UtilDeco Group SRL has become Romania’s flagship work-integration social enterprise.
In 2023, it linked its textiles and coffee operations in a circular-economy pilot scheme: fabric off-cuts from uniform production and empty jute coffee sacks were upcycled into OPYA Fashion, a limited-edition collection of jackets, totes and accessories.
The enterprise is now scaling circularity through two major projects, one on digital product passports in textile products and the other on hiring workwear.
EKOFOM is INGENITEX's new technology for making bras and bra foam cups more sustainable. Developed as part of a project running until 2026, it produces bra cups using recycled foam of comparable quality and performance to virgin foam products.
Recycling Albania was set up in 2022, based on the zero waste hierarchy. It aims to transform Albania’s waste sector into a model for sustainable resource management and lead the way in circular economy solutions in the Western Balkans.
It's setting up a Circular Economy Park, with a Multifunctional Education Centre, Recycling Yard and Second-Hand Store. The environmental, economic and social dimensions of the circular economy are covered!
Re:inventex is carrying out a project for the recycling of post-industrial and pre-consumer textile waste. It is essentially the first pilot project in Ukraine to create a modern infrastructure for the collection, sorting and recycling of textile waste.
Petshka is an R&D company based in France. It has devised a process for turning polyester waste into recycled polyol polyester, thus avoiding a huge amount of waste and emissions and reducing reliance on fossil fuel-based raw materials.
Le Marché is based in Pakistan and active throughout South Asia, with partners in Germany, France, the UK and the US. It has a two-pronged approach: it collects textile waste and recycles it for use as a secondary raw material, and it uses fibres made from agricultural waste.
Maiano Re-Lab comes up with sustainable industrial applications for textile scraps from mass-produced consumer goods. This initiative establishes synergies between industrial sectors, minimising waste and promoting sustainability within the industry.
GIND is an innovative company dedicated to developing sustainable and long-lasting solutions for road surfaces and outdoor spaces. Its BIO DILE™ joint filler replaces traditional, resource-intensive and short-lived materials with more environmentally-friendly alternatives made from recycled, sun-dried stone aggregates and bio-based binders derived from cashew nut shells and natural asphalt. At the end of the filler's lifecycle, it can be fully recycled.
Renewaball introduced the world’s first fully circular tennis and padel balls, designed with recycled materials sourced from used balls collected across European clubs.
This project embodies eco-friendly design by reusing rubber from old balls and using biodegradable wool felt to replace conventional polyester and nylon, which reduces microplastic pollution.
Hailia’s patent-pending technology is transforming the seafood industry by upcycling fish sidestreams into high-quality, versatile food products. This technology can produce items with over 90% fish sidestream content - while being very tasty and suitable for a wide range of dishes.
