The SMILE Resource Exchange inaugural event at Croke Park, Dublin, welcomed 100 businesses to exchange surplus products, by products and reusable items, in order to save money and help the environment by diverting waste from landfill. 267 potential exchanges were identified between the businesses in attendance.
Speaking at the event, Michelle Green, Project Manager, SMILE said, “We are absolutely delighted that so many forward-thinking Dublin businesses came along today, recognising how one business’s waste can become another business’s raw material. We’ve had some very interesting exchanges today but the focus of the event is largely on the creation of new business opportunities and businesses recognising potential new opportunities from unwanted resources. I am surprised at the amount of businesses that signed-up looking for raw materials, highlighting how progressive businesses are in Dublin and the number of businesses involved in up-cycling and becoming more resource efficient.”
Other exchanges at the inaugural SMILE Resource Exchange event in Dublin included:
– 400 used postal tubes
– Misprinted cotton bags
– 10,000 A4 cardboard boxes
Speakers at the event included:
Mark Finnegan, Sustainability Specialist, IKEA; Mark talked about IKEA’s approach to reuse by creating a balance between the social, the environmental and the economic. Mark spoke of IKEA’s many different initiatives to reduce and reuse waste and also highlighted the huge cost saving involved.
Mamukko, manufacture contemporary bags out of upcycled sailcloth, PVC tarpaulin and marine fabrics highlighted the care and attention that goes into creating these bespoke pieces using a mix of reused materials. Mamukko explained how SMILE has assisted them in making great business connections.
Remake, Irish designers who work with unwanted materials to create new products, described how SMILE has helped facilitate their creations by allowing them to access resources which they then transform and reuse.
SMILE stands for Saving Money through Industry Links & Exchanges. Potential exchanges are identified through SMILE networking events, an online exchange facility (www.smileexchange.ie) and the SMILE support team. SMILE Resource Exchange is funded primarily by the Environmental Protection Agency, partnering with the relevant enterprise boards.
The next SMILE event is:
Limerick, 20th November in Fitzgerald’s Woodland House Hotel, Adare, County Limerick
For further information on the SMILE Exchange Events, please contact: 01 436 1864 / www.smileexchange.ie
SMILE is funded under the National Waste Prevention Programme set-up in 2004.