Leaves Project was born in 2019 out of Cober’s desire to further deepen its environmental journey. Leaves Project aims to replace plastic components moulded now with virgin plastic, with our own developed formula of second-life plastic.

For this reason, Cober’s plastics moulding department has focused its attention on researching methods of re-using production waste. To do so, it has studied a way to put part of our production waste back into the production cycle, creating an internal circular economy. This led to finding an innovative derivative formula to be used instead of virgin plastic.

This formula gave rise to the first formulation of second-life plastic material, which is used on certain grips and components, to replace the material usually used.

The components thus created are designed to maintain the same technical and mechanical characteristics of resistance to different climatic conditions and impacts as the materials previously used.

Waste material that cannot be reintroduced into Cober’s production cycle is reintroduced into the production cycle of other companies.

The process leading to second-life plastic products involves several steps. The first one is the recovery of plastic material from production waste. The recovered material is then selected for processing into granules. Then, on the basis of the technical and mechanical characteristics of the material developed, the design of new components, and the study to identify in which existing components the new formula can be used, take place. The final stage is the moulding of second-life plastic products.

The aim of the project is to replace as many of the plastic components in the products as possible with components made of second-life plastic.

In January 2020, the first product with a moulded plastic second-life grip was presented. From this first product, a selection of poles on which a recycled plastic grip is mounted have been included in the subsequent collections.

Fun Fact: the first real step of the Leaves Project, or rather its predecessor, has been part of Cober’s history and production since time immemorial. In fact, Cober has always used its own production waste for the poles fasteners, which are present on every pair of poles sold by Cober.

By choosing these poles you are making a responsible choice without sacrificing performance.