Over the last fifty years, economic “growth” has led to increasingly intensive extraction of natural resources. To reverse the trend we must focus on the circular economy.
Here are five solutions that could help us reduce, recycle, repair and reuse in the future.
Auum, fast dishwashers for single glasses
Think about how many cups of coffee are consumed every year. Eggs, a French company, has created a special dishwasher for glasses that disinfects one every 10 seconds. Up to 2.000 glasses per day perfectly cleaned without detergents, using 140 degree steam and less than 3 centiliters of water per wash.
The company rents the machine and also the glasses to the offices. At the end of the contract he takes everything back and (obviously) recycles it. More circular than that…
Biodegradable batteries made of paper and enzymes
Batteries are everywhere and, once used up, end up in landfill, polluting the environment. The startup BeFC (Bio-enzymatic Fuel Cells) has developed a special “circular” battery. It is made with paper cellulose and biological enzymes that convert natural substances such as oxygen and glucose into electricity.
Biodegradable, flexible and efficient, this battery is perfect for low-consumption electronic devices or small medical equipment.
Domestic polymers produced with recycled materials
Polyurethane is a polymer used in various products, but its production is harmful to the environment. For this reason, research has long been on the hunt for a sustainable alternative suitable for the circular economy: and perhaps it has found it.
Ecorbium created “Crudyol”, a biopolymer obtained from the reconditioning of biomass by-products. A new life for waste materials.
The perfect “circular house”? It's made of rice
The construction industry is responsible for a large chunk of carbon emissions. With 228 thousand hectares of cultivation and 4 thousand companies that harvest 1 million tonnes, Italy is the European leader in rice.
Put these two things together and you have Ricehouse, an Italian startup that uses rice by-products to create sustainable building materials: prefabricated panels, light mortar and thermal insulating plasters.
The circular leather accessory. Almost
Animal leather production and the tannery industry have an extremely negative impact on the environment.
L&E Studio, a Macedonia-based startup, is developing a more sustainable approach to bag design and manufacturing. Circular economy and product as a service: with a small subscription you get fashionable accessories, made using cruelty-free alternatives to leather and recycled or reconditioned materials. Lifetime warranty and repair service (or as long as you pay the subscription).
How about? Perhaps these five innovative solutions do not prove that a sustainable future and a circular economy are possible. However, they demonstrate that you can try with talent and resourcefulness.
