The seminar “Entrepreneurship as a driver for circular economy” was held in partnership with Global Shapers Hub Santiago, within the scope of the World Economic Forum’s SCALE 360º program, led in Chile by SOFOFA Hub. The goal of this meeting was to showcase different experiences related to the textile, food and construction industry, as inspiration for many entrepreneurs who are considering taking advantage of what already exists to contribute to the planet’s sustainability.
“They are the ones who can take the opportunities and transform them into a business model, which is part of the development capacity that we urgently need in Chile and the world,” explained SOFOFA Hub’s Director Alan Garcia, in the context of the lecture that summoned renowned industry stakeholders.
The seminar “Entrepreneurship as a driver for circular economy” was held today at 9:00 hrs., in the context of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) SCALE 360º program, led in Chile by SOFOFA Hub, bringing together representatives of the companies Ecotex, Reviste, F4F and Agrosuper. They shared their country-level views of reality and how they are currently contributing to sustainability from their fields. Additionally, John Dutton, Head of Uplink, explained the work that they do at this collective digital collaboration platform, serving as a point of contact for various entrepreneurs, experts, leaders, innovators and investors worldwide.
In the case of ECOCITEX, its founder and General Manager, Rosario Hevia, addressed how her hobby of classifying children’s clothes during her pregnancy, in early 2018, led to creating the company, which currently manufactures threads that are used for multiple purposes. The entrepreneur explained that “we are the world’s only 100% recycled yarn, made from post-consumer clothing, picked and recycled in Chile, without using water or dyes”.
On the other hand, F4F’s Co-Founder and CEO, Cristian Emhart, explained the motivation behind this company’s creation, which puts a new spin on the recycling of organic waste, thanks to the black soldier fly. “We did this because of all that we are living worldwide, at a global scale, regarding climate change and specifically in the food system, where there is a striking imbalance,” he mentioned, while addressing the food industry’s figures in Chile.
The sustainable coatings company CONA also attended, represented by its Co-founder, Joaquin Cuevas, who explained the inspiration behind this model. “Four years ago, I read a document (…) on the future of construction and realized that very little was being done in Chile in this regard, and that only 34% of the waste in the world, and in the country, came from construction” explained Cuevas.
Additionally, Agrosuper’s Product Development Deputy-Manager, Lorena Contreras, commented that this food company is currently innovating with its sustainable packaging. “The economic and social model of producing, consuming, and discarding has reached its limits. The world is overdrawn in the use of natural resources,” she remarked.