RECYCLE & CASCADE

RETURN TO RAW MATERIAL
Recycling is the processing of a material into its raw material to be used in producing recycled products. Recycling should be the last destination, when there are no possibilities to reuse, refurbish, or remanufacture.

Recycle: Services

PYK CPH - CIRCULAR SHOE MODEL TO FIGHT SHOE WASTE

PYK CPH is a pioneering shoe producer trying to attack the massive problem of "Shoe-waste" by disrupting the shoe industry and enable circularity through:

- QULITY REBELLION

- MAKE TO ORDER vs STOCK

- DIRECT TO CONSUMER SALES

- TRACEABILITY

- LOOP via TAKE BACK SCHEME

Having been in the shoe industry for years, two alarming tendencies worried founders Ulrik and Jessica:

1. The increasing SHOEWASTE coming from the growing global annual production of 24 billion shoes, where many don't get re-used or recycled. An industry that contributes to 1,4% of all global emissions.

2. The QUALITY DEROUTE that arose from the race for margins in a competitive industry, where labour costs increase and retail prices decreased.

This was their call for a new way of producing, distributing and recycling shoes. Out of this vision PYK CPH was born.

PYK is an old Danish word for exquisite premium quality. Putting focus on QUALITY materials is key to enable circularity, as the shoes are designed for durability and can (depending on the wear and tear) be re-used by more than one child. The leather used is a bi-product of the meat industry and is metal-free and bio-degradable, which means it can break down in the right compost after just 15 days.

To enable the promise on never going down on quality, PYK cut off the retailer-chain and only sells DIRECT TO CONSUMERS.

But to fight SHOEWASTE through the traditional ORDER TO STOCK supply chain, Ulrik and Jessica needed to find a partner that thought MAKE TO ORDER was the way forward, which was not easy as most factories are focussed on volumes and efficiencies, not individual production. Luckily there was a courageous factory, that shared the same visions and competencies in make-to-order production and reverse logistics.

To incentivize consumers to return any old shoes, PYK rewards consumers with 150 kr in discount on their next buy. PYK evaluates if the shoe returned has a potential for re-use by donating to charity or if it is fit for being recycled into the next PYK sole.

PYK is a great example of a pioneering shoe producer that tackles circularity on mutiple levels through the DESIGN, MATERIALS, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, REVERSE LOGISTICS, CONSUMER MOTIVATION and hereby disrupts the shoe industry by setting new standards. An example that I am proud to share. Read more on PYK CPH here.

KAFFE BUENO - UPCYCLED COFFEE WASTE INTO PERSONAL CARE AND FOOD PRODUCTS

KAFFE BUENO is on a mission to better utilise the nutrient-rich coffee "waste", by turning the grounds into ingredients for Personal Care, Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods & Beverages. 9 billion kilo of coffee is consumed every year, and in that cup of coffee, we only utilise less than 1% of the health-enhancing nutrients (source). That is a "waste" with potential, and furthermore does it end on the landfill it ends up generating methane, which translated into yearly emissions will put coffee "waste" equivalent to 10 million car emissions. KAFFE BUENO wants to change this by collecting used coffee grounds from partner collectors, fractions the grounds into compounds and produces either an OIL, FLOUR or FIBER. These bio products have specific benefits and are sold to industry manufactures, who uses these to create products within Personal care (creams, soaps, serums, masks, scrubs etc.) and Food (bakery, snack bars, cookies, crackers etc.). By turning coffee "waste" into new products, KAFFE BUENO is unlocking coffee´s health potential. Which is what they promise: "Bueno for you, good for all".

PLANET JUNKO - KITS FOR TURNING TRASH INTO TOYS

JUNKO is on a mission to create what they call the "JUNKO Play Revolution", empowering kids and parents with inspirational guides to create their own toys from trash. Or said differently; upcycle your home’s recycling into toys. JUNKO also sells the essential connectors you can use to avoid tape and glue, called the J-FIX clips, which are made from recycled plastics and are re-usable. In this way JUNKO both boosts kids (and adults) creativity, while promoting circular alternatives to the buying new toys. Read more on JUNKO here.

Source of information.

CYCLON - SHOE SUBSCRIPTION BY ONRUNNING

100% recyclable running shoe made out of castor beans, which you cannot own but rent for a monthly subscription fee.

Cyclon is a circular shoe that is designed for endurance and long life, produced with natural material (beans) that is both biobased and recycable. With the subscription model and backloop system, the Cyclon shoe should be returned to OnRunning after its use. "When the shoe is returned, we grind it, melt it down and reuse 100% of the material. And the loop continues. With each cycle, we’re using fewer virgin materials and protecting the Earth’s resources". Cyclon is a great example of circularity in its use of recyclable materials and in the business service model, where access versus ownership is enabling a closed loop.

See more at www.cyclon.com

PATAGONIA - RECRAFTS OLD CLOTHES INTO NEW CLOTHES

Patagonia diverts thousands of used garments from the landfill, sorts the garments at their Repair Center, where they repurpose and recraft these garments into new individual and unique new clothes. All sold under their ReCrafted Collection with the promise "Expect the Unexpected" as every piece is one-of-a-kind. The value proposition to consumers is besides conscious consumption, the uniqueness, which despite the shown sign of earlier life, your piece of clothes tells a unique story. Read more on Patagonia ReCrafted here.

Source

BEYOND COFFEE - TURNING COFFEE GROUNDS INTO MUSHROOMS

Beyond Coffee is on a mission to utilise the huge leftover of nutrients (99,8%) all coffee waste has after you have had your coffee. Coffee grounds are the perfect nest for oyster mushrooms to grow. Beyond Coffee collects coffee grounds from companies, grow oyster mushrooms, which are sold off to restaurants. Beyond Coffee also sells kits for private consumers to grow your own mushrooms from your coffee waste.

TEEMILL - PLATFORM ENABLING T-SHIRT BRANDS GOING CIRCULAR

Teemill is here to provide an easy circular production and e-commerce platform for t-shirt brands. Teemill is only printing t-shirts on demand through cutting edge printing technology, which ensures real time supply chain and no over-stock. It's printed with water based inks in their renewable energy powered factory. The material is all natural; 100% organic cotton, which is essential for the recycling process. Every Teemill t-shirt should be sent back to Teemill once it has been worn out. In this way Teemill can recycle the worn outs into new yarn to be used for the production of new Teemill

t-shirts. Closing the loop with a circular value chain.

MATER - TURNING WASTE INTO FURNITURE

MATER is a high quality furniture and lightening company striving to turn waste into furniture. Mater uses amongst others Mango trees, which is considered waste once the fruit is harvested (reused wood waste), ocean waste, industry waste, FSC certified wood and upcycled aluminium waste.

Mater´s newest collection (Ocean OC2 collection) is made from plastic waste from the Carlsberg beer fustage, recycled plastic as well as partly recycled steel.

AGRAIN - WASTE FROM BEER AND WHISKEY PRODUCTION TURNED INTO NEW UPCYCLED FOOD

AGRAIN is turning waste from the beer and whiskey production into new food products. As part of beer production, only the small fraction of the grain is used; the sugar and the rest, called the spent grain is either turned into animal food or in many places simply being discarded. Yearly 42 mio tons of spent grains are being discarded (source). AGRAIN is turning this industry "waste" into upcycled food products such as flour, crackers, granola and crisps high on fibers and protein sold under the AGRAIN brand.

KAFFEE FORM - COFFEE CUPS MADE FROM COFFEE GROUNDS

KAFFEE FORM wants to change consumer habits by providing alternatives for the massive use of disposable to-go coffee cups coffee cups. 16 billions of coffee to go cups are used on an annual basis (source). KAFFEE FORM produces fully circular cups from upcycled coffee grounds, which closes the coffee cycle. Their WeDucer to-go cup has won the reddot award, both for promoting sustainable living, but moreover also for its pleasant feel, lightweight and robust design.

So not only is KAFFEE FORM circular in its design, production and use of upcycled raw material, it is also promoting circular consumer behaviour through the alternatives to disposable cups.

WILD STUDIO - TURNING HOUSEHOLD PLASTIC WASTE INTO FURNITURE

WILD STUDIO is on a mission to transform the household and industry plastic waste into poetic, multifunctional, pleasant, beautiful and recyclable designs. The use of just one type of plastic, polyethylene, makes it recyclable.

WILD STUDIO is circular in many ways: 1) Designed for circularity: The design is multifunctional, weather-resistant, robust, no conjunctions and easy to clean; all important elements to ensure relevancy and prolonging its life cycle. 2) Use of recycled materials 3) Is recyclable and is contributing to a closed loop ecosystem. Furthermore the transparent design, where you can view all plastic shreds, is part of changing consumer behaviour by giving "waste" new value connotations.

ADIDAS - FUTURECRAFT LOOP

ADIDAS Circular system for the shoe FUTURECRAFT LOOP, which is made from a single piece of plastic. Part of a circular system known as Made to Be Remade, the sneaker is designed to live on after its initial lifespan by being recycled and made into a new pair of shoes. The idea is for the materials that make up the Futurecraft.Loop to be reused over and over again, and take life in the form of new shoes (source).

Newest initiative is with Allbirds, where they in collaboration will launch the FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT shoe with 63% less emissions, just 2,94 kg CO2 in production.

NOTHING NEW - CIRCULAR SHOE

NOTHING NEW has made a shoe born with a circular mission in mind; to create a shoe from RECYCLED MATERIALS, DESIGNED for durability and a TAKE BACK SYSTEM to close the loop. Nothing New will clean and donate them or break them down and put the materials back into its recycled supply chain.

They have been creative on the SOURCING OF MATERIALS, which covers recycled fishing nets, cork, rubber, cotton, post consumer plastics. To get the best durability and flexibility, they though needed to add virgin natural rubber with recycled cork and recycled rubber in the outsoles, which makes them not of 100% recycled materials, but very close to.

MUD JEANS - LEASE YOUR JEANS AND RETURN

MUD Jeans rethinks fashion by providing a circular jeans solution. How it works: A user SUBSCRIPEs to a monthly jeans lease, get FREE REPAIR service included and after 1 year, you choose if you want to keep the jeans or change for a new pair. When the jeans are worn out, it is time for RECYCLE, which MUD Jeans handles and with virgin material and recycled MUD Jeans, new jeans are created. The recycled material in the jeans varies from each model, but btw 23-40% is recycled and the remaining material is organic virgin cotton. Although this has room for improvement, MUD Jeans is quite transparent with this, providing full access to their LCA analysis.

B-Corp has awarded MUD Jeans with "Best for the World" award in 2021 with the highest verified score in the environment, and amongst the global top 5% B-Corps.

NATURE PRESERVE - FOOD TRACEABILITY

Nature Preserve is a promising startup with the ambition to empower consumers to make informed decisions on their food purchases through honest data on the climate footprint of each product. This insight is obtained through climate analysis algorithms and enabled through blockchain technology.

I met Nature Preserve´s CEO, Anantha and Business Development Manager, Julie, to get a little closer to what all this fuzz about blockchain is about, and how this is enabling a circular transformation. I must admit I was quite blown away by the speed and brainpower behind Nature Preserve, which their journey gives you a sneak peak into.

It all started with a billion dollar question; why is waste happening? And to get actionable, Anantha made a dehydrated smoothie from industry surplus fruits. Easy, but to scale the thinking there was a challenge: the processing part of the supply chain is driven by MOQs. This lead Anantha to invent a mobile processing machine to be placed at farm level. idea at the office; How can you dehydrate a smoothie and