Artisans turn old São Paulo subway construction uniforms into backpacks

In São Paulo, Brazil, a startup named Ciclou is turning old subway construction uniforms into backpacks, addressing the issue of discarded uniforms ending up in landfills. Ciclou connects major waste generators, like industries and corporations, with local artisans who transform waste into economic opportunities. Acciona, a multinational infrastructure company, donated the heavy-duty fabrics from its Line 6 (Orange) subway construction sites to Ciclou.

A team of six artisans and seamstresses from Ciclou's network worked with an NGO to clean, cut, and repurpose the fabrics into 50 personalized backpacks, which were then raffled off to employees during Environment Week. The partnership aims to promote the circular economy by transforming waste into new products. Ciclou uses an algorithm to match raw materials with the most suitable artisan based on their physical space, machinery, and proficiency with different fabrics.

This technology has significantly reduced the time required to match materials with artisans and decreased errors related to sending incompatible materials. The process, known as creative recycling or upcycling, adds value to the final piece by incorporating the story behind the material. Ciclou focuses on materials that lack established recycling chains, such as synthetic fabric scraps and complex flexible plastics.

The next step is to allow companies to register their waste directly in the system, ensuring that artisans receive projects that align with their skills and production capacity, ultimately expanding the environmental and social impact of the initiative.