Ecological wood debris glasses made by Brazilian
João Pinheiro + sources
Recycling has become a buzzword today. Sustainability “is fashion”, and enjoying it a group of Brazilians decided to use wood scraps and turn them into glasses. Read it!
Poetry and sustainability. From the union of these two concepts Zerezes’ wood glasses were born, created by four young — and idealistic — friends in Rio de Janeiro, who studied together at the same university. “We had similar references and complementary knowledge”, said Luiz Eduardo Rocha, one of the founders of the brand.
The glasses production history began through the city streets. “It was a fluke. We found many woods in buckets and construction waste. Over time we understand the value of them, many were noble”, recalls Luiz Eduardo. “We realized that could work with what was being discarded”.
On the rods of the glasses, handcrafted with those wood debris, is recorded the name of the street where the raw material — which would be discarded — was found.
Those who buy the product will know exactly where it came because there will be engraved with the place. About this fact, Luiz Eduardo says that “it’s the opportunity to tell a little bit more about the history of that wood and take it to the product”.
The collection won the affectionate name Madeiras Redescobertas (Wood Rediscovered). Issues are limited, since the scraps can only produce a small amount of goods. All are marked with the serial number. There are models made with wood like peroba, jacarandá or scots pine, for example.
The Zerezes hit the market in 2012, during the Rio+20 in Rio de Janeiro city. The collections are named by the origin of the wood. Besides Rediscovered, the designers create glasses with certified wood, the Documentadas (Documented).
They don’t even have their own store. Nor do they know if they want to have. Currently the glasses can be purchased online at the company’s site or at partner stores that share the same sustainable and alternative idea.
Another project that has been sweeping the four partners is the Restus collection. Throughout the manufacturing process of the parts on the woodwork, they realized there was a lot of waste generation. Then devised a way to reuse this leftover. A composite made of the union of sawdust with vegetable-based resin was developed.
With the support of donors through collective financing system, members of Zerezes raised money to fund the project. After many trials and research to ensure the quality of the material, have succeeded in producing glasses made with this new raw material. Thus able to reduce waste and give new life to something that would be discarded.
↪ Click here to visit the website of Zerezes to check this and other projects
The price of glasses is not cheap, ranging between R$ 300 and R$ 500 (values between US$ 122.50 and US$ 204.20), but the young entrepreneurs betting on win customers for sustainability of the brand and the enormous emotional appeal that surely she offers. [In addition, the design is beautiful.] “We use a practice of fair trade. The glasses are costly because we want to pay well our partners”.
Creativity, innovation and a good dose of persistence. The cariocas show that it is possible to change the way we see the world and produce — or rather, recreate our goods. “We’re doing something we believe in, tracing our way and making our choices”, said Luiz Eduardo.
Source: Superinteressante (adapted and translated by #CuriosoInEnglish)
