Good practice:

TARTARUGA – REVIVAL of the CRAFT TRADITION OF THE LODZ REGION READ IN A MODERN, "GREENer" WAY

In Lodzkie Region, Tartaruga is a clear example of a business embracing the circular economy: this small craft brand produces carpets and kilims woven employing the traditional method revisited under a sustainable approach. The weaving method is historically linked with the Lodzkie Region and its traditions. Tartaruga is an eco-friendly brand, it embraces the zero waste philosophy and employs a transparent production method.
The starting idea of Tartaruga is to give new life to leftovers and waste: these become new sources used for the production, covering about 80-90% of the needed raw materials, this helps in the reduction of the waste streams.
The original business model noticeably inverts the "design - produce" relationship: starting from leftover, depending on the color, texture and properties of each material, a new idea and concept is generated, designing and producing each item in an unique way, starting with the purpose of creating value from waste.
From the very beginning, as desired by the founders, the pro-environmental character of the enterprise took central stage and shaped the functioning of the business:
- The company uses only trace amounts of waste in the traditional weaving method;
- The company uses and sources natural dyes, components and by-products that generate a neutral impact on the environment;
- Water consumption is comparable to that of a standard household - this has to do with the source of the raw materials, which is the acquired waste.

The company is based on its own resources, no financial support from the public sector. The two co-founders work on traditional looms and textile machines and design the products together. The raw materials are obtained from waste or sustainable sources.

Tartaruga's most important aspects of efficiency concern the reuse of waste, the reduction of carbon and water footprints. Just considering the water consumption of the textile industry: a consequence of producing 1 t. of wool is the generation of almost 550 m3 of wastewater containing dyes, acids, heavy metals, etc. No less important is the socio-environmental impact, the numerous and often award-winning awareness-raising, eduprojects and workshops through NGO called NÓW New Craft Association.

Tartaruga's customers expect a reduction in the use of raw materials, knowing that the textile sector is very resource and emission intensive (especially water).
The challenge is an increasingly vegan lifestyle, with consumers paying more attention to reducing zoonotic raw materials, (e.g. wool).

This good practice is easy to adopt because of the common problems associated with the management of production and consumer waste from the textile industry. In fact, almost every region has craft traditions that can be sustained and redefined by the pro-environmental demands of a new generation of consumers. The demand among this group of customers is shaped by, among other things, pro-environmental production, zero-waste models, fair trade, eco-design and special consideration for animal welfare (products dedicated to vegans). The overarching model favoring all these elements is circular economy that can favor a cross-sectorial and interregional valorization of waste streams. Tartaruga illustrates in a practical way how to adapt to new economic trends and how to creatively run a business that can meet the increasingly ecological demands of customers and create educational and awareness values for its immediate environment.