A Slovenian entrepreneur turns production scraps into new products

At Les-Rock, leftover wood does not automatically end up in a waste container. Larger usable pieces become semi-finished products, while sawdust can go to pellet production or be used as a base for plants.

The Prekmurje company makes custom furniture and interiors for restaurants, inns and other clients. Its owner, Jure Sreš, sees solid wood as a domestic, renewable raw material with many possible uses. That approach has left the workshop with very little wood waste.

The company is now considering what else could be made from quality pieces that do not fit its main products. Wooden toys are among the ideas. Sreš said wood offers extensive possibilities for new products and that the challenge is finding the right idea.

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Wood is a renewable resource that can be used in a thousand and one ways. There is enormous potential for development, you just need to get an idea.

He is especially interested in giving children products made from a natural material and introducing them to wood and nature at an early age. Les-Rock has not yet turned the idea into a finished business activity.

The company’s experience is presented as an example of the support available through the entry points of Slovenia’s Circular Economy Centre. The centre offers micro, small and medium-sized businesses free help with developing circular solutions, finding information and funding, and connecting with experts, solution providers and other companies.

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We live in the age of plastic, modernism and capitalism. Isn’t it better for a child to feel something natural and alive while playing, rather than chew artificial plastic things?