Portuguese startup Benefício devels limited edition products, with particular attention to the use of materials local knowledge. By adopting artisanal production methods and respecting fair trade and the environment, the company mostly applies the principles of circular economy, in particular upcycling.
ZĪLE is a Latvian fashion brand which develops its clothing while looking at a sustainable future, through the concept of upcycling. The label’s main resource materials are denim trousers, men’s shirts and imagination.
ZIKOM is one of the largest distributors of professionally reconditioned computer equipment in Poland.
Music business can be circular, too! MWfono makes vinyl records from the waste that remains after cutting other records. Kayax label then packs the discs in recycled paper and employs a protection film made from maize.
Zona Urbana is a fashion company based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Since 2004, it designs and manufactures products with recycled materials, mainly bags or wallets.
In Venturis HoReCa a group of professionals has joined forces, knowledge, expertise and ideas to tackle the problem of food waste. They have developed IT systems (KuMin.Sys and KuMin.App) to monitor and reduce food waste in kitchens and canteens. Monitoring of food waste is the first important step in the process of reduction. Venturis HoReCa also advises companies on how to limit food waste.
Re-Match has a recycling process for synthetic turf, recovering up to 95% of the materials, which is accredited with the EU’s Environmental Technology Verification. Their patented technology separates the sand, backing, rubber and plastic fibre from used synthetic turf. These materials can then be sold or used in a wide variety of new products in different industries.
In Slovakia and Czechia, an initiative set by three recent graduates has been positively impacting the sector of waste management in both countries. The Elwis Waste Registration System has the objective to increase efficiency in the cities’ waste management systems by helping reducing the amount of mixed waste.
LENZING™ ECOVERO™ produces a sustainable and fully biodegradable fibre brand for apparel. It is developed from renewable pulp and wood sources. Importantly, the wood which serves as raw material come from certified sustainable sources.
Kitchen Dates is an environmentally friendly restaurant located in Lisbon. It has the particularity of operating without generating any waste - so no use for rubbish bins!
GoodAfter.com is an online supermarket focused on products near their recommended consumption date or, in certain cases, even after their "best-before" date.
Fil&Fab has developed a technique to transform disused end-of-life fishing nets into plastic sheets, which are then used to create a series of new plastic products.
Fibracat has developed cellulose-based absorbents from paper for use in the cleaning and industrial hygiene sectors.
Espigoladors is a social enterprise focused on preventing food waste and empowering people prone to social exclusion.
Bio2Materials is a company which makes a 100% biodegradable 'leather' from apples – the main type of fruit grown in Poland.
The Amorim Group is among the cork industry’s world leaders. It has a business unit focused on recycling, reusing, and reinventing the use of cork - alone or mixed with other raw materials - in the generation of new products and applications (construction, footwear, aerospace, railways, etc.).
Beewraps by Malu is a food packaging material designed and produced by a Polish family company to replace food foil, aluminum foil or disposable plastic containers with a biodegradable and reusable alternative.
Veolia has been extending the useful life of plastic bottles using a PET (Poly Ethylene Terephthalate) plastic recycling process. A mechanical and chemical recovery process transforms the PET flakes into a product suitable for use with food.
Vanheede Biomass Solutions processes packaged or unpackaged food items that, for various reasons, are no longer fit for human or animal consumption. Fermentable residue is gathered and processed at a bio-methanisation plant in order to generate green energy.
Veolia has developed expertise and built specific facilities to tackle the complex process of treating, depolluting and dismantling Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). This is a valuable source of recyclable raw materials: ferrous metals, plastics and precious metals can all be recovered and reused.
The SAWYER project aims to facilitate the transition of European furniture companies to a more circular economy. The project ran from February 2020 to March 2021, studying the main legislative and voluntary instruments that can facilitate this transition.