Five companies getting seriously inventive with waste

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Last month, Lumiere London lit up the capital with a dazzling array of light shows. As part of this, an environmental company unveiled “Bottle Festoon”, hanging chandeliers made out of plastic drinks bottles.

Getting inventive with waste

Turkey recently launched a similar project called “Recycled Street”, where they recreated famous works of art with recycled materials.Both ventures highlighted the potential of reusing and recycling materials – but this doesn’t just have to be an artsy thing. We can all find inventive ways to be eco-friendly with our waste. Here are 5 companies doing just that…

1. Rubies in the Rubble

Aside from having a great name, Rubies in the Rubble is doing great things for food waste. Seeing how much fruit and veg was discarded from markets for aesthetic reasons, the company decided to embrace those wonky carrots, blemished apples and misshapen tomatoes, and turn them into something special. These relishes, ketchups and mayonnaises now sell in the likes of Selfridges, Cook and Waitrose – and are certainly having the last laugh.

2. Cotopaxi

We might be a small island, but, here in the UK, we’re spoilt when it comes to beautiful scenery. And, with so many of us enjoying the outdoors, it would make sense for us to look after it as well. Outdoor gear start-up, Cotopaxi, is doing just that, by creating products with factory leftovers – so those fabrics, buckles and zippers that would usually end up in the bin are instead forming part of a daypack, waterproof jacket, or even a bum bag.

3. Brussels Beer Project

7000 years ago, the people of Babylon discovered a delicious beverage made out of fermented bread. So, taking this little slice of history, Brussels Beer Project had a lightbulb moment for the future. And along came Babylone – a beer brewed with the leftover bread from Delhaize supermarkets in Belgium. Apparently, the beer tastes “lightly toasted with a touch of caramel”. Time to get a round in we think.

4. Adidas and Parley

With experts predicting there’ll be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050, things need to change, and fast. Doing their bit, Adidas has teamed up with environmental initiative, Parley, to create trainers and sportswear made out of plastic debris found on beaches around the world. So now you can exercise in the knowledge that you’re keeping yourself, and the planet, healthy.

5. Transport for London and bio-bean

We are, without a doubt, a nation of coffee drinkers – but, while those flat whites sure do increase productivity, they also amount to a whole lot of coffee waste. So, working together, Transport for London and green energy company, bio-bean, are turning that waste (the discarded coffee grounds) into something useful – fuel for London buses. And if London can do it, so can the rest of the UK. Watch this space.

Blog Image Sourced: http://www.cookandroll.eu/archives/2015/04/03/31819242.html

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