from waste to innovation: Project zero waste takes the first step toward a circular future

Waste is often seen as an inevitable part of any production process – but what if waste could become a resource in itself? That’s the core idea behind Project Zero Waste, a bold new initiative launched in April 2025 in collaboration with Aalborg University and five selected customers. The goal: to rethink how products are developed and produced, in order to reduce – and eventually eliminate – unnecessary waste from the very beginning.

Shaping the future of waste-free production

While the project is still in its early stages, it’s already generating valuable insights that are shaping the path forward. Each of our participating customers is leading their own product design process – some with in-house teams, others involving external designers – while we support them as both manufacturing partner and development advisor.

Together, we are exploring new ways to integrate waste reduction and circular thinking into every aspect of product development.

Two key areas: Design and production

Waste typically originates in two key phases: design and production. During the design phase, understanding which choices lead to waste – and which materials or by-products might already be available – is essential to developing smarter, more sustainable products. In the production phase, choosing the right raw materials can either reduce waste from the outset or enable leftover materials to be used in other existing or future products.

Early insights: Less waste than expected

As part of the project, we’ve taken a closer look at the waste streams generated in our production by mapping what waste actually occurs and how it is handled today.

The findings have been both surprising and encouraging: our current processes generate very little waste, and much of what remains already finds meaningful use. A simple example is leftover leather, which is routinely handed over to institutions that transform it into useful, high-quality products.

These insights are already helping us guide our customers in making more informed design decisions with circularity in mind – turning an operational strength into a development advantage.

What’s Next?

The next phase is to develop a new generation of products based on this shared knowledge. Our engineers and production specialists will continue to work closely with each customer’s design team to support and guide the development process with technical expertise.

We aim to present five prototypes by autumn 2025, with a full launch planned for 3 Days of Design in 2026. We look forward to sharing more updates and learnings as the project progresses – and to showcasing how waste, with the right mindset and methods, can become the foundation for tomorrow’s innovation.