Page 11 - PET worldwide issue 01/2023

Project Harmless expands into EU Major start-up event in
the pet sector
whilst walking his Swiss Shep-
herd, Noah. The number of dog Unleashed, the start-up acceler- aim of the event is to create an
waste bags prompted Greer to
ator launched by Nestlé Purina active pet start-up community,
dig into their environmental im-
in 2019, has supported 18 start- exchange knowledge about rel-
pact, finding that most “biode- ups from the pet supplies sector evant technologies of the future
gradable” and “compostable” in the last three years. The busi- and jointly develop innovative so-
bags don’t actually break down ness ideas have ranged from cell- lutions for pets and their owners.
for a long time in the open envi- based fish to services pairing pet On Tractive’s corporate cam-
ronment or in landfill. In search owners with local pet sitters. Prep- pus, company founder, CEO and
George Greer came up with the of an eco-friendly alternative,
business idea after noticing high Greer repurposed a water-reac- arations are currently underway investor Michael Hurnaus will
concentrations of plastic waste on for the fourth edition of the start- share his experiences with the
the northern shores of Loch Long tive, non-toxic and microplastic- up accelerator. participants along with other
whilst walking his Swiss Shepherd, free material – the type used to At a networking event on 16 experts from the pet start-up
Noah. coat medical pills – to develop March in Linz, Austria, Unleashed community. Ella Wales Bonner
Edinburgh-based Project Harm- a new class of dog waste bag.
will bring founders and investors will also be present in Linz. She
less, a sustainable dog waste bag The company ensures that with a passion for pets from Ger- is an investor with JamJar Invest-
company, is preparing to clean up waste bags from Project Harm- many, Austria and Switzerland ments, Great Britain’s most ac-
across the world after securing fi- less dissolve in the open envi- together for the first time. The tive investor in consumer brands.
nancial support for its expansion. ronment, particularly in rivers
Set up during the Covid-19 pan- and oceans, posing no threat to
demic by dog lover George Greer, marine life and wildlife. “Despite
Project Harmless has secured the cost of living crisis, our cus-
funding through Start Up Loans’ tomer base continues to grow,”
says the ambitious company
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Your animal and us! founder. “In 2022, nearly 10 bil-
A good team - for a lifetime.
lion dog waste bags were used
in the UK alone. As much as 10
per cent of general waste plastic
sadly ends up in our rivers and
delivery partner Virgin Start Up to oceans worldwide, so that could The excitement of the team at start-up accelerator Unleashed with regard
to the start-up event in Linz is palpable.
expand its product line. The Start amount to 1 billion used dog
Up Loans programme has already waste bags entering our waters Online retailing in the USA
covered manufacturing costs and by the end of the year, causing
will now build up the inventory, in potential harm.” Last year, online sales of pet prod- same trend in the pet supplies
particular to expand into the EU The British Business Bank’s ucts in the USA attained a volume sector as in other branches of the
during 2023. The company is programme has already deliv- of 30.7 bn dollars, accounting for economy: a growing number of
pleased with the high customer ered more than 6 300 loans 36 per cent of overall sales. This shoppers are making purchases
demand from Belgium, the USA worth more than 55 mio GBP information is contained in a new online as well as in store. One ex-
and beyond, and wants to launch a to new business owners in report, “US Pet Product Retail and ample of this cited in the study is
new range of waste bags for larger Scotland since 2012, including Internet Shopping Trends”, from Walmart, 51 per cent of whose
breeds in due course. more than 770 loans for entre- market research company Pack- customers also shop in other
Greer came up with the busi- preneurs in the Scottish capital. aged Facts. Packaged Facts ex- supermarkets, 33 per cent shop
ness idea after noticing high con- Virgin Start Up offers a 12-month pects this market share to rise to online and 27 per cent get their
centrations of plastic waste on programme of support for every as much as 45 per cent by 2026. pet products from pet speciality
the northern shores of Loch Long business that receives a loan. Market researchers are seeing the stores.

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