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From left to proper: Martijn Bijmolt and Jouri Schoemaker are co-founders of Pieter Pot | Picture Credit score: Techleap.nl
Are you bored with packaging waste? In the event you discover packages coming house along with your orders a nuisance, then you aren’t alone. Packaging waste is a serious a part of the whole world waste, and the key a part of the packaging waste consists of single-use plastic meals packaging.
Whereas main e-commerce platforms and different retailers have made guarantees to do away with plastic waste, it’s but to materialise in a significant approach. Nonetheless, a Dutch startup is displaying that it may be achieved. Based mostly in Rotterdam, Pieter Pot has constructed a system that permits individuals to do their purchasing with out shopping for packaging.
Based by Jouri Schoemaker and Martijn Bijmolt in 2019, Pieter Pot has created a round resolution that makes use of reusable pots to ship groceries. Its success might turn out to be a proof-of-concept and Schoemaker tells us concerning the inspiration behind it.
Eliminating waste packaging
The concept behind Pieter Pot stems from the problem related to eliminating waste packaging. Schoemaker says “no person is proud of all of the waste packaging that comes along with your deliveries, however the precise problem is the hassle required to do away with it”.
With a purpose to overcome this problem, Schoemaker and his co-founder tried to validate an concept that “makes it simple and handy to purchase your groceries with out packaging.” The validation course of adopted by Pieter Pot primarily displays their ingenuity.
The premise of this Dutch startup is to interchange all of the packaging waste with reusable jars and the co-founders began with jars from IKEA and groceries from the market. As soon as the thought was validated, they went alongside constructing the enterprise mannequin and the way it could truly work.
For Schoemaker, the problem is absolutely for customers who nonetheless don’t have sufficient choices for getting packaging-free groceries. “I believe there’s a huge hole between what individuals need and are literally presently doing,” says Schoemaker.
He explains that customers need to purchase packaging-free groceries however not each nook store presents them such an possibility.
A worldwide drawback will get a novel resolution
The issue of packaging waste will not be one confronted by the Netherlands alone. It’s a world drawback with very restricted options. Pieter Pot is providing only one resolution to an issue so grave that we would want a number of startups like Pieter Pot to really overcome this problem.
Within the grand scheme of issues, Schoemaker says laws requiring supermarkets to have a sure proportion of their cabinets with package-free merchandise goes a great distance. He additionally cites analysis displaying that 70 per cent of customers are prepared to cut back their packaging waste, proving there’s a determined want for an answer.
Pieter Pot is the primary on the planet to supply a full end-to-end round packaging system. With conventional packaging itself not all the time recycled, Schoemaker says they take precautions to make sure there aren’t any rules that forestall washing packaging to reuse it.
By ordering immediately from Pieter Pot, Schoemaker says customers are making an influence in opposition to CO2 emission. Nonetheless, the actual influence comes within the type of creation of an infrastructure for round packaging and altering the system. Pieter Pot not too long ago introduced a partnership with Kraft Heinz whereby one of many largest fast-moving shopper items (FMCG) gamers will undertake reusable jars for its packaged merchandise.
Rise is right for first-time founders
Pieter Pot’s resolution is so distinctive that the startup discovered itself becoming a member of eight others as a part of Techleap.nl’s Rise programme. When requested concerning the motivation to hitch Rise, Schoemaker says the programme allowed him to be taught and hear and brainstorm on options for shared issues.
As first-time founders, he says they had been all the time talking with advisors and different entrepreneurs that had been a step additional than them. With Rise, that dialog continued for Schoemaker and Bijmolt, they usually even received the chance to have discussions with friends who had been in the identical part.
“The Rise programme supplied us a chance to repeatedly mirror and make our studying curve steeper,” says Schoemaker.
Sustainability has been one of many key traits of startups that be a part of Rise and Pieter Pot, specifically, is seeking to clear up a tough problem and show a brand new enterprise mannequin. Its success wants Schoemaker and Bijmolt to not solely be taught from one of the best but in addition make fewer errors alongside the way in which.
Schoemaker reaffirms the notion that “Rise is an emblem of high quality or recognition” and explains how the programme has even helped them discover the fitting expertise. He says Pieter Pot now employs 100 individuals and is seeing individuals recognise the excessive efficiency within the ecosystem due to being a part of Techleap.nl’s Rise programme.
A worthwhile enterprise case
Each entrepreneur wishes to achieve success however all of them gauge their success in another way. For Schoemaker and Bijmolt, the success of Pieter Pot correlates with being unbiased and making their enterprise case worthwhile.
Schoemaker says as soon as they show their enterprise mannequin will be worthwhile, extra companies will come to work with it. “If we show this round system can work by displaying that customers need this, the backend works and it’s financially sustainable, then I believe we can be profitable.”
He says one of many causes behind their success is their capacity to validate their concepts. For younger entrepreneurs seeking to enter the sustainable startups area, Schoemaker has one piece of recommendation: “Start by validating your concepts as lean as potential, earlier than investing assets (time, cash and so on).”
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