Sustainable development is part of the organic sector's DNA, which strives to address consumers' growing concerns about environmental protection, particularly through upcycling. The origin of products and the production methods adopted by brands are among the criteria now scrutinized by discerning customers. CSR and responsible economy have thus become real elements of differentiation. and competition for manufacturers and distributors alike.
Always ready to support professionals in high-stakes areas, Natexpo will promote these initiatives through its new eco-products eco-services sectorThe latter will bring together in one place all the offerings already present at the show but previously dispersed: anti-waste, recyclability, circular economy, management of unsold items, preservation of resources... So many crucial themes which will have their dedicated place.
Upcycling: a real underlying trend
How to make something new from something old while adding value? These are the challenges of upcycling. This practice originated in developing countries where access to consumer goods is not always easy. Since the raw material is readily available, the economic benefits represent a major advantage, along with a reduction in waste.
Present on The Lab, itself integrated as an incubator village within the eco-products sector, several small businesses will demonstrate the dynamism and creativity of this movement. Communicating with humor, Bring back your spent grains promotes spent grains – leftover barley malt – from beer brewing. Nutritious and healthy, spent grains are thus finding a successful taste conversion, in individual, family, or bulk formats.
The two founders of The Green Family had a brilliant idea by replacing 30% of malted cereals with unsold breadcrumbs in the production of their craft beers Cocomiette, when we know that bread represents 14% of food waste today in France.
Keen to find sustainable solutions for recycling textile waste, The Green Griot recycles non-compliant high-performance technical fabrics made in France. Based in Hauts-de-France, the SME works in co-production with committed workshops.
Zero waste: stop wasting!
In France, food losses and waste represent 10 million tons of products per year. According to a study by Ademe, the distribution of these losses at different stages of the food chain is as follows: 32% in the production phase, 21% in the processing phase, 14% in the distribution phase, and 33% in the consumption phase*.
Zero Waste has set out to reduce this waste by helping supermarkets manage their unsold items in a win-win situation: the consumer benefits from reduced prices (from 30 to 70%) while the stores manage their stocks better. The application Save Eat focuses on optimizing food storage and consumption in homes. There are many recipes for cooking leftovers. Clever and useful!
Waste affects all sectors. Who would suspect that 211 tons of varnish containing toxic solvents are wasted each year in France? Maeva, the founder of Clever Beauty (winner of the 2019 Lab), decided to find an alternative to this problem by developing an innovative concept: varnishes with natural formulas packaged in bottles with an anti-waste cap, which allows the entire container to be used.
*écologie.gouv.fr