In a world increasingly focused on sustainability, more Australian companies are looking for innovative ways to contribute and reduce waste. It’s a tough challenge — Australia produced a staggering 75.6 million tonnes of waste in 2020-21!
The challenges for the environment are growing, and with it comes a growing responsibility for individuals and businesses alike. The onus is on every brand to think creatively and within that staggering waste figure lies an opportunity for businesses to not only address landfill issues but also turn waste into revenue generation
At Koh, we’re on a mission to fight dirty, whether it’s a dirty planet, dirty homes or dirty chemicals. We are driven to think outside the box and create innovative solutions to combat waste and environmental impacts all whilst staying true to delivering a cleaning solution that works. Gone are the days when brands had to compromise on their offering for the environment.
As businesses battle the trials and tribulations of trading whether it’s a product over stock, a quality issue, creating a new product or just something that did not work out, opportunities arise to creatively mitigate waste and recapture loss revenue while also amplifying sustainability practices.
Yes, recycling is a vital and accessible component of our sustainability strategies, but we must prioritise actions that speak to reducing our environmental footprint that simultaneously enhance our operations, satisfy evolving customer needs and attract new audiences.
You don’t have to be a ‘sustainability-focused’ company to make a significant impact. What does that mean these days? Sustainability is a non-negotiable. Some brands use it as part of their market strategy and others do it but maybe aren’t so good at the sing and dance.
With waste generation in Australia rising by 20% over the past 15 years, resulting in over 12.5 million tonnes annually, consumers increasingly expect businesses to take proactive steps. Research indicates 76% of businesses acknowledge waste reduction as part of ethical practices, yet many feel they’ve done enough or lack the know-how to improve.
When Koh discovered nearly 20,000 biodegradable dish sponges starting to literally biodegrade in our warehouse, we recognised a golden opportunity that would prevent this stock from being sent to landfill and would see a stream of revenue not completely lost.
Inspired by brands like Frank Body and Kester Black have turned waste into revenue, we partnered with regenerative horticulturalist Benoit Luc and Community Gardens Australia, Koh re-invented an ingenious use of the sponges at home — turning them into sponge gardens to help grow new life.
As the sponges are fully biodegradable and natural with no pesticides, they can create healthy and organic pot plants, herbs and vegetables. The unused and eco-friendly sponges act as a layered garden bed, creating a self-watering design, reducing water usage, and creating a happier home for your plants.
It’s Australia’s, and the world’s, first sponge garden, which shows how brands can transform waste into success instead of sending it to landfill, and how Australians can repurpose household waste at home.
The team slashed the price of the sponges from $24 to $3 and turned them into a low-cost gardening device, showing how the dish sponges can help plants to not only grow but thrive.
Had we sent those sponges to landfill, we would’ve faced a significant loss of product revenue valued at over $440,000. Instead, we turned our warehouse waste into a revenue opportunity.
By clearly marking the sponges as nearing the end of their life and with a nice little comms piece as ‘save me, don’t leave me’ our Koh community helped us sell through 12 months of stock in under six months.
As business leaders, we must advocate for waste reduction and showcase how effective waste management can cut costs, enhance efficiency, and resonate with our customers. By implementing these changes, we can strengthen our brand and connect with an increasingly environmentally-conscious audience.
Let’s turn our waste challenges into opportunities and lead the way in sustainability.
I’m hopeful we live in a future world where we don’t have them and us, the ones that do sustainability versus the ones that don’t. A world where the lines of sustainability do not divide brands but we are all connected by the one purpose to save and protect this planet.
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Charli Walters is the CEO of Koh.
