UPP! Upcycling Plastic: beyond recycling
Towards a zero-plastic waste future
It seems like plastic waste has been our worst enemy since the early days of sustainable thinking. While it is true that plastic production has slowed down in Europe in the last few years, it is not the case on a global scale. With over 300 million tons of plastic waste produced each year, we will need more than paper straws and biodegradable grocery bags to save the planet. Fortunately, the growing awareness about this issue has led multiple entrepreneurs to make a zero-plastic waste future their number one priority. The people at UPP! Upcycling Plastic are frontrunners in this essential fight. Since 2017, they are helping their customers recycle their plastic waste production and integrate circular thinking into their value chain.
Towards a zero-plastic waste future
It seems like plastic waste has been our worst enemy since the early days of sustainable thinking. While it is true that plastic production has slowed down in Europe in the last few years, it is not the case on a global scale. With over 300 million tons of plastic waste produced each year, we will need more than paper straws and biodegradable grocery bags to save the planet. Fortunately, the growing awareness about this issue has led multiple entrepreneurs to make a zero-plastic waste future their number one priority. The people at UPP! Upcycling Plastic are frontrunners in this essential fight. Since 2017, they are helping their customers recycle their plastic waste production and integrate circular thinking into their value chain.
Towards a zero-plastic waste future
It seems like plastic waste has been our worst enemy since the early days of sustainable thinking. While it is true that plastic production has slowed down in Europe in the last few years, it is not the case on a global scale. With over 300 million tons of plastic waste produced each year, we will need more than paper straws and biodegradable grocery bags to save the planet. Fortunately, the growing awareness about this issue has led multiple entrepreneurs to make a zero-plastic waste future their number one priority. The people at UPP! Upcycling Plastic are frontrunners in this essential fight. Since 2017, they are helping their customers recycle their plastic waste production and integrate circular thinking into their value chain.
Business Creation.
Addressing local needs
Years of experience in the plastic recycling industry have taught Jan Jaap Folmer, the founder of UPP! an important lesson: while recycling is an essential aspect of sustainability, it cannot fix the plastic waste problem by itself. In this way, Jan Jaap decided to use his extensive expertise in the industry and look at the problem from a slightly different perspective. It is after a trip to SouthEast Asia that he initiated UPP! Upcycling Plastic. Being in contact with local businesses, he realized that more than a need, there was a real demand for better plastic waste solutions in the region and he would be the one providing it. Together with Rob Lefeber who helped him grow the company, he came up with a plan to recycle plastic waste from Asian producers while developing more circular processes for his customers. Starting from very successful implementations in Vietnam and the Netherlands, UPP! is now able to consider other regions of the world in need of circular plastic solutions.
Jan Jaap Folmer at a Dutch trade mission in Vietnam, signing on a plastic recycling factory project for the Phu Quoc island (2019).
Jan Jaap Folmer at a Dutch trade mission in Vietnam, signing on a plastic recycling factory project for the Phu Quoc island (2019).
Jan Jaap Folmer at a Dutch trade mission in Vietnam, signing on a plastic recycling factory project for the Phu Quoc island (2019).
Circular Value Proposition.
The plastic recycling unit developed by UPP! offers fully customizable end products directly usable for local projects.
Local solutions for local challenges
While plastic recycling is nothing new, UPP!’s circular plastic factories have several innovative attributes. First, instead of centralized locations, the factories are containerized production units, meaning that they could be easily implemented on the production site of customers. Another important characteristic of the factories is that the products made from recycled plastic are customized to local needs. Whether it is for construction blocks, roof tiles, or any other plastic-based products, the factories always fulfill a demand in the area where they were implemented. Once installed, the unit will grind the plastic material to then organize, and process it through different types of machinery. It is during the processing phase that a business has full control of the output they wish to create. This system works especially well since UPP! has decided to follow a franchising business model. This allows them to provide long-term assistance to their customers and collaborate more effectively on local circular projects.
Local solutions for local challenges
While plastic recycling is nothing new, UPP!’s circular plastic factories have several innovative attributes. First, instead of centralized locations, the factories are containerized production units, meaning that they could be easily implemented on the production site of customers. Another important characteristic of the factories is that the products made from recycled plastic are customized to local needs. Whether it is for construction blocks, roof tiles, or any other plastic-based products, the factories always fulfill a demand in the area where they were implemented. This system works especially well since UPP! has decided to follow a franchising business model. This allows them to provide long-term assistance to their customers and collaborate more effectively on local circular projects.
The plastic recycling unit developed by UPP! offers fully customizable end products directly usable for local projects.
The plastic recycling unit developed by UPP! offers fully customizable end products directly usable for local projects.
“Together, we make our world clean, green and circular, by closing the loops locally.”
Jan Jaap Folmer, founder and CEO of UPP!
Thinking beyond recycling
Since its creation, UPP! has followed a purpose first, profit second mentality. Its franchising strategy is the perfect representation of its circular positioning. By pushing their customers to adopt sustainable business practices aside from recycling waste, they can make sure to work with businesses that truly want to do better. They also collaborate with governmental agencies and waste collection companies on multiple projects, making sure to adapt circular solutions to local challenges. While focusing on plastic, UPP! always keeps in mind the broader picture of sustainability, using the expertise of its circular team to address 13 different SDGs. As Jan Jaap puts it, a circular economy will require a strong collaborative mindset, transparency, and persistence. It is thanks to these three attributes that UPP! is very much likely to reach its objective of keeping 250 thousand tons of plastic waste away from landfills, oceans, or incineration every year by 2025.
The recycled bricks produced by UPP’s containerized unit can stack on each other like legos.
Our Insights.
Accelerating target reach
Considering that UPP! is planning to expand in at least five countries and 10 different cities in the next four years, they needed to make their voice heard outside of their current market. Circular Stories helped them build a communication strategy, focusing on storytelling and showcasing their circular ambitions, strong expertise and concrete value proposition. UPP! UPP was provided with feedback on consumer targeting, messaging and digital communication tools. Thanks to our insights and the production of a sharp business video, UPP! was now able to communicate more effectively and reach a wider network of potential customers, partners and investors.
Meet the Circular Stories Team!
Do you want to position yourself as a frontrunner of circular business? Circular Stories can help you build your communication strategy in record time!
Whether you want to reach out to investors or new customers, our Video Brand Story program will help you stay in the mind of your audience!
Learn more about what video branding can do for your business right here:
Do you want to position yourself as a frontrunner of circular business? Circular Stories can help you build your communication strategy in record time!
Whether you want to reach out to investors or new customers, our Video Brand Story program will help you stay in the mind of your audience!
Learn more about what video branding can do for your business right here:
Do you want to position yourself as a frontrunner of circular business? Circular Stories can help you build your communication strategy in record time!
Whether you want to reach out to investors or new customers, our Video Brand Story program will help you stay in the mind of your audience!
Learn more about what video branding can do for your business right here:
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