Comvidro is a social project involving women in liable situations to craft and design new upcycling products from "wasted" glass bottles.
The Workshops were developed to promote creativity through sustainable practices while working on personal and social
personal and social skills. This activity fits into the logic of a circular and social economy circuit.
Local
Portugal
Municipality: Lisboa
Zones: Penha de França, Beato
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
No
No
Yes
As a representative of an organization, in partnership with other organisations
Name of the organisation(s): Materialateral, Cooperativa de Responsabilidade Limitada Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Lorenzo Last name of representative: Scodeller Gender: Male Nationality: Italy Function: Designer, Trainer Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Rua da penha de França n 149 3D Town: Lisboa Postal code: 1170-302 Country: Portugal Direct Tel:+351 930 611 106 E-mail:materialateral@gmail.com Website:https://www.novonovo-platform.com/
Name of the organisation(s): Associação Bairros Type of organisation: Non-profit organisation First name of representative: Joana Last name of representative: Borges Gender: Female Nationality: Portugal If relevant, please select your other nationality: Mozambique Function: Project Coordinator Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Rua do Zaire, 11 Town: Lisboa Postal code: 1170-398 Country: Portugal Direct Tel:+351 911 995 757 E-mail:joana.borges@abairros.org Website:https://abairros.org/
The project arises from the analysis of the current context of vulnerable areas, which directs the action towards emerging situations to be worked on in the territory, in particular: rehabilitation for employment, reuse of resources, development of creative, personal, and social skills of people in situations of social vulnerability with great difficulties of employability. The target audience was women since they face more difficulty finding work.
Assosiação Bairros, which designed the project, has a team specialized in this area in the application of the Porta aberta project focused on community development and employability of vulnerable people.
The activities took place during the year 2022, after obtaining local, council (BipZip) funding. Four training cycles were carried out, each lasting 4 weeks.
Partnerships were established with entities specialized in each of the themes addressed in the modules; and also others related to the donation of material for reuse, as well as the referral of participants.
Each cycle had 3 modules, divided into:
(1) Welcoming - personal, social, and professional development activities;
(2) Develop - exploratory/experimental activities of raw material, glass handling, cutting techniques, finishing, and product design (Glass)
(3) Activate - development of digital skills (marketing and commercialization), and product announcement techniques in social networks.
The main module (2)Develop (two weeks) was led by Novonovo’s team (now co-producer of the project) composed of design and architecture professionals with experience in the circularity of materials.
The results of the project were exhibited in a pop-up event to promote and sell the products. At this moment, the production of the pieces for sale is being done with the support of a former trainee, but only on demand.
A strategy is also being designed to create an upcycling hub and a physical and digital store to increase production, sales, and employability.
employability
inclusion
sustainability
upcycling
craftsmanship
The objectives in terms of sustainability were:
1. Initiation of a local circular economy process.
2. Designing a solution for high-quality use of urban waste (post-production, post-consumed) that could be serially produced.
3. Environmental education for people who do not have access to it.
The first objective was achieved with the creation of a recovery cycle through networking with local partners (1) Cervejaria Dois Corvos [Beato] and (2) Novonovo [Mouraria]. The beer producer guaranteed the supply of glass bottles and pre-printed cans that (due to problems in the packaging phase), could not be reused. Novonovo, specialized in the reuse of secondary materials, allowed the use of complementary materials such as wood, cork, and marble. During the initiative, local businesses and privates were involved to donate post-consumed products.
The second objective was fulfilled by selecting a type of waste produced on a large scale (glass bottles). In addition, the products were designed with serial production in mind, and after the courses, new machinery was implemented to ensure a constant and lasting micro-production line.
The last objective was achieved within the formations.
The theoretical approach, although challenging for people from this background, was exhaustive on concepts around circularity and its contextualization in economic terms with activities in areas such as management, digital skills, etc.
The upcycling course encouraged the participants to discover (or rediscover) the value of reuse. The simplicity and accessibility of the productive processes, fostered the creation of spontaneous partnerships with other businesses in the neighborhood by the participants.
This last example demonstrates how the initiative becomes exemplary to generate virtuous cycles in areas of high need.
Ensuring access to environmental education, contributes to the reduction of educational inequalities, allowing this knowledge to serve as a livelihood tool.
From the very beginning, it was aimed to create a line of design products, with the intent of breaking away from the classic “DIY / homemade" product paradigm of these contexts, reducing the cultural distance between the practice of design and people with cultural and economic disadvantages.
The end results were excellent in terms of aesthetic, functional, and emotional impact, thus guaranteed by the methodology applied during the course monitored by professionals of the sector, the careful selection of materials, and the interest and dedication of the participants.
The training program on glass transformation and upcycling techniques was directed by members of Novonovo, a project with expertise in upcycling design consulting and production.
The materials used in the process (glass, cork, wood, and natural stone), although being surplus production from industries, hold a strong historical and cultural character in Portugal.
Upcycling techniques and light machinery were used in the transformation of these materials, this reduction of the intervening processes is part of the principles of circular design. Moreover, the power of upcycling is fundamental in both ecological and communicative terms. Whereas in the more conventional transformation of post-consumer products, the material is "destroyed" before something new is created (recycling), in upcycling, the transformation processes are considerably less invasive. Besides being positive in terms of reduced environmental impact (less energy applied), it ensures that the history of the product (or material) is communicated in the appearance itself. While not entirely obvious, the primary function of the original product is often recognizable.
Quality rather than quantity is the central focus in the design and execution of this project, both in the dedication and individualization of the experience provided to each participant and in the chosen methodology for the highly personalized upcycling of materials.
The Comvidro project emerges as a result of the study of the current situation of the most vulnerable areas in the territory, with the main intent of:
Promoting skills for employment and entrepreneurship, facing the growing unemployment at the national level (6.1%) and, in particular, in the intervention areas (Beato 16.6%, Penha de França 13%) in which the project continues to act (where the unemployment rate is above the Lisbon average - 12.9%);
Reinforcing creative, personal, and social skills, improving self-esteem, personal valuation, and resilience of the target public.
To Empower unemployed and vulnerable women.
To Strengthen women's manual skills for the current labor market and for the new paradigm of the sustainable production era.
The participants were accompanied by a team with extensive experience in working with the vulnerable public (Associação Bairros)
The results proved satisfactory both in the social and individual evolution of the participants.
Teamwork encouraged collaboration and helped them to share and analyze each other's problems. Spontaneous initiatives such as the creation of a WhatsApp group or the voluntary exchange of clothes are evidence of the bonds that have been developed.
The practical character of the initiative helped them to "metabolize" many of the problems that affect them on a daily basis; the participants mentioned how the physical work became a meditation tool, helping them "sand their own problems off".
Facing the fear of using machines also helped them in their personal development, increasing their self-confidence and autonomy to experiment and express themselves creatively. It is important to note that some of them had never had this opportunity, while others lacked basic literacy skills, and found this project an opportunity to discover themselves.
Their entrepreneurial spirit was also strengthened: encouraging the community around them to buy their products.
The main objective of this project is to make vulnerable women agents of change in their territory, not only from a social standpoint, but also from economic, intersectoral, and intergenerational; creating new networks, new points of convergence, and driving economic and social development and growth.
The development of creative, personal, and social skills of these women has had a direct and indirect impact on the territory considering that the elements of development and growth also influenced their peers and their circle of friends, and family. The acquisition of these new skills now materializes in different ways of living and experiencing the world, with different dynamics and approaches to the way they interact and integrate the territory.
As a way to illustrate this, it is pertinent to mention one of the many community involvements in the project. The most active participant, upon realizing that we didn't have the necessary tool to make a specific experiment in wood, quickly involved some friends from the community with workshops in the production process.
In terms of knowledge transmission, the older participants were trained to train the new ones in handling the machines.
Apart from the direct involvement of the local community during the workshops and the production process, a wider interaction with the public happened during the presentation event of ComVidro.
The event happened at Rizoma - Cooperativa Integral (a social project with a very strong mission in the city of Lisbon in what concerns the democratization and sustainability of products and services). An open conversation was held and a "laboratory" space was created to experiment with one of the most (physically) challenging phases of the process: manually sanding (previously cut) glass bottles. The synergies created, resulted in product orders and invitations for possible partnerships (for promotion and/or the production chain).
The initiative was widely publicized by partner organizations that provide answers in the areas of housing, documentation, food, health, and education, among others. These collaborations allow referral systems that also involve local authorities, (ex: Lisbon City Hall, with its different departments and areas of action). ComVidro, in its implementation, was also financed by these same platforms.
Complementarily, other important partnerships were established for the practical execution of the project: an anthropologist experienced in female empowerment and entrepreneurship, responsible for welcoming the group and promoting connection among the participants; Novonovo, for training in glass transformation (which became co-producer of the project); Cervejaria Dois Corvos, was responsible for supplying the bottles and cans used by the participants throughout the project, and the Portuguese Association of Advertisers, for training in branding and advertising on social networks.
Other more specific partnerships involved D'ecolife for glass jewelry workshops, and Rizoma, for the first public event to present the project.
The logic of identifying local resources and solutions to solve local problems proved to be an important driver of empowerment, as well as a crucial tool for the success of the impact in terms of circularity.
Since the project was implemented by organizations working in different areas, the initiative was an intense mix of diverse professionals who brought in different knowledge and approaches to the project. This mix included expertise that goes from social work to management, anthropology, craftsmanship, upcycling, and design thinking.
Social professionals from Bairros were able to identify the needs of the territory and transform that into a coordinated action to follow and orient the specific needs of every participant.
Patrícia Gonçalves, the anthropologist expert in female empowerment was in charge of the introduction steps.
In the project, APAN was responsible for dynamizing the workshop's activate module, where digital skills were acquired, regarding the use of social networks for business activation.
Novonovo implemented a methodology with a strong base on design thinking and upcycling. Thus thanks to professionals already experts in circular design (Lorenzo Scodeller, founder and designer / Inês Soares co-founder and manager / Giulia Ciuffoleti, Architect). Moreover, two other designers with expertise in upcycling were invited: Paolo Martini (a Designer, with background experience in glass upcycling), and Miguel de Sousa Cardinho (a Designer with experience in educational activities and self-production).
Professionals interacted and shared their methodologies within three meetings organized by Bairros, and had always overview support from Bairros’ members.
Public events to promote the results of the initiative were also organized, one by Bairros and one by Novonovo. Thus not only promoting the result of the project but also seeking possible partnerships that could enhance new perspectives. The promoter BIPZIP also located a supervisor to give advice and directives on specific issues which were discussed during the three meetings endured. A conference with all the organizations participating in the program was also attended.
In Portugal, projects that use upcycling as a tool to solve social problems are not unusual. However, as mentioned above, most of the time the results are in accordance with a paradigm of classic DIY products, where the aesthetic design and the rigor in the finishing of the products are left aside. Often because the goal is really just to stimulate thinking about various ways to use a material or product, and where the aesthetic and quality result plays a less relevant role. This devaluation of design ultimately encourages cultural distance (already in place) between design practice and economically and socially disadvantaged people.
The application of professional upcycling product design methods was thus an important and innovative component of the project, both to achieve the desired refinement in the final results and to stimulate an alternative way of thinking that had never before been within reach of this audience.
On the other hand, industrial work (creating products) with machines and tools is normally done by men, both in industries and in social projects of this nature.
Finally, the application of design thinking tools with the public disqualified in basic things like knowing how to read and write is a very relevant factor in the innovation of this project. As described in the applied methodology, evident results emerged of how the transmission of creative skills in the creation of products is not only a fundamental methodology for the development of self-esteem but also for inner discovery and psychological analysis.
The advantage of using a methodology with circular design and design thinking principles is precisely the applicability it has in other contexts and with other beneficiaries. On the other side, even the design of a social solution maintains the use of the same actions to be replicated:
1) The analysis of the local context to detect existing social/environmental problems;
2) The design of a solution that at the same time can help solve or mitigate some of these problems and encourage virtuous circles;
3) The establishment of strategic partnerships (to reach the target audience; to provide/intermediate access to "waste") to efficiently connect the actors, making up a systemic network applicable in any context.
Understanding who would be the greatest beneficiaries of involvement in an upcycling project;
The usage of a methodology based on circular design highly focused on upcycling also assures the applicability to a diverse range of vulnerable groups.
This is because upcycling is commonly a practice with a low-tech transformation of materials with easy-to-learn skills. Besides that, most of the cognitive exercises of design thinking are also accessible to these social groups, since they are based on associative thinking and simple usage of literacy.
This way of structuring the project within a system of micro-production and sale of upcycled products has the possibility to become an example of how this system is possible to be recreated under different conditions described above. In this sense the project even being different in its application and intervention areas keeps its principles very visible and firm (job opportunity, social help, creation of new circular businesses, reuse of end-of-life materials), continuing to solve crucial problems for both society and municipalities, therefore maintaining all the necessary conditions for eligibility to municipal tenders for social intervention and/or within the circular economy.
The program was based on a practical approach, both to respond to the literal difficulties of the participants and to ensure a higher level of interest.
On the other hand, the theoretical methodology applied in the ideation of new products was absorbed with relative ease, being accessible in conceptual and practical terms. The processes followed the principles of circular design and design thinking: Experimentation. Reformulating paradigms (brainstorming). Rapid prototyping. Functionality test. Finalization of the products.
More specifically, each step of the workshop represented both a material transformation process and a personal affirmation process:
cutting: usage of cutting machines / facing fears; sanding: polishing the cut / "sanding away the problems", sharing; ideation: conceptual work / individual exploration; creation: prototyping / constructive re-creation of the person. finalization: completing the product / awareness of the evolution, gaining confidence; selling: creating contact, exposing / sharing and putting into practice the gained trust;
The theoretical methodology was mainly based on Edward de Bono's lateral thinking and was implemented with oral and written work with the following steps:
Brainstorming: production of keywords, nurtured by personal and project-related questions (individual). Inversion and analogies: find metaphors and antonyms to open the conceptual spectrum (individual). Fractionation: selection of keywords with personal meaning (individual). Random stimulation: each participant shared the words, once a sheet was created with all the words, each one declined one concept to develop from it.
The ideation process is indeed associative work. This practice necessarily confronts the inner spectrum of the person who, besides elaborating on an idea, reflects on the new path she intends to take in life. In this sense, it represents either an intention to improve their own condition or the investigation of interests never explored.
The first three main problems addressed are general poverty (ODS 1) in this area, directly connected to access inequalities, and employability issues (ODS 10, 8) since most of the people are undereducated and have a criminal history, drug addiction background or they come from poor families with restricted access to educational programs and consequently the labor market.
Therefore the work on wasted materials will help the city to become healthier (ODS 11), and on the other hand, reconnecting people and city resources to prevent waste production will help it to become cleaner and livable. This work has involved both empowering these participants to build a solution that keeps marginalized materials in living cycles, and creating an affordable circular alternative to urban product purchasing and consumption (SDG 12).
The results achieved are:
Upcycling products line with high quality at an affordable price.
Improved labor skillset of the participants, from practical abilities and production crafts to soft skills where connection and a sense of mutual help stand visible in bonds that extend beyond the project.
The most striking example is Ana, who has dramatically improved her mental health situation (by now having an occupation she fell in love with, and seeing a full-time job opportunity here); she is progressively improving her economic situation; and increasing her family members' general access to the labor market with connections built during the activities.
At the moment, Within the start of the financial sustainability of the project, the first completed steps are:
Ana Became the first permanent member of the production team.
Improvement of the production system;
Finalization of the products.
Pop-up exhibition and schedule of new promotional events;
Sale of the products on demand.
In the near future, the intention is to turn the workshop facilities into a post-consumption materials transformation pole (with glass as the central element). Laboratory space for exploration and production of upcycling, with space for workshops to raise awareness and involve civil society in the practice. In this sense, the target audience will evolve from trained to trainers in these activities. The occupational offer of the target public is scalable based on the increase of the activities and the production of the products.
The commercialization of the products is another component in course of action.
We are designing a crowdfunding campaign in order to gain market visibility and accumulate pre-orders. After that, the plan is to design a physical store in the same facility as the production site and also to develop a digital shop for direct sales. Thus sustaining a system of direct return for the participants (percentage of sales) in addition to payment for the labor.
This project is an example of a program, destinated to solve social issues, that integrated environmental sustainability goals, trying to solve both problems at the same time (since, it is a solution - recovering materials for a new production - that it’s closed enough to daily practices of the target audience and fits its needs)
The aims of the project and the design methodology applied (upcycling) has already sustainability principles at their core;
Methodologies with a practical and hands-on component were implemented for a gender generally excluded from this type of work. Developing this kind of knowledge help women to gain self-confidence and skills for new works paradigms (such as circular design) and to face everyday social challenges.
The competencies developed during the course were:
Learning tools for people who don’t have easy access to education in general.
Design thinking practice on the development of new products.
Education on sustainability and upcycling practice as a business tool.
Develop new skills of craftsmanship for women.
Empowerment for vulnerable women.
The municipality funds gained were not only used for the happening of the project but also invested in tools that settle the foundations for the future creation of a pole for upcycling with the main core of promoting employment and sustainability education in the area.
