthatwereaccessible
Ithinkitonlyjuststrengthened Webecamestrongeranddid moreprojectsalignedwithour values We'vegottenripeina goodway,inahealthyway
Couldyoutellmealittlebit moreabouttheprocessof convertingleftoverfoodwaste andturningthemintoupcycled foodproducts?
Weworkattheintersectionof manufacturing,where19million tonsofremnantsandoff-spec
vegetablesareusuallysentto landfillnationwide We've developedrelationshipswith manufacturerstocaptureand createallthefoodsafety compliancenecessarytousethe off-cutsandsurplusas ingredients Wepaythemforthe packaging,transportation,and capture,andinturn,theymakea littlebitofmoneybackonthe moneythey'vealreadyspent buyingtheseproducts Theyalso don'thavetopaytippingfeesfor sendingthemtolandfill.Wework withlocalandnational distributors,includingSysco,US foods,GordonFoodService,and PFG
Howmuchfoodwastehas MatriarkFoodssavedthusfar?
We'vecollectedatotalofaround onemillionpounds Thisnumber soundslikealot,butit'sjusta scratchonthesurfaceofthe issue Anddifferentproducts,to beupcycledcertified,havetobe proventhatatleast10%ofthe ingredientswouldotherwise havegonetolandfill.Andour productsarealwaysupwardsof 75% Wedesigntheproductsto beasolution That'swhywe're makingthingsthatareeveryday products They'renotsnacks,not specialtyitems They'resauces youcanputonpastaanduseto makesoup They'revery versatileproducts Andwehope theybecomeahouseholdname whereeveryonecontributesto mitigatingfoodwasteby purchasingtheseproducts
1,000,
Onthewebsite,MatriarkFoods hasaselectionoffood productsthattheysell Was thereareasonMatriarkFoods chosetheseproductsas opposedtoothers?
Yes,verymuchso Allofour productscomeoutofthesupply chainthatweseeisneededto takeup.Sovegetableremnants aresuchanobviousone.You can'tseevegetableremnants withoutthinking,“thatshouldbe broth"Samewithtomatoes It's likeyousee3millionpoundsof tomatoesgoingtowaste We canthinkabout10million potentialproductsmadeoutof tomatoes,butwelookatthe mostsimpleproductwecan make,theproductswiththe mostusecases,andthat thinkingprocessinspireswhat theproductbecomes
we 'vecollecteda totalofaround
Thisnumbersounds likealot,butit'sjust ascratchonthe surfaceoftheissue.
000 pounds.
oodsplan arger promote that aste? always company ecan e the counting, epartments, lotmore oducts odsis
edabouta elaunching getable defrom egetables, cificallyfor emergency table,fully
n, pleasevisit: kfoodscom/
Couldyoutellmeaboutyour backgroundandwhatinspired youtopursueenvironmental law?
It'soneofthoseitemsthatthe storyismoreoneoffallingintoit andthenfindingitasmypassion atthesametime Iwentto undergradthinkingaboutmathfinancebutwasunsatisfiedwith thejobsIwastryingas internships SoIwentandworked atalawfirm Iwenttolawschool, andthenthefirmwhereIwas doingasummerpositionlooked atmybackground,whichhas somemathscience,andsaid, “ we'dlikeyoutotrythe environmentalgroup"AndIloved it I'vealwaysenjoyedspendinga lotoftimeoutdoorsandvaluethe environment,soitwasaunique
Basedin: Startedin: NewJersey,USA 2014 opportunitytodosomething fascinatinganddiverse Environmentallawisaveryvaried andesotericpracticearea.Ithasa lotofassemblageofdifferent things,andyou'realwaysdoing somethingdifferent I'mluckyto doalltypesoflawtasks: transaction,litigation,and regulatorywork,allinoneday Andsortofovertime,mypassion andloveforwhatIdogrew,andI coulddomoreofthestuffIlove evenmore,whichisthesubsetof environmentallawthatintersects withsustainability,andadvising upcycledcompaniesisoneof thosethings AndIwasrecently abletotakeabigstepbyjoininga newlawfirmandheadingtheir environmentalandsustainability lawpracticegroup
Whathavebeenthemost challenginglegalimplicationsof upcycling?
Theupcyclingmovementhas,for themostpart,steeredclearof legalobstacles Initially,Iwas worriedthattheintersectionof foodwastelaws,wasteregulation, andupcyclingwouldintersectand thatupcycledcompanieswould besubjecttoadditionallegalor regulatoryrequirementsbecause theywerehandlingwaste material Butthathasn't materializedasanissuebecause, forthemostpart,stateslookatit asfooddivertedintoanupcycling processstreamandhaven'tadded heightenedregulation Themost importantlegalissueislabeling andcertificationsrequirements TheUpcycledFoodAssociation,as wellasgoverningbodiesatthe federalandstatelevelregulate whenyoucancallsomething “organic."Thesameappliesto upcycling.Thelastthingisa generalcorporateissuerelatingto fundingandgettingjustgeneral corporatetypethingswhichare notoftheobstacles Thetypical thingsabusinessgoesthroughas theygrow
IsawthatWaste360awarded you“Waste36040under40." What'sthemostrewarding partofbeinginthissector?
It'sgettingtohelpbusinesses thathelptheenvironment I knowthatwhenI'mworking withanupcycledfoodbusiness andhelpingthem,nomatter whatitistodo,I'mhelpingthem dowhattheydobest,whichis sellproductsthatdivertwaste fromlandfillandreduceclimate change Sothemostrewarding partisgettingtoworkwithsuch groundbreakingcompanies doingspectacularthingsto changeconsumerismandthe processesthathavecausedthis muchnegativeimpactonthe planet
Whatareissuesfrequently overlookedwhenpeoplethink abouttheenvironmentand sustainability?
Fromabusinessandstartup perspective,peoplestartnew businessesaimedatmany differentthings Legal complianceisalwaysabroader topicthanpeoplethink Forthe upcycledfoodindustry,many lawsapplytofoodproducers, whethersmall-scaleorlargescale,andtherearelotsofways toproduceit.Soascompanies grow,theyneedtobemore carefulabouttheirlegal compliance
Asaleadingenvironmental andclimatelawyer,what makesyouhopefulin achievingasustainablefuture?
Oneofthethingsthatmakes
meveryhopefulistoseehow capitalismismovingtoward climateconsciousness Money drivessolutions Andupcycled foodisaperfectexampleofthis You'reseeingcapitalist structuresputinplace Wecan't justdivertallthefoodbecause wewantto.Youcan'tget enoughvolunteers.Youcan't sustainahundredpercent volunteergrouptodealwiththe logisticalandotherissuesof eliminatingfoodwaste Soonce youaligneconomicincentives withit,youcanbeginmakinga change Andsotheupcycled foodmovementisanexample ofaligningeconomicissues, creatinganeconomicmodel thatfurtherssustainabilityso thatitpaysforitselforeven moreso Andwheneverthat's happening,youhavetraditional structuresthatIlookatandgo, “theyneedlegalsupportaswell." Soseeingthesekindsof complexbusinessesarise,we're goingtobeabletodomore good,andtwo,therewillbe opportunitiesformetohelp themdomoregood
Themostrewarding partisgettingto workwithsuch groundbreaking companiesdoing spectacularthingsto change consumerismand theprocessesthat havecausedthis muchnegative impactontheplanet
Whatinspiredyouguystostart thebusiness?Who'stheteam?
Nineyearsago,weowneda coffeeshop.Wecollectedglass juicecontainersforoneofthe suppliersandthoughttheywould berecycledorreused Butit turnedoutthatitwaseasierfor themanufacturertobuynew ones Wethoughtabouttheidea ofrecyclingbottles Mostofthe glassinourcountryisnot processedand,inthebestcase, endsupintheglassscrapyard At thatmoment,werealizedwe neededtostartworkingtowards solvingthisissueinsmallsteps andactivelypromotingthistopic tomorepeople Thatishowwe begantodevelopintheglass processingdirection
Basedin: Foundedin: Foundedby:
Lviv,Ukraine 2011 RoksolanaKhudoba
Ourteamusuallyconsistsof3to5 employees Roksolanaisour founderandownerofthebrand, Olyaisacraftswomanwhomakes goods,andVladpreparesbottles forcutting/sintering.Beforethe startofthefull-scaleRussian invasionofUkraine,wehadmore employees Atthebeginningof Februarylastyear,thesituationin Ukrainewasprecarious,sowe wereleftwithoutthemalepartof ourteam
Couldyoutellmealittlemore abouttheprocessofconverting usedbottlesintoupcycled glasses,vases,and candleholders?
Thegeneralproductionprocess beginswiththepreparationofthe
containerforprocessing Our craftswomanVladahasallthe bottlesandcleansthemoffthe labels Inthecoldworkshop,we completecuttingandstamping. Wecutthebottlesonanichrome threadtothespecifiedheights, and,withthehelpofmatting,we applyvariouspatternsandlogos ofthebrands Wethenbake bottlesinthehotworkshop furnace Thebottleissinteredand willbecomealmostflatunderits weight Wereceivebottlesfor productionlocallyfromcoffee shops,wineries,andrestaurants Ourentireteamcollectsthe bottlesatvariousevents,and sometimesitsurprisespeople In aweek,weprocessapproximately 150bottlesinthecoldworkshop and50-60inthehotworkshop
Whatchallengeshave ReRe:Sklofaced?
Atthebeginningofourjourney, educatingcustomersabout recyclingandreusingwasthe numberonepriority Manybuyers didnotunderstandtheneedto buyaglassfromabottle consideredgarbage
Webeganspreadingawareness amongouraudienceandvisitors tothecoffeeshop Social networksalsocameinhandyas westartedtoshowallthestages ofmakingaglassoraplate, coveringthecleaningand processingoftheproducts Over time,itmadecommunication withcustomersmore streamlined Sincethecreationof ourInstagram,ouraudiencehas grownsignificantly Wenowhave theopportunitytopromotethe importance,benefits,andsafety ofusingtablewarefrombottles destinedtobecometrash
Thenextstagewastoconveythe valueoftheproductstothebuyer becausenotallpeople understoodwhytheproductfrom thebottlewereceived“forfree" hadapriceof$4-10 Peoplewere notreadytopayfor“garbage"
Itwaseasytoexplainthepriceas weworkofficially:wepaytaxes, havehiredworkers,andrenta workshopthatmeetsallthe productionandworkerprotection requirements Thesefactors affectthecostoftheproduct,and wedonotinvestintheraw materialsthemselves.Weinvest inproduction,sustainable packaging,andbrand development
Adiscardedbottleof beerorwineisnot garbagebutagreat alternativetothe massmarket, aesthetically beautifuland,atthe sametime, environmentally friendly Weoften usethephrase "salvageglass," savedfromlandfills, decomposition,and pollution.
HowdoesReRe:Sklospread awareness?
Wewanttoshowthepossibilities ofrecycling Adiscardedbottleof beerorwineisnotgarbagebuta greatalternativetothemass market,aestheticallybeautiful and,atthesametime, environmentallyfriendly Weoften usethephrase“salvagedglass," savedfromlandfills, decomposition,andpollution Our goalistohighlightenvironmental issuesbypopularizingthetopicof recycling Interestingvideosofthe manufacturingprocessorphotos ofbreakfastwithplatesmade fromwinebottlesattractpeople's attention,andinthisway,more audiencesjoineco-awareness. WiththehelpofInstagram,our videofromthemanufacturer gainedaround790thousand viewsandattractedverymany buyerswhowereinterestedin purchasingourproducts
Inthefuture,wehaveplansfor collaborationswithUkrainianor globalbrandsintherecyclingand glassindustries
Howdoyouenvisiona sustainablefuture?
Formoreinformation, pleasevisit: https://wwwshchos-tsikaveua/en
Customization,secondhand, thrifting,recycling,rejectionof cheapfactoryitemsthatwillnot lastlong,insteadchoose sustainableitems Whilea sustainablefutureisnotasclose aswewouldlikeittobe,small brandslikeusandthesmallsteps ofeveryoneonthisplanetarekey! Recyclingdoesnotequalfreeor cheap Butitdoesequalan ecologicalandbetterfuture We integratethesetipsintoourlives andshowbyourexamplethat recyclingisfashionableandecoawarenessisattractive
Whatinspiredyoutostartthe business?
Asateam,westarted experimentingwithcutting bottlesintoglassesin2017 Most ginbottleshadbeautifuldesigns, andwethoughtitwasashameto discardthem,especiallysince manyendupinlandfills
Howfastisthebusiness growing,andwhoispartofthe SmoothEdgeteam?
In2020,duringthelockdown,we hadalotofsparetimetogrowour brandandsawsignificant demandforeco-friendly glassware Webecamealimited companyinearly2021,withSam, ourleaddirector,workingon SmoothEdgefull-timefromlate 2021 Nowin2023,wehave growntoateamof6,three directors,oneofwhichisan environmentalanalysis/expert whoformsalargepartofour business,oneleadglassware manufacturer,andtwo volunteeringbusinessand marketingdeveloperswhoall startedlate2022.
Howdoyouconvertingwaste bottlesintoupcycledglasses?
Ourprocessofupcyclingwaste intobottlesallstartswiththe bottlecollection Wecollectmost
Basedin:
Foundedin:
Foundedby:
Chichester,UnitedKingdom 2019 SamuelWright,LeahGoodwin
ofourbottlesfromlocalbars, cafes,andpubs Oncecollected, wesortthroughthewastebottles andthencut,smooth,polish,and cleanthemtobereadyforretail Anothersignificantpartofour businessisalsoworkingwithgin brandsthemselves Because manybrandbottlesarebespoke made,theretendtobealotof
“seconds"orunusablewaste bottles.Soratherthandiscarding these,theysendthemtoustobe upcycledintoglassware They thensellthemintheirgiftsetsetc Someweeks,wecangothrough 50bottles Inotherweeks,wecan gothrough400+dependingon whatbrandswantandhowbusy wearewithb2c
Whatchallengeshas SmoothEdgefaced?How doesSmoothEdgespread awarenessofupcycling?
WhenwestartedSmoothEdge, itwasdifficulttoensurethat ourcraftsmanshipwasupto standard Weprideourselves onprovidingtheultimate smoothfinish,similarto factory-madeglass However, therewasastigmathat upcycledglasswarewasof poorqualityaspeopleare tryingtodowhatwedo,but withapoorfinishwhichcould beputtingoffcustomers.
Weintroducedour100% craftsmanshipguarantee,and oncewebuiltourreviews(over 3505-starreviews),the questionofqualitynolonger appeared People'sperception ofwasteasbeingunwanted,I isslowlyshiftingasawareness regardingwastematerial improves Ourmethodof upcyclingglasswareusesupto 150xlessCO2comparedtothe standardproductionoffactorymadeglass Consumersknow thatwearealsoreducing wasteheadingtolandfills Our productisn'tjustglass,but glassforachange.
DoesSmoothEdgehaveany futureplans?
Inthefuture,wehopetowork withlargealcoholbrandsto spreadawarenessregarding wasteandreducetheburden ofwastebottleswhile increasingthecircularityof wastebottlesandreducingthe needforvirginmaterials
Basedin: Startedin: Lagos,Nigeria 2019
Youbecameverywellknownfor makingsculpturesoutof discardedmaterial.Howdidyou becomethisartist?
Besidesbeinganartist,I'malsoan educator,andtheneedto demonstratetheuseofmaterials isverypertinent Thereisacourse Iteachtiedtotechnicalmaterial thatspurredmetolearnaboutall thematerialsaroundmeandtheir potential Theyalreadyhavetheir history,soit'saboutadapting
themtosuitmypurpose.With industrialization,therearealotof materialsinourenvironment: wood,plastic,metal,glass,plastics, tires,andelectronicpanels These areavailabletousasartists,and wemustexplorethem
Whatisoneofyourfavorite works?
Thebullisoneofmysignature works,showingtheuseoftires andelectronicpanels It
representstheterm“bullmarket" whenthefinancialmarketishigh Iconstructedthesculpturetothe scaleofalife-sizebullandused electronicpanelstocoverthe frontalsection,tiresforthebody andalsoweldedcoinsforthe back I'malludingtothefactthat mostofsocietynowisbecoming cashlesswhileelectronicmoney istakingthefrontalstage Tome, it'sametaphorinterrogatingthe currentsituationofmoney markets
Transmogrificationtalksaboutchangetowardsomething thattendstobeunpleasant I’malludingtothebenefitsand challengesthatcomewithtechnology
Withunprecedentedlevelsofadvancement,humanitykeeps onevolving Electronicsaredesignedandimplemented acrossfieldsofnanotechnology,artificialintelligence(AI), andmuchmore Thesetechnologiesshapeoureveryday lives,anddependingonhowweusethem,theyhavethe potentialtobecomedevastatingtousashumanbeings.
Themetalfishstructurehintsathumanadvancementinthe oceans Thereismuchmoretobefoundintheseathanwe haveonland,withanestimated80%unknowntomankind Scientistsareconstantlydiscoveringnewspeciesand habitats,andthereismuchmorewehaveyettoexplore
Isthereaprojectyou're workingonthathasn'tbeen showcasedyet?
Recently,I'vebeenpreparing foranothershowcase Unfortunately,thegallerythatI wasgoingtoexhibitat,the CentreforContemporaryArt,is restructuringitsfacilities Hopefully,itwillhappenlater thisyear
TheprojectI'mworkingonis moreorlessasequelto Transmogrification Istillwant tocontinuelookingathow peopleinthisdigitalageare passionateandengrossedwith technologies,suchasselfies.
There'salsoaninstallationthat Iamusingascommentaryon thecorruptionofoiltheftin Nigeria.It'sbrokenrecently regardinghow,inNigeria, manypeopleinpowerare involvedinsellingoilillegally
Whatisyourvisionfora sustainableenvironment,and howcanweprotectitfor futuregenerations?
Aswestrivetowards development,it'simpossible nottoexperiencewasteissues. However,itisuptoustoshift ourperceptionofwastefrom beinganuisancetosomething thatcanbeadmired
Iusealotoftiresinmywork, upcyclingthemfromwhat usedtobeirritablematerialto somethingthatpeoplecan lookatasanaestheticobject Asavisualartist,waste materialsworkasaveritable metaphor Itisnecessaryto findamediumtoengagethese discardedmaterials Thatin andofitselfisaformofart
Nowadays,youseepeople usingtirescreatively,from tablestochairstofurniture, whichwasnotanoption before InLagos,forinstance, wenowhaveanagencythat's inchargeofcollectingtires Insteadofburningthemas doneinthepast,theytryto upcyclethemintosomething ofvalue Somepeopleare adoptingthemasfurniturefor theirgardensordecorationfor theinterioroftheirhouses
Aswestrivetowards development,it's impossiblenotto experiencewaste issues.However,itis uptoustoshiftour perspectiveon wastefrombeinga nuisanceto somethingthatcan beadmired
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.
