Notpla ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
focused on cutlery . We think this will become applicable to a much wider group of disposable products that really shouldn ’ t be made from plastic anymore . This portfolio approach means that we have some things that are at scale , replacing millions of units of plastic already , while others are still in the R & D phase where we are testing and learning and validating what we ’ re doing .”
Pierre moves on to detail the depth of the company ’ s commitment to sustainable practices : “ We ’ re in the unique position where we ’ re literally making a better , greener product . So as well all of those internal initiatives where we make sure we are doing the best possible in each area , we are making a plastic free solution available to other businesses . It much more profound than just switching energy providers , or putting in better insulation , we are working hard to develop plastic free alternatives for everyone . That being said , there are many ways to be a good business ; we try to do right by all of our stakeholders , not just the shareholders . That includes the social impact as well as the environmental . We want to move the needle , to change what ’ s possible . The most critical elements are the work we are doing
in materials and on that front , we took the initiative to create a new industry body that represent the interests of the emerging categories of non-plastic solutions including seaweed-based products and materials derived from mushrooms , as well as other natural elements that can be used to replace plastics . By creating this organization , we hope to have a stronger voice when engaging with governments and the wider industry .”
Pierre points out that thanks to a lack of research there is no standardized measure of the environmental impact plastic has on its environment , and subsequently there is a lot of greenwashing that takes place in the plastic industries . The Dutch Government has recently taken steps to address this , as Pierre concludes : “ They investigated whether the products claiming to be plastic free contain any non-natural or chemically modified polymers - the technical definition of plastic . It was shocking to find that of all the products on the market that claim to be plastic free , we were the only one whose solution didn ’ t contain plastic .” ■
www . notpla . com
62