Antonella Ilaria Totaro

Antonella Ilaria Totaro is an expert in circular economy and sustainability, which she has been working on for years between the Netherlands and Italy. She holds a Phd in Innovation for the Circular Economy at the University of Turin and is Head of Production and Communication of the Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food podcast. On Renewable Matter she is responsible for the Startup section.

Startup, protecting forests and indigenous communities in the Andes with Acción Andina

The 7,000-kilometer-long Andes Mountains, which make up only 1% of the earth's surface, are home to a rich and diverse ecosystem. There are 15% of all plant and wildlife species, including more than...

Renewable Materials Conference 2024: dates, programme and award finalists

From the 11th to the 13th of June, Siegburg/Cologne, Germany, will host the third Renewable Materials Conference (RMC), the world's leading event for chemicals and materials based on biomass, carbon...

Introducing the new ISO standards for the circular economy

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which is responsible worldwide for setting technical standards, has published, after a five-year effort, new international standards aimed a...

Startup, compostable period products and diapers made from seaweed with Vyld

The Germany-based startup Vyld develops sustainable, ocean-friendly, and healthy absorbent products made from seaweed. As of today, Vyld's products are Kelpon, the world's first tampon made from sea...

A Roadmap for the Netherlands, European Leaders in Solar Energy

Some might consider it odd that a country certainly not renowned for being sunny has invested and believed so much in solar that it now ranks first in solar capacity per capita in the EU. After year...

Startup, Zupply: automation platform for circular building projects

Zupply is a Danish startup that supports companies in the construction industry in transitioning to circular economy models. They do so by using data and automation to initiate workflows to efficien...

Startup: Cloov, the rental and second-hand platform for fashion brands

By using proprietary software, the Cloov startup enables apparel and accessories brands to create an online platform for rental and second-hand sales. Through its Software-as-a-service (SaaS), in ju...

Startup: RECO2, sustainable cobblestones out of industrial waste

Metallurgic, mining and glass scraps are transformed by a patented production process into Vytreum, a material used for outdoor flooring with characteristics comparable to current ceramic and c...

Startup: Broccoli, the Sharefunding Platform for Sustainable Food Companies

“In the last two years, nothing has been more important on the agenda than our health and our climate impact. Issues that will not be resolved in the next century. However, we can have an impa...

Startup, Beni: the Browser Extension that Promotes Second-hand Purchases

Beni is a browser extension that makes it easy to buy specific items of clothing second-hand. The extension works by intercepting online shopping searches and pointing users toward the same pro...

Climatiq, Real-time Data on the Carbon Footprint of Products and Companies

Founded in 2021 by Hessam Lavi, Philipp von Bieberstein, and Isis T. Baulig, Climatiq is an integrated carbon intelligence solution that allows companies to incorporate greenhouse gas emission ...

Startup: Smartex, Artificial Intelligence for a More Efficient and Sustainable Textile Industry

Smartex is the Portuguese company that, using artificial intelligence and machine learning, inspects fabrics in real time with precision and speed. Thanks to cameras, sensors, and a lighting system,...

Startup: ZigZag, reverse logistics software to reduce returns and waste

Having witnessed a constant increase in returns over two decades of experience in the retail sector, Al Gerrie founded ZigZag on the knowledge that “depending on the product, fashion retailers...

Startup, solar energy against food waste with S4S Technologies

Much of India's rural population relies on small-scale farming for their income and livelihood. But each year about 30 percent of agricultural products are wasted before they leave the farms. ...

Startup, recycling polycotton and polyester fabrics with Circ

US company Circ, one of the finalists of the 2023 Earthshot Prize, has developed an innovative method to recycle polycotton through a technology that transforms fabrics back into the raw materi...

Startup, cutting-edge Reforestation Technology with Land Life Company

Land Life Company is a reforestation company that plants trees on a large scale, deploying innovative technologies and offering businesses a sustainable and transparent way to offset carbon emission...

Startup, Ecococon: Straw and Wood Panels from Slovakia

“We are revolutionising the construction sector by providing a building system that is climate neutral, healthy, effective and designed to be safely returned to nature after use,” says E...

Startup, Bike Club: bicycles for children that change as they grow

Bike Club is revolutionizing the children's (but also adults') bicycle industry by providing families with the opportunity to subscribe online to new or refurbished bicycles and scooters and to...

Startup, Leko Labs: Wood for Construction Powered by AI and Robotics

Leko Labs, which describes itself as a “carbon-negative construction company”, has developed a new system for walls and flooring based exclusively on wood and wood fibre that could ...

Africa is Working on an Ultimate Producer Responsibility

When second-hand goods cross EU borders, the EPR fees associated with them are often retained by the exporting countries. This deprives importing countries of the ade quate financial support to hand...