20 Apr Meet the one-woman circular economy turning Cornwall’s trash into treasure
SMEs still share the load with the wider business community in driving progress towards the UK’s net zero targets, despite having fewer resources to adapt to growing economic and environmental pressures. The Resources and Waste Strategy’s (RWS) recycling target of 65% for municipal waste by 2035 requires processing an additional 10m tonnes of waste, around £1.2m in investment, and substantial input from government policy to achieve.
Sustainable waste management company Biffa asks the government for progressive policy change in its Blueprint for Waste Net Zero to support businesses in the sustainable development of their waste practices – but SMEs must be prepared to innovate to improve the environmental sustainability of their waste management, and reduce waste in the short term.
Innovation isn’t just about technology, and it’s not only big businesses that can push the needle on net zero. Adopting a circular economy for waste (where materials are kept in use for as long as possible, creating a closed loop of recovery, recycling and regeneration) can make a tangible difference to our overall progress towards sustainability. A prime example is Kate Doran, founder of Flotsam Flo, whose enterprise breathes new life into plastic waste in Cornwall in partnership with Biffa.
Flotsam Flo takes old wetsuits and inflatables that may otherwise end up in landfill or cause pollution, then upcycles them into one-of-a-kind objects such as bags, purses and mouse mats.
Kate began her venture using waste materials she found herself around Cornwall’s coastlines, but now collaborates with holiday parks to collect materials from them. This – provides her with valuable materials for reuse, while reducing waste volumes and disposal costs for the parks. Long-term, Kate plans to develop products from waste items which the parks can then stock and sell, creating a circular model for reducing waste and trimming down the amount of plastic that ends up in landfill.
Biffa is proud to support entrepreneurs and other SMEs with their waste reduction and reuse ambitions. The company provides Kate with a dedicated studio to work from at its Redruth facility, and mentorship in essential business skills. This helps Kate expand her offering to other local companies looking to transition to a circular economy to reduce waste.
Kate Doran, Founder of Flotsam Flo, commented:
“Lots of businesses don’t realise how valuable their waste could be to others, so are missing out on great opportunities to reuse and recycle materials, while cutting down the amount of waste they dispose of.
“My skillset can help organisations think smarter about their waste, but I don’t have a background in business. My partnership with Biffa has helped me build resources, skills and understanding of circular business models, so I can grow Flotsam Flo and bring my offering to more customers who are trying to cut their waste. Partnerships like ours can give all businesses a boost to support a circular economy.”
