We want to welcome the project Pep Lemon as new Med-O-Med member in the frame of our sustainable development initiatives. It is an initiative of production and commercialization of natural soft drinks from Mallorca (Spain), at a local level, with a social commitment and with the goal of helping its land in a sustainable way. Its added value is its quality reference, its promotion of a circular economy (products are produces from fruit waste), and its social commitment (for instance, through the employment of people with functional diversity).
Their work has been awarded with several prices, the Eureka price to the best business idea, awarded by the city council of Palma de Mallorca in 2013, the Ecodisseny price, awarded by Catalunya’s government in 2015, and the public’s price awarded by the National Congress for the Environment (CONAMA) in 2016. During their presentation in CONAMA, FUNCI was presenting its Med-O-Med network. This allowed both institutions to meet and, finally, to include this interesting initiative in our Platform.
Their motto, “future is local”, and “each product is unique and unrepeatable, as there are no equal lemons”, is part of the raising awareness approach and reflects the important sustainability and quality offered by this product.
Pep Lemon’s sustainable nature is a consequence of its Ecodesign strategy. In fact, the project is based in the recycling of natural resources, infrastructures and wasted industrial products. Through this, they want to revitalize a leading industry in Europe, that of soft drinks, in contrast with big multinational’s trademarks. The design allows to inform the consumer of good practices, contributing to raising-awareness in sustainability, and allowing them to choose a product based in this criteria.
Their motto, “future is local”, and “each product is unique and unrepeatable, as there are no equal lemons”, is part of the raising awareness approach and reflects the important sustainability and quality offered by this product.
Through this task, the concept of consumer has been modernized. It is not a delicatessen for the tourist, but a local innovative product, aimed for a responsible consume, modern, healthy and of good quality. This initiate is a good example of how to right-doing, creativity and commitment with the environment, can transform a “waste” into a valuable parodic in the natural and cultural heritage.
How was the initiative Pep Lemon created?
Carme Vedaguer and Christoph Hafner, both specialist in the audiovisual world, along with the architect Bartomeu Riutford, funded Lemon Factory in the year 2014. They came up with the idea in Hamburg, Germany, where they realized the success of local soft drinks along Europe, and thought of the potential it could have in Mallorca, where almost all of the 50 small factories of soft drinks had disappeared since the 60s, huge amounts of lemon waste was thrown away every day, and a 99% of the products come from abroad.
Since the first moment, they wanted to tear down the idea of local soft drinks as some traditional or obsolete, by promoting a youthful and modern image, and customize it with a traditional icon, “Pep”.
Milestones and perspectives
Since 2014, a product that was being sold in 20 local stores in Palma de Mallorca, has grown to be sold in the whole island, as well as in the island of Menorca, and soon in the rest of the island. In this period, more than 600,000 bottles have been sold, using a 120 tons of citric waste, and offering a stable job to a team of 20 people with functional diversity.
In the future, Pep Lemon wants to be an exportable model to other local economies from around the world, and more specifically, for the Mediterranean, through the Med-O-Med network. Thus, promoting a sustainable development culture and fighting against climate change.
Myriam de la Cavada – FUNCI
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