Geneva: upcycling arrives at the Automnales

Event in Geneva –

Recycling from above arrives at the Automnales

A new show dedicated to “upcycling” will be present at Palexpo from November 8 to 10. Explanations from its director and founder, Joël Vellas.

BotTalk

Joël Vellas, what is “upcycling”?

Unlike recycling, which consists of destroying or burning waste to make something else,upcycling aims to recover these objects as they are. In particular, we can manufacture furniture, textiles or accessories. Major luxury brands are getting involved, for example by making shirts from old fishing nets.

Why make it a living room?

The idea is to highlight what is being done in Greater Geneva in terms ofupcycling. Most of the exhibitors at this show are small businesses, start-ups. They have few opportunities to showcase what they do, except in small markets where the general public does not necessarily go. With an average of 50,000 to 60,000 visitors during the first three days of the Automnales, these artisans will be able to make themselves known and show thatupcycling can rhyme with quality.

Are workshops and events planned?

Yes! For example, we will have workshops for manufacturing “upcycled” objects or the smallest amusement park in the world, made with recovered materials and which was already present at the “Genève Genève” event in August.

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You also run the Bicycle Show, which is held at the same time. What are the links between these two exhibitions?

The two lounges will be side by side and some of the activities will be shared. The small amusement park, for example, is made with a lot of recycled bicycles. We will also organize introductions to basketball on a unicycle. Ultimately, what links these two shows is their goal of a healthier environment. If soft mobility works very well today, I would like it toupcycling become a fashion. I think it will explode in the next ten years. And I hope to be able to expand this show over time, by developing sponsorship to allow these manufacturers to afford a stand.

In the Autumn, we often tend to leave with something we didn’t initially need. There, with your show, you are completely proposing to rethink our way of consuming…

Yes, it’s an original counterpoint. In this annual center dedicated to commerce, we will benefit from a 2000 m² space with more than 30 exhibitors to show visitors that it is possible to consume better, by buying, why not, a more intelligent Christmas gift because it is “upcycled “.