A Waste Epiphany
We create zero-carbon design furniture from construction waste.
Francisco Munoz
Delft University of Technology
Architecture
Over het initiatief / About the initiative
A Waste Epiphany
In welke fase zit jouw initiatief? / In what stage is your initiative?
Startupfase
Heb je jouw initiatief al gevalideerd? / Did you validate your initiative?
Yes.
Meer informatie over jouw initiatief / More info about your initiative
Currently, the construction and demolition industry is the largest waste producer in the Netherlands, and one of the most contaminating globally. At AWE, we upcycle two of the most abundant materials in this industry: bricks and concrete, giving them a second life, new purpose and closing the loop.
Our team creates furniture designs and interior products from concrete and brick waste from demolitions in the Netherlands, for those seeking to reduce their carbon footprint while enhancing their living spaces with one of our products.
With each product sold, more waste can be upcycled, cleaning up landfills and not only making a positive impact on the environment, but also economically and socially.
We plan on having a furniture line and a surface line, so the waste can be transformed into wall cladding and flooring for buildings around the world.
Wat zijn jouw volgende stappen om het verder te ontwikkelen? / What are your next steps to develop the initiative?
We are currently looking for funds and investments to be able to have the space and tools that will allow us to scale up and start mass-producing waste into furniture, leading up to cleaning landfills around the world.
We are also looking for the right partners that will enhance the value chain and ensure an organic circular economy at local scales. Think global act local principles.
Wat heb je nodig om (nog meer) impact te maken met dit initiatief? / What do you need to make (more) impact with this initiative?
We need to optimize our processes and implement larger machinery to be able to process more quantities of waste and there-in-turn produce more furniture, which will lead to lower costs and make it more feasible for us to keep scaling up.
We would need to open up small factories in several countries around the world in order to reduce transportation distances and emissions. In each of these countries it would be important to find partners that can contribute to a standardized system we would need implemented.
