Every minute, the equivalent of one truckload of plastic enters the oceans. Yes, really. But Willemijn Peeters, CEO of Searious Business, wants to bring that number down to zero.
“I strongly believe companies are the true agents of change,” she said. “When you combine sustainability with added value for the company, you can create a lasting change.”
People like Sylvia Earle (an American marine biologist and National Geographic explorer-in-residence) inspired Willemijn to see the importance of the ocean for not only our planet but our existence. Coming from a business background, she believed there had to be an efficient way for companies to use the resources we have rather than destroy the world with plastic pollution.
“I felt we had to tackle this issue at the source, together with companies,” Willemijn explained, “and create a systemic change in the way we use plastics. This triggered me into action.”
And so Searious Business was born, a company which helps brands adopt a circular use of plastic. They specialize in three challenging sectors—furniture, consumer electronics, and food packaging—to reduce plastic use in the given business model and also to turn the remaining plastics into something useful. What’s more, Searious Business does all of this with the bottom line in mind, working towards both efficiency and the financial return.
When a company approaches Searious Business, the process gets broken down into three steps called ReThink, ReDesign, ReBrand.
“We determine their real challenge in the market, and define how circular use of plastics can be a strategic direction for their company that will add to their bottom-line,” explained Willemijn. “Then we implement this change through the redesign of products or processes, including several players in the value chain and different expertise. [Then] in order to tell the story behind it, we help customers to communicate their innovation, both internally and externally.”
She emphasized her job isn’t solely focused on reducing a company’s plastic waste, but also the plastic footprint from what they put into the market. In her experience, Willemijn found companies overlook ways to avoid using plastic altogether and often overwrap or use excess material. “Plastics are being used as a commodity, easy-to-use and disposable,” she added. “If you think again and see alternatives, the alternatives make much more sense.”
On the one hand, it makes total sense. First of all, we don’t have a choice—plastics can take hundreds of years to decompose, and producing more of it only puts us, future generations, and the planet in even more danger. Also, sustainability has become a priority for consumers, with three out of four admitting they’ll pay more for environmentally friendly products. So what’s the hold-up? Going plastic-free seems like a logical choice.
It’s not easy, especially from a business perspective. Yes, consumers say they’ll pay a price tag for sustainability in a Nielsen study, but when faced with the actual buying decision, what will they do with their wallets? As much as eliminating plastic should be a priority, businesses don’t want to put in the work and money if it puts their bottom line at risk.
“There is a big difference between companies saying they want a change and companies actually doing it,” Willemijn admitted. “Moving to a circular economy takes some investment. Most companies are not prepared to make that investment until some kind of pressure is being applied, like from consumers, media, or governments. You would think with all the outcry about plastics in the public domain the game would be on, but frankly, we are at the beginning. It still remains a challenge.”
Often, Searious Business goes so far as to incorporate a new business model, such as selling a product as a service. While clients may feel hesitant to sign up for something like this, Willemijn assures us they’ve got a good track record of over 5% higher margins. So while the whole process is an investment, it’s one that will pay off.
Willemijn works with governments to make an impact, too. Take recycling, for example—in theory, it’s an excellent way to manage plastic waste, but in reality, 91% of it isn’t recycled.
“To ensure effective recycling, we team up with different players in the value chain and also involve governments,” Willemijn said. “Governments can play a role in creating a level playing field.”
When businesses look at single-use plastics, virgin plastics from fossil fuels don’t represent the true price when they also consider the detrimental impact on the environment. This is where a government can intervene and push for eco-friendly solutions.
“In several countries, lots of single-use plastics like straws, cutlery, and cotton buds are now banned. This helps better alternatives to get into place,” she stated.
But it’s not just about getting rid of plastics altogether—it’s about treating the material as a valuable resource to use (and reuse) rather than toss. With this in mind, Searious Business is currently working to commercialize a fully recyclable drink pouch which creates a space for plastics in a Circular Economy. This “RePETitive Packaging” is a superior alternative to multi-material plastic packaging products, often referred to as “recycling disasters.” The packaging is solely based on polyesters and has intrinsic recycling/re-processing abilities.
Without a doubt, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the news coverage of how our planet is changing for the worse because of the plastics we use. But Willemijn believes in taking that passion and love for the world and turning it into action—something consumers, businesses, governments, and yes, even designers can (and should) do.
“You are the ones we need to make the change happen,” Willemijn added. “Really. It starts with rethinking and redesigning, so the ultimate place to start is with designers.”
