Meet the Founder

It's been ten years since I moved to Sweden from Japan in 2013. Throughout my time here, I've undergone a significant change - I now strongly desire to shift towards a more sustainable way of life. This is because I've experienced the increasing severity of abnormal weather conditions year after year and have come to realize that crisis climate is a significant problem in our daily lives. I have also recognized that our overuse of resources, which has been manifested in our consumer behavior of mass production and mass consumption, is a social issue that affects us all. is quite dire and needs urgent attention.

Here in Stockholm, the fact that climate crisis is a significant topic during elections and also in daily conversation. During my time in Sweden, I became naturally inclined to research "sustainable living" even more. I learned that shifting from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one can reduce environmental burden, among other things, and my interest grew as I continued to study and explore. I also discovered that I share the values of the circular economy and that I wanted to collaborate with like-minded individuals to create a better society.

After returning to Japan and working for a few years, I had the opportunity to consider what I could do for this cause. I felt that, compared to Sweden, there were few sustainable options available in Japan and that there were not many people or companies I began to explore what I could do and initially thought about making my own life more sustainable. I tried reducing my meat intake and experimenting with plant-based diets, visiting vegan cafes despite I'm not vegan myself, buying sustainable products, and trying out waste-reducing lifestyle choices at refill shops. While I couldn't do everything perfectly, I found that trying these options made me feel good. I also thought it was important to share what I learned and experienced, so I started a YouTube and Instagram channel called "COCO's Nordic Sustainable Life" to share my output.

In the process of gradually changing my mindset, I realized that this challenge should be easy, enjoyable and exciting in order to continue doing it. I also recognized that every aspect of our daily lives has an environmental impact, and it's not sustainable to endure everything and push ourselves to the limit. Instead, it's more effective to take small steps to gradually make sustainable choices that work for us individually.

 

The brand name "Circuliv" is a coined word that combines "Circular," meaning circulation, and "liv," meaning life in Swedish. The initial design for the eco-bag prominently features the Swedish word "Återbruk," which means recycling. By using this bag, we hope people can make the most of limited resources and have a chance to talk about "living as part of a circular economy" with friends, family, colleagues, and those around them. We designed it with the hope that it will serve as a catalyst for someone to adopt a circular lifestyle.

As a mother to my precious daughter, and currently 8 months pregnant, I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that the environment is as livable as possible.

Founder CEO

COCO

@coco.engstrom