Elizabeth is an artist and social entrepreneur based in Calgary, Canada. She has been inspired by the simplicity and power of nature, which has influenced her professional and personal beliefs. Fifteen years ago, she co-founded Ciclomanias, a social enterprise which upcycles unwanted materials such as corrugated cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, and aluminum caps. She is originally from Mexico where she learned the Ludoplastia technique. Ludoplastia (from the Greek words ludos – play and plasté – shapes), is a technique created by a Mexican architect and artist Jose Luis Vargas Luévano, that uses geometric shapes to give the unique 3D effect to the designs created. The designs and colors used in Elizabeth’s artwork reflects elements of nature, including plants, animals, mushrooms, and beautiful landscapes she sees in different seasons and around the world. Ciclomanias emulates nature by upcycling waste while contributing to a circular economy. Ciclomanias produces environmentally friendly hand-crafted goods. It has upcycled and diverted from the landfill more than 4.5 tonnes of recycled corrugated cardboard and 2 tonnes of plastic bottles. Ciclomanias’ artwork embodies their respect to nature and their commitment to preserve our resources. This unique upcycled work is an evidence that waste does not need to end up in the landfill thus, adding to the disruption of nature, but can have other creative and artistic uses. Thank you for supporting your local eco-artists!