Story
Less waste, more valuable, circular products.
This is the philosophy under which Marten van Leeuwen started More Circular.
When he, years before entered the professional work life with an engineering degree, there was not much excitement to be found. During his first ‘sustainable’ job he saw enormous amounts of waste being burnt to generate renewable electricity. A waste of resources and a source of CO2 emissions – there had to be a better way.
The books The Blue Economy and Cradle to Cradle showed a completely different way of thinking and led him in the direction of the circular economy. From that moment Marten followed a straight line in pursuit of his dream: develop processes to transform waste streams into valuable products.
” I don’t believe in just doing less, but in changing how we produce things to have a positive impact. This is how I want to help make the world better
Marten van Leeuwen, founder and designer
He moved to New Zealand (where he grew up) with a mission to upgrade a waste stream from the construction industry. When he found that there was a lot of plasterboard being wasted, the journey started to developing a process to upcycle this material into something useful. His technical background and feeling for aesthetics and good design were a great combination. He developed the first prototype after a year of experimentation and testing, which later became the Archy light pendant.
Upon returning back to Europe, he found that there was a great deal of plaster being thrown away here too. He started again, this time with plaster waste in solid form from plasterers.
After a long path of testing, experimentation and sleepless nights, Archy became a reality. A design light pendant that brightens homes with it’s simple curves and pure and strong material.
Now Archy shines in many interior and More Circular is growing and expanding. And experimentation will always continue, because we want to make a bigger positive impact and transform more materials to make a better world.