NoWa

We see the beauty in waste

Dorpsweg Ransdorp 80
Amsterdam
+31 (0)6 24 50 37 46 info@thisisnowa.com
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Josette de Vroeg

Founder

Did you know that your old phone contains all the ingredients to make beautiful new jewelry? If you buy from NoWa – which stands for ‘No Waste’ – you know exactly what your jewelry is made of. No new raw materials have been tapped, but the gold and silver from old telephones are recycled. Completely circular and also stylish!

About the Founder
Josette de Vroeg has a background in strategic marketing communications for social enterprises. She also worked as a project leader for several social initiatives. Josette’s mission is to demonstrate that we don’t have to dig gold out of the ground at all. The gold is literally yours to begin with! That’s why she founded NoWa. With NoWa jewelry she shows the value of waste, the importance of recycling and the potential for reuse. In a positive and tangible way. With NoWa she also encourages people to hand in their old telephone.

“I envision a world where everyone understands the importance of recycling e-waste, hands in their old electronics and where all electronics are recycled in a sustainable way.”

The Production Process
NoWa products are of course produced in a sustainable manner. Closing the Loop collects waste telephones in Africa, because they cannot be recycled there in a responsible manner. These phones are recycled in Europe; a process that takes three months. At least 93% of a waste telephone can be recycled! After this process, NoWa buys the gold and silver from Closing the Loop and makes it into jewelry. This is done by a Dutch foundry. Everything is made locally and by hand. The No Waste bracelets are knotted and packed by a social workshop.

NoWa at BinnensteBuiten
The KRO-NRCV program BinnensteBuiten made a television item about NoWa’s mission and working methods. Watch the broadcast here.

'We are all connected; not just through our phones.”

Josette de Vroeg

Founder