In Founder Focus we introduce entrepreneurs and innovators working on our next generation of new business startups, social enterprises and small businesses.
At a glance
Founder: Jayden Klinac
Business: anew
Founded: 2016
HQ: Auckland
Can you tell us a bit about your business?
Anew is a problem solving company and single use, oil based packaging is a problem.
We created a circular bottle of water and an end to end packaging company to help solve it.
It does not make sense that if someone wants to drink water, wash their hair or feed their dog, that oil, a fossil resource, should be pulled from the ground, and harmful packaging that was used for minutes, should be left in the environment forever.
We created a plant-based, reusable and recyclable bottle of water to show what is possible when packaging and systems are designed in line with the circular economy. In order to assist other businesses, we offer a plug and play circular packaging solution utilising our innovative materials and circular system.
What’s the backstory for your business idea?
On the drive from Auckland to Wellington in 2015, I found myself without a reusable drink bottle. I pulled into a petrol station and found myself frustrated at the fact that if I wanted to purchase water, my only option was an oil-based plastic bottle that I needed for a day, yet I knew it would exist in the environment forever.
I spent the next few years developing a plant-based and compostable bottle for water, a collection network to get them back, and developed our own composting sites to compost them.
Recently, in order to build a bridge towards a mainstream reuse culture, we have developed a plant-based reusable bottle that can be washed in your dishwasher. It is also curtsied recyclable, or if returned to us, we will make it into a new bottle, right here in NZ.
It’s really about trying to design waste out of the system.
What programmes, learning or mentoring have been of assistance so far?
One of my favourite books to date is ‘Let my people go surfing’. It shows the power and influence businesses can have on creating positive change in the world. In a business like ours, which focuses on allowing people to go about their day to day without causing unnecessary harm, I have found inspiration in travelling alongside generic activities which spark realisations of how we can do simple things better.
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