From the most diverse locations in our country come from the most innovative sustainable and ecological ventures that were selected from the 60 winning projects of the Chilean Impulse competition.
In its second version, the Initiative of the Initial Impulse Foundation received more than 5,000 nominations, of which 200 semi-finalists and 60 winners represented all regions of the country were obtained.
However, among all these projects stands out the sustainable inventiveness of entrepreneurs from La Serena, Santiago, Concepción and the southern Punta Arenas. All of them respond to innovative and environmentally friendly ideas or projects.
These are their stories, these are their projects.
Eco-friendly concrete blocks
Luis Arancibia (46) will play with all his inventiveness to take the first place with the artisanal creation of ecological concrete blocks made from plastic bottles.
Blockmac was born from the idea of contributing to the environment through the creation of a concrete block made from plastic bottles, which helps the circular economy. In addition to helping with the social insertion of retired people, since in your team you work with two of them.
“I tried rubber, plumavit and other elements, but it didn’t work out for me. Then I tried plastic, pure trial and error, until it worked for me,” says the entrepreneur who managed to lose the weight of the blocks from 13k to 11k.
However, shredding it was the problem. “We started using scissors, but it was very slow, until I had the means to buy a second-hand machine,” he recalls.
This machinery allowed the entrepreneur to crush the raw material he collects with the help of friends, neighbors and neighborhood businesses. He provided them with recycling bins that he removes himself two or three times a week.
Luminaire based on Chilean seaweed
Octavio Segura (31) is an industrial designer and since graduating, two years ago, he decided to dedicate himself to ecological lighting with low environmental impact. From a young age he had a knack for manual labor and made small origamis, but he also began to demonstrate his fondness for electricity at the technical school where he studied, which allowed him to mix his skills.
He started with something that didn’t mean a lot of resources and decided to work with folded lamps with mining paper. But, he says, he wasn’t entirely comfortable because he wanted something more sustainable and he was looking for alternatives.
In this context he decided to start with Prometheus Studio, where I create “The Light of the Sea”, a collection of lamps through the use of bioplastics based on seaweed, hairs or agar, which proposes a new way of use for biomaterials that will allow to reach the economy Circular.
“The idea is to work with the most algae,” he says. Today in Chile there are very few low-impact lamps that are made from recycling and, less so, biomaterials like those of Prometheus Studio, he explains.
“I really like the sea, whenever I was picking conchitas, seaweed and things. The algae I started to backlight and I realized it was translucent well. And that’s when it started to make sense of me because it was also a material that is local and sustainable. I’ve been exploring with algae for a year now,” says the designer.
Organic shampoo bar
The kindergarten educator Teresa Ramos (32) and her partner, journalist Javier Moreno (33), had been left out of work. The situation was complicated for both of them so they decided to undertake. Thus they started with a project based on natural cosmetics.
Javier had experience in this world by his mother, who for more than 15 years had as a hobby the elaboration of natural soaps. But they decided to get more involved in the world of cosmetics and as new customers became, other needs came along with new products.
This is how, from the concerns of the same customers, arises the idea of making a natural bar shampoo, sustainable, friendly to the environment, which they called “Green Water Shampoo in Bar”.
“The main property is that it is a shampoo with natural elements without chemicals and with biodegradable or reusable packaging. The idea is to avoid the use of plastics, especially that of today’s liquid shampoos, as it is very difficult to clean them completely for recycling,” says Teresa.
The attributes of this bar shampoo start from its base of vegetable derivative, coconut oil and essential oils, in addition to Aloe Vera. “It is an ideal product for travel, adventures, athletes, because it is completely transportable and being solid does not spill into your bag,” she says.
In total, they have six varieties: berries, chocolate, honey yogurt, verbena, coconut and lemon. With the quality of being hypoallergenic and biodegradable.
Vegetables to feed Magellan
There is clear evidence that in Magallanes, Chile’s southernmost region, brilliant entrepreneurship proposals are being incubated that have been highlighted among those that have been generated throughout the country.
This is the case of the project “La Herbacería” devised by two descendants of Croats; agronomist Zlowenka Basic (35) and architect Juan Pablo Violic (32), who left their respective work to undertake together, as partners and partners, the production of green vegetables in the absence of supply of these agricultural products in the region of Magellan.
The project is about the implementation of a sustainable greenhouse that, through the technique of aeroponics, is able to produce vegetables in little space and with little water. In fact it is produced in a closed system circuit consisting of the recirculation of water taking advantage of it by 100% and 45% in terms of nutrients.
“It takes little space, little water and light, the heat is everything. A smart greenhouse,” zlowenka says.
Both Zlowenka and John Paul are so convinced of the good results that their entrepreneurship will bring that they invested in their first container, in which they will begin to produce in a first stage lettuces and then grow basil, spinach, parsley and cilantro, in order to meet the needs of the Horeca canal (hotels, restorant and casinos).
“We already have the container and construction, and the place where we are going to install it. If we award ourselves the 10 million Chilean Impulse we will automate it and buy a second unit. That’s the goal we have thought,” says the entrepreneur, who is very grateful to be among the finalists. “We are going to give him forward,” she says convinced about her project La Herbacería.
The final will be in January
Impulso Chileno is an entrepreneurship competition sponsored by the Fundación Impulso Inicial, by Andronic Luksic Craig and his family, in collaboration with the Incubator Socialab and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. Your goal? Support Chilean entrepreneurs who have an idea or business to carry out their projects. In its second version, the contest awarded the final selected 60; the top 20 will receive $10 million, the 20 that support them will receive $5 million, and the 20 third parties will benefit from $3 million in funding for their project and expert support for 6 months. Chile’s Impulso received more than 5,000 nominations, of which 200 semi-finalists were obtained. On October 15, their 60 finalists were unveiled. The final is scheduled for January 2020.
