Agree, how wonderful that there are enthusiasts who know how to arrange islands of order in a world of chaos. People who invent ways to produce the necessary environmentally friendly things, using secondary resources, while saving primary resources, solving the problem of ecological cleaning of the environment. It is not surprising that such progressive business ideas find moral and financial support. We will introduce you to some of them.
How fishing equipment is reincarnated in a modern interior
Bureo is a Chilean startup founded in 2013 by engineers Ben Kneppers, David Stover and Kevin Ahern. This business community collects discarded fishing nets and recycles them into NetPlus material. Since the beginning of the activity, the recycling initiated by them touched 42,000 m² of fishing nets. The main goal of business enthusiasts is to fight ocean pollution by recycling useless fishing gear into useful goods.
The process of creating NetPlus involves collecting discarded nets, cleaning them and processing them into pellets, which are then used to make new products. This approach not only helps reduce the amount of plastic waste in the oceans, but also contributes to the creation of more sustainable and environmentally friendly products.
Bureo manufactures a variety of products from recycled fishing nets. Their skateboards are made from recycled mesh and have a unique design. This startup produces stylish and environmentally friendly sunglasses, dog toys. Entrepreneurs collaborate with Patagonia to create hats with visors made of NetPlus material. The material is used in the production of clothing accessories – zippers and buttons.
In addition, Bureo actively cooperates with fishing communities, offering them solutions for the disposal of old nets and supporting them economically. The company is also a certified B Corporation and a member of 1% for the Planet, underscoring its commitment to high standards of social and environmental responsibility.
What is B Corporation Certification?
B Corp is a recognition of companies that meet high standards of social and environmental responsibility, transparency and accountability. To obtain this certification, companies go through a rigorous evaluation process, analyzing their impact on employees, customers, suppliers, the community and the environment.
Among the companies that received B Corp certification for their commitment to high standards of social and environmental responsibility, Patagonia is a well-known manufacturer of outdoor clothing and equipment that actively supports environmental initiatives.
Next on the list is Ben & Jerry’s – an American ice cream manufacturer founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, and. known for its social and environmental initiatives. And also Eileen Fisher – a clothing brand that focuses on sustainable production and fair working conditions. Danone North America, a food and beverage manufacturer, and Allbirds, a shoe manufacturer that uses environmentally friendly materials and production methods, should also be mentioned.
Bionic is a startup in the field of eco-design
Bionic is a startup from New York that specializes in recycling discarded plastic into fabrics and threads. Bionic collects plastic waste that would normally end up in landfills or the oceans and transforms it into durable and environmentally friendly fabrics and threads. They actively collaborate with interior designers and architects, creating stylish and functional materials for various projects, from furniture to building structures.
This approach helps reduce plastic waste while offering innovative solutions for the design and architecture industry. Bionic uses advanced technologies to transform plastic into high-quality materials that can be used in a variety of fields, from fashion to construction.
Bionic Yarn is in particular demand among designers and architects – strong, durable and environmentally friendly threads made of recycled plastic, which are used in the textile industry to create clothes, accessories, etc. To make Bionic Yarn, plastic waste is collected from a variety of sources, including oceans, beaches and municipal landfills. The collected plastic is cleaned, crushed and turned into pellets. The latter are melted and drawn into thin threads, which are then used to create textile products.
No less popular are Bionic Fabrics – fabrics created from recycled plastic that can be used to make furniture, upholstery, curtains and other interior elements. They combine style and functionality. And also Bionic Accessories – bags, backpacks and other accessories made of recycled plastic. They are stylish, practical and environmentally friendly.
Also worthy of attention are Bionic Composites – materials used in construction and architecture to create strong and light structures. They can be used in various projects, from building facades to interior partitions.
Reincarnation of plastic milk bottles
Green Toys is a startup from California that specializes in producing children’s toys from recycled plastic milk bottles. They have recycled more than 45 million of these bottles, helping to reduce waste and conserve resources.
All toys are made from 100% recycled plastic, mostly from milk bottles. This helps reduce the amount of waste in landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Toys meet the highest safety standards, including the absence of BPA, phthalates and other harmful substances. All toys are made in the USA, which allows us to control the quality of products and support the local economy.
Green Toys also uses environmentally friendly packaging made from recycled cardboard, without additional plastic elements. This makes their products even more environmentally friendly.
The choice of milk plastic for the production of Green Toys toys has several reasons: this container is made of high-quality high-density polyethylene – HDPE – one of the safest and cleanest types of plastic. It does not contain harmful chemicals – BPA or phthalates – which makes it ideal for children’s toys. This plastic packaging is very common and easily available for recycling. This provides a stable source of raw materials for the production of toys.
Environmentally friendly: Using recycled milk bottles helps reduce the amount of waste in landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to preserve the environment.
Material quality: HDPE is a very strong and durable material that allows you to create toys that can withstand the active use of children.
These factors make milk plastic an ideal choice for Green Toys, providing safe, environmentally friendly and quality toys for children.
The second life of precious metals from electronics
Mint Innovation is a startup from New Zealand that specializes in recycling e-waste to extract precious metals. Their automated system can make up to $85,000 per day. The startup is building biorefineries that can process e-waste and extract gold, silver and copper from it.
Biorefineries are specialized facilities that use biotechnological processes to process organic materials or waste into useful products: biofuels, chemicals, and other materials. They work according to the principle of traditional oil refineries, but instead of oil they use biomass or other organic waste.
The main advantages of biorefineries are reducing the amount of waste and greenhouse gases to preserve the environment. These installations use renewable resources such as plant materials or organic waste, making them sustainable in the long term. This technology contributes to the creation of a circular economy, where waste is transformed into new useful products, reducing the need for primary resources.
Mint Innovation plans to place such biorefineries in major cities around the world. Recovered metals can be sold to local jewelers and manufacturers, thus supporting the circular economy. The business is expanding and has already attracted investment to build biorefineries in Sydney, Australia, and North West England.
And which of these projects seems the most interesting to you?
Tatyana Morarash
