Vision and mission statement
AEROPOWDER’s aim is to create useful materials from waste that exists in society. Aeropowder says, “In the modern world, there is an increasing environmental cost of the products that we use. As a society, we must find innovative solutions so that the materials we create, use and dispose of do not have a harmful, lasting legacy. Our mission is to ensure that our future is built upon more sustainable foundations.”
Achievement in sustainability
Aeropowder is currently working on a recycling program to recycle the liners of Plummo packaging. Their recycling program will not only reuse materials in the production process but also decrease the need to create more packaging.
In the year 2015, Elena Diekman and Ryan Robinson, co-founders of AEROPOWDER, decided to pitch their innovative idea at the Mayor of London’s Low Carbon Entrepreneur Competition and won the golden prize. Originally started as a student project, these two young entrepreneurs, with their intense dedication and hard work turned just an idea into a massive start-up. They managed to create the world’s first sustainable thermal packaging material out of surplus poultry feathers called Plummo. This product aims to replace polystyrene, which has a detrimental effect on the environment but still provides its benefits like thermal insulation. Polystyrene is obtained from petroleum resources and takes a plethora of years to degrade after being disposed of, whereas Plummo’s components are biodegradable, and its manufacturing does not result in the depletion of non-renewable resources.
Additionally, Aeropowder wants to recycle the packaging increasing its life span and majorly decreasing the need to create more. The production process is immensely fascinating and safe. They start by cleaning the feathers to extremely hypo-allergenic standards and then process it into a distinctive textile design. Some supplementary components used are a compostable binder and a starch-based outer film. Plummo has soft padding, which absorbs the severe shocks that occur during transportation. Their liners are also flat packed, which as compared to enormous polystyrene packaging, is easy to transport and store. Aeropowder’s ingenious idea has won itself an accolade, 2018 Green Alley Award, against five powerful competitors presented by the Landbell group. The Green Alley Award is the first European start-up award for the Circular Economy. Diekman and Robinson were also featured on the Forbes’ 30 under 30 Europe. In this current world of excessively limited resources, 10,000 tonnes of waste feathers are produced every single day, and now we have a way to convert them productively into a useful and environment-friendly product that can revolutionize the packaging industry and build a more sustainable future’
