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Conversations about sustainability are often focused on the macro — renewable energy and transport dominate the chatter. But there’s a rapidly growing industry around the sustainable choices consumers make at home on a daily basis. From the loo roll they use to the supermarkets they visit, here’s what the latest startups tell us about sustainability at home.
The Rapid Growth Of The Toilet Roll Market
Who’d have thought that toilet roll would be the case study of choice? Well, here we are, and the numbers are compelling. A recent report suggests that the global loo roll market will be worth $27 billion in 2025, up from $20 billion in 2021 — that’s some serious growth, but how does it relate to sustainability?
The answer is all in the paper. While the global giants you’d expect dominate the market, there are some fresh young companies bringing more sustainable materials to market. You’ve probably heard of Aussie company ‘Who Gives A Crap’ — their eco-friendly toilet paper company raised $41.5 million last year to scale their mission globally. On this side of the planet The Cheeky Panda, a company producing sustainable bamboo toiletries, are raising £750,000 with a valuation of £85.5m (pre-funding). It’s their sixth round on Seedrs, and they’re looking to grow to over £50m sales revenue in the next 3 years.
It’s not just the toilet roll industry getting a refresh — YesColours are building an eco-friendly alternative to sourcing paint for your new home, renovation and even commercial construction. Paint is big business, and by binning the tin and sourcing recyclable packaging, YesColours reduces how much ends up in landfill (and the colours are amazing too!). Another game-changing paint brand is B-Corp COAT, who raised nearly £2.5m this year on Seedrs. Climate-positive COAT is made to order for zero waste, entirely water based and made from sustainable bamboo supplies.
Electric Vehicle Charging At Home
If you’ve looked at an electric vehicle, you might well have bumped into the hurdle of charging your new car at home. It’s a complicated, and rapidly growing space that can be complex for consumers. Rightcharge are taking on this problem, and aggregating the 100+ home charging providers who service the rapidly growing EV market. How big you ask? 250,000 EVs were registered in the UK in 2022 alone, that’s more than a quarter of the market as a whole in just one year! Rightcharge have already secured deals with automotive dealers and partners, and are seeking investment to turbocharge (excuse the pun) their mission.
Food, Drink and The Rise Of Organics
The organic market in the UK alone is now worth £3bn according to the Soil Associations 2022 report, growing 5.2% year-on-year. One company is at the fore-front of the organic revolution on the high street; Planet Organic. With 27 years in business, 13 stores now operating nationwide, plus a thriving ecommerce presence, the organic store has a turnover of £44m. They’re not just selling food and drink, there’s everything from health, beauty and homeware too. Planet Organic are raising money to continue to grow their market share of the £200bn UK supermarket industry, and you can get involved in their mission on Seedrs.
While the growth of veggie and vegan products continues to grow in popularity, there are also those improving the meat industry. One example is Farmison & Co. Focusing on the supply chain, Farmison & Co are dedicated to sourcing the best tasting, ethically farmed meat with a focus on ensuring quality and sustainability. The really interesting part of their story (aside from being stocked in Harrods, Fortnum & Mason’s, Selfridges and other impressive stores) is their focus on ecommerce. The UK meat ecommerce market is expected to almost double to £3bn by 2030, making it a fascinating example of a trend worth jumping on.
At the other end of the spectrum, and following the hype of THIS, companies like DabbaDrop are bringing plant-based alternatives to the UK takeaway scene. It’s not just their meat-free options that are new to market, by running a subscription service the team at DabbaDrop can better forecast demand, reducing food waste in the process.
The Sharing Economy Is Here To Stay
As covered earlier in the year in our deep dive into fashion, renting clothes is becoming big business — big brands like French Connection offering it for partywear, and Lullaloop are doing the same for babies. It’s not just hype, the clothing rental market is expected to explode to be worth as much as £2.3bn in the UK by 2029.
There’s one brand taking it a step further; Thrift+. You’re probably familiar with peer-to-peer rental platforms like Vinted and Depop, however buying directly from a stranger isn’t for everyone. Thrift+ is adding a professional layer of quality control and pulling second-hand shopping into the modern world of e-commerce, with its managed marketplace that sits in the middle of sellers and shoppers. They are currently raising £1.3m to further extend their marketplace.
If you’re interested in investing in Sustainability take a look at our Sustainability section.
