EBRD assists Lebanon’s Estudio in creating online platform for E-CYCLE

14 / 04 / 2021

By Marwa Nassar - -

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) assisted Lebanon’s Estudio, a furniture manufacturer and interior design company, to create an online platform for E-CYCLE, enabling it to sell its eco-friendly recycled items over the internet. This helped it to gain over 1,000 followers on social media.

Estudio has shown a great deal of resilience amid some pretty adverse conditions – namely the coronavirus pandemic and a deteriorating economy and an explosion at the port of Beirut, all in the space of one year.

Operating in such tough conditions would be challenging, in 2020 Estudio connected with the EBRD Advice for Small Businesses program funded by the European Union, to venture into a new diversified line of work under the brand E-CYCLE which produces items made out of recyclable materials or waste collected in Estudio’s own factory.

The EBRD matched Estudio with a local consultant who helped it to analyze the company’s business gaps, and review its vision, objectives and strategy for the new venture.

Estudio also received advice on how to position the new line of business under its brand, develop a marketing strategy and train the team who were going to handle the new project.

Estudio General Manager, Nicole Mouawad, believes this expansion has helped the company to improve its efficiency and waste management, and to cater to the local market’s new appetite for green or upcycled products during a time when the country imposed import restrictions due to the pandemic.

“Our company began producing recycled products at the end of 2020 and local customers have expressed their interest and satisfaction in purchasing ‘green’ items. This motivated us to become more creative in producing a range of gift items like tissue boxes, coasters, trays among many other pieces,” she explained.

All the recycled items are made of wood waste collected at the factory and the company is now looking to transform the materials into pieces of functional art, low-cost furniture and wooden toys to be sold to nurseries and kindergartens.

The concept is one that was timely and could help people during tough times.

“As a result of the port explosion,” explained Ms. Mouawad, “many locals needed to rebuild their houses and establishments. We were lucky enough to be able to continue operating so that we could provide a service they needed. Our main issue was that people did not have enough cash to hand, and cash from banks was limited. We wanted to run our business and help people, which was a struggle, but we managed to share the costs by accepting cash or cheques.”

Estudio currently employs 30 staff members, including engineers and architects, in addition to 22 production workers. The company has grown rapidly and delivers services in Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. It is now planning to expand further in the Gulf region.