Pottle
- Internationals welcome
- Established
- Engineering, production and construction
Pottle adds value by turning waste into useful products. Every year, hundreds of millions of wine bottles are thrown away after a single use, whereas returnable beer bottles can be reused up to 40 times. At first glance, recycling seems like a sustainable solution, but it still requires 85% of the energy needed to make a new bottle. Consequently, upcycling emerges as the most sustainable option.
By modifying the bottles directly, Pottle bypasses the recycling stage and offers a sustainable alternative to glass recycling: glass upcycling. Pottle collects the glass from local hospitality businesses using an electric van, thereby contributing to a circular economy. The bottles are processed in a sheltered workshop by employees who face barriers to the labour market, mainly people with intellectual disabilities. These employees are involved in all business processes, including product innovation, sales, distribution and production. The bottles are cut into various shapes and sizes, depending on the intended end product.
