PITCH PODIUMA launchpad for circular design pioneers

Start-ups 

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Outlander materials  The Netherlands An astonishing 90% of all plastic is not recycled. The rest ends up in landfills, burned, or broken down into millions of tiny, persistent particles. Bioengineer Lori Goff created UnPlastic as a scalable solution to this monstrous problem. This circular material can be developed from food industry streams, by-products, and beer brewery waste. It’s a functional and totally plastic-free foil that is flexible, lightweight, odourless and transparent, making it an ideal alternative for packaging everything from candy to chocolates to protective retail packaging. It is also designed to compost in soil and water, leaving no harmful traces in the environment. Learn more here.

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Human material loop  The Netherlands Human Material Loop researches humans themselves, questioning if and how we can re-see ourselves as a sustainable material of the future. Hair has been playing an important role in our lives — culturally, religiously and politically. It’s also an important biomaterial composed of keratin-rich protein. As a material, it has a long list of positive attributes: it’s abundantly available, non-toxic, non-irritating, lightweight, insulating, flexible, oil-absorbing and strong. Despite this, biological fibres such as human hair are not yet seen as source material in product design. Human Material Loop is looking to change that. Learn more here.

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waterweg The netherlands Waterweg approaches climate adaptation with circular principles, working with plastic waste, plants and water storage. They produce a mix of local plastic waste, which would otherwise get burned or dumped, into large building blocks. From these blocks they build walls, filled with bio-substrate (fermented soil with lots of micro-organisms) and an irrigation system based on rainwater. These walls become a home for plants, forming a vertical green garden. Each wall reuses tons of plastic waste, while reducing CO2-levels, fine dust and heat stress. Learn more here.

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claybens The netherlands Packing up PFAS addresses a type of pollution that many people don’t even know exists: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Since the 1950s, these so-called ‘forever chemicals’ have been used to manufacture everything from non-stick pans to umbrellas. Designer Emy Bensdorp leapt into action when she learned that harmful PFAS could be traced in up to 90% of Dutch soil and humans! PFAS are linked to various diseases and health complaints but we do not have a suitable or sustainable cleaning method yet. With Packing Up PFAS, she offers a unique clean-up solution whereby polluted clay is transformed into colourful bricks. By heating the polluted (clay) soil up to the range of 900-1200 degrees celcius, the PFAS chemicals are destroyed while a ceramic material is created. Learn more here.

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shelduck The netherlands Designers are the creators of the future. They determine how your environment looks, feels and how it is made. The power of creation is magnificent. But it comes with a responsibility, everything you design has an effect on the wellbeing of people, on nature and who is going to pay for it? All designers thrive sustainability, but not all practice their preach. Making sustainable choices can be quite hard, certainly when it comes to furniture. Shelduck’s unique production technique allows you to create your own bio-based furniture, for a competitive price. Learn more here.

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Ecodam The netherlands We envision a circular future based on new economic models. Products are no longer made, used and thrown away. Waste becomes valuable raw materials for new products. Services are shared rather than products being owned and consumed. At the Ecodam Foundation, we are convinced of the need to engage young people in these issues. They make daily decisions that affect our world, they can also set a good example to their parents and peers and they will soon be the builders, designers and decision-makers of the future. By immersing young people into the world of the circular economy in a playful and practical way, we strive to embed sustainability in their DNA. Learn more here.

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Narture  BELGIUM  ​​Over 88 million tonnes of food is wasted annually in Europe, most of it even before reaching our plates. Studio Narture (Gent, BE) wants to bring food waste back to the market & the people through co-creation and food innovation. Involving designers and users from the start of prototyping is part of Narture’s DNA. For its spinoff ROTMÓY, Studio Narture makes colourful pigments from fermented food scraps in order to dye fabrics more sustainably while keeping an eye on scale and quality. At What Design Can Do, founder Annabelle Cassiman will present the very first lingerie prototypes coloured pink thanks to bread leftovers. Learn more here.

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the clothing loop the netherlands  Today, more people are buying more items of clothing than ever before. But as things become cheaper, they also become easier to throw away. The Clothing Loop (known in the Netherlands as Ketting Kledingruil) is a system for clothes-swapping which tackles this problem in an appealing and easy-to-use manner. The Clothing Loop allows people to easily swap clothes with people in their neighbourhood through bags that travel along a certain route. Joining is free and open to everyone. The idea expands on the principles of a sharing economy where we do not have to buy new to feel good. In each ‘loop’, large bags of pre-loved clothing make their way through a neighbourhood of participants. The clothing loop is growing fast with more than 16 000 participants in the Netherlands, and there are currently Loops starting abroad. Learn more here.

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reliving  the netherlands  Reliving is the curated marketplace for second hand interior. Our mission is to end the polluting fast furniture industry by making second-hand the standard. This way we hope to inspire people to rethink their behaviour. We use design and technology to take away barriers that generic marketplaces have, and give buyers the experience as if they are buying something new. By offering solution such as transportation, quality listings, a return policy and providing insight into how much CO2 is saved by buying second-hand, we hope to guide consumers into loving second-hand. Learn more here.

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Falafval  the netherlands  Our mission at FALAFVAL is to maximise taste and minimise waste. That’s why we make our delicious falafel from saved vegetables and beans. Since 2019 we have turned 2 tons of previously wasted food into tasty new products and we’re just getting started. We want to show everyone that sustainability and great food go together perfectly. Let’s change the world one bite at a time! Learn more here.

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Dungse Labs the netherlands  Dungse Labs is a material design and innovation company that designs and manufactures bio-based composite materials with cow-dung. Cow-dung out of all things because – we produce it in extensive surplus, it’s locally available around the world, it has abundant nutrients to nourish soil, and it has some exceptional properties like light-weight and thermal insulation. Dungse Labs composites are 100% biodegradable and can be locally manufactured, even 3D printed into any shape or form, making them fantastic substitutes for mined materials like wood and concrete. We’re here to Build the future with SHIT! Learn more here.

moderator

Ikenna Azuike – Journalist & Presenter

panellists

Eddie Opara – Graphic Designer 

Anna Noyons – Social Designer 

Martijn Lopes Cardozo – CEO of Circle Economy 

Merijn ten Thije – Impact Investment Manager

Location

Rabozaal (Internationaal Theater Amsterdam)

SIGNUP

To attend this session, ticket holders will be invited to register for a session via email within two working days of receiving their ticket. Remember: seats are on a first-come first-serve basis, so be sure to act quick!