Our mission is:
Make the world a better place!
by designing tomorrow.
Our values are:
sustainability
well-being
cruelty free
plant based
eco-friendly
João Fonseca
Founder and CEO @_benacid_
Everything started when I found my passion for designing products during the Graduation in Technology and Product Design by the Aveiro University - ESAN (2006-2009). I was thrilled by the possibities upfront and my dream was to work in companies like LEGO, IKEA, FOSCARINI and DECATHLON.
Feeling the thirst for knowledge i attended the master in Sustainable Energetic System in the Aveiro University (2009-2011) and that help me to be more conscious, sustainable and ethical while designing.
After that I had the opportunity to learn HTML, Social-media, Scrum, Feng shui, Kaizen, Wireless Communications; Light Management in Smart Cities; Permaculture
During the last +10 years I had the opportunity to work as a Product Designer; Light Designer; Graphic Designer; Social Media Manager; Project Manager; Scrum Master; Innovation Manager; Chief Technology Officer and Permaculture designer, with extremely talented and gift people that help me shape my skills and style.
Nowadays I dedicate my effort to support local projects/companies in the areas of circular economy, sustainability (repair, reuse and recycle), Smart Cities, Soft Mobility, Industrial Design (concept, prototyping and industrialization) and Permaculture.
In the future all benacid new concepts, products and projects will based on Eco-friendly and Sustainable materials, Circular Economy, Renewable Energies, Cruelty-free, Plant-based, Montessori and Permaculture approaches.
All for the good of nature, animals and people!
Natalia Brozek da Fonseca
Project Manager @_benacid_
Growing up between the mountains of Szczyrk and the city of Katowice was crucial for me to develop an early awareness of the heaviness of big cities and the lightness of nature.
Having always enjoyed art and craft, I ended up studying architecture at the Akademia Śląska in Katowice, Poland. The passion for natural materials and natural building leads me to redesign an old family house in Canadian style and with hempcrete for my final project.
It took me a while to realise what drives me, but I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit different countries, learn about different cultures and new ways of living sustainably, and most importantly, to be aware of what I believe in and what I want to do while I am in this world.
I became vegan in 2016 and since then I have been passionate about permaculture and other holistic topics such as slow living, slow beauty, organic geometry and much more.
in 2018, I move to Portugal to embark on a new adventure, become a mother and put down roots with my husband João Fonseca. During this time, I join benacid as a product manager with the goal of bringing new products and ideas to the Portuguese market. Together we've worked more than 800 hours to become certified permaculture designers and we're constantly learning and investing in new topics such as hemp, mushrooms, herbs and other plants.
This resulted in the project @unitedbyplants - a vegan concept with the aim of veganising Portuguese kitchen traditions. Presented at the Viseu Vegan Fest 2020; @oxybed.pt - and the democratisation of Hiperbaric Oxygen Therapy in the Portuguese market 2021; @_olio2_ - slow living and slow beauty concept shop 2022 and recently the project Studeo - architecture made easy and natural.
I'm very excited to be able to help new businesses, communities and you to do the most with less, to be bright without burning and to enjoy nature and all living creatures without killing them!
Precious Plastic
benacid support the Precious Plastic mission to reduce the plastic waste all around the world.
We are developing efforts to offer worldwide: parts, machines, molds and precious plastic products.
Precious Plastic is a combination of people, machines, platforms and knowledge to create an alternative global recycling system. Everyone can join the Precious Plastic Universe (yes you too!).
Join the comunity and help us cleaning the planet.
Save the Soil
Save Soil is a global movement launched by Sadhguru, to address the soil crisis by bringing together people from around the world to stand up for Soil Health, and supporting leaders of all nations to institute national policies and actions toward increasing the organic content in cultivable Soil.
Benacid is supporting this movment by spreading the message, contributing with conscious ideas and work as volunteer.
Ecosia
benacid team and friends use ecosia to do online search and plant tree.
Ecosia use the profit they made from our searches to plant trees where they are needed most.
Joint the team and plant trees with every search.
Instal the app and learn more about ecosia by clicing on the button below.
We are planting +10 trees per month just by searching online with ecosia.
Share the Meal
benacid supports ShareTheMeal initiative of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) - the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger.
Each year, WFP reaches more than 86 million people with food assistance in around 83 countries. WFP is 100% voluntarily funded, so every donation counts.
Donations from the ShareTheMeal app support various WFP operations ranging from resilience building and school feeding programmes to providing food assistance in emergencies. Since launching the app in 2015, we have helped provide aid to some of the largest food crises in the world including Yemen, Republic of Congo, Rohingya, Uganda, Syria, Nigeria, Lebanon and recently Ukraine.
We are offering one meal per day!
Climate Alliance
Benacid encourages all communities to join the Climate Alliance and adopt fair, nature-based, local, resource-saving and diverse principles at the local level.
Climate challenges must be based on replenishment and regeneration, contributing to sustainable, closed-loop systems in balance with society and nature.
Cities should increase their resilience to crises by promoting local and circular economies, fostering diversity, and increasing resource efficiency and conservation.
"In this way, Climate Alliance cities and towns focus on a holistic and truly sustainable approach to climate change".
Project Kamp
benacid supports P.K., a prototype project for a more sustainable way of living.
The aim is to find a different way of living that is more resilient and in harmony with our environment.
There is a lot to figure out: what materials to use for houses, how to store energy, what to eat. but they are doing great.
AVP
benacid is now partner of Associação Vegetariana Portuguesa (AVP), a non-profit organization, with a mission to promote vegetarian food as a healthy, compassionate and ecologically responsible lifestyle, which aims not only for the well-being of all living creatures, but also for the sustainability of the planet and solution to several problems and challenges that we face today as a society.
Salvage
benacid also supporting recycling in the cloth industry.
Salvage line is made of shreded cuttings from organic cotton textile production and fibres made from locally recycled plastic bottles to obtain the cotton and polyester blend.
Salvage labelled products are certified under the Global Recycle Standard (GRS) and the Organic Content Standard (OCS) by the Control Union Certifications.
All salvage products have the folowing label's: carbon neutral; share the meal; PETA approved; GRS and OCS.
Earth Positive
benacid join the most sustainable and ecofriendly suppliers of cloth in europe to offer the best product for you and for earth.
EarthPositive® is produced exclusively made from organic Indian cotton, and the entire production process is controlled and certified in accordance with the latest version of GOTS.
100% of the EarthPositive® products undergoes annual audits to comply with the FWF Code of Labour Practices in accordance with the International Labour Organisation’s conventions.
All EarthPositive® products have the folowing label's: carbon neutral; share the meal; PETA approved and GOTS.
Viscose
benacid suppliers are using the most eco-friendly materials available in order to offer the most eco-responsible products in the market.
Derived from certified renewable wood sources using an eco-responsible production process by meeting high environmental standards, LENZING™ ECOVERO™ fibers tailor to a sustainable lifestyle, contributing to a cleaner environment.
key facts: Sustainable wood sourcing; Awarded EU Ecolabel; Lower emissions; Supply chain transparency
Meet our partners
