Primary Contact Info:Name: Irene Hofmeijer – Founder & CEO

Cel.: (+51) 987 708 710E-mail: ihofmeijer@lifeoutofplastic.com

Address: Malecón Armendariz 271 dpto 11B, Miraflores, Lima 18, Peru

Life Out Of Plastic (L.O.O.P.) is a Peruvian social enterprise that raises awareness of

plastic pollution using market tools to fund educational campaigns.

• Peru suffers from a lack of waste management services: – There are only 8 landfills for a country that would need at least 40. Lima is the only coastal

city with a landfill. Most coastal cities have a garbage dump just a few kilometer from the sea.

– Only 2.4% of plastics are recycled– Plastics and trash are common site alongside roads and low-income neighborhood.

• In addition there is a general lack of environmental awareness: – It is common to see people throwing plastic bottles out of car windows– Leftover trash at beaches is especially noticeable in the summer– There is an excessive use of plastic bags. A 2012 study by the ministry of the environment

estimates that over 3000million plastic bags are consumed annually in Lima alone.

• The Peruvian market is limited in: – Green and ethical products supporting local environmental initiatives.– Sustainable lifestyle alternatives.

THE PROBLEMS:

THE L.O.O.P. SOLUTION:• Products address plastic pollution by up-cycling plastic waste. Services and

educational campaigns raise awareness about the issue. • L.O.O.P.’s commercial activities include the sale of locally-manufactured

products made from 100% rPET fibre (textile derived from PET bottle recycling) and the provision of “take-action” services: corporate workshops teamed with beach clean-ups that aim to show employees the impacts of and solutions to plastic pollution.

• Profits fund L.O.O.P.’s educational campaigns which include an annual public recycled art exhibition, beach clean-ups, and “eco-Actions” – workshops held at low-income coastal schools and communities across Peru.

• Impact is measured using three indicators: number of bottles up-cycled through products, weight of waste removed from the environment, hours of workshops held.

• In 20 months L.O.O.P.s impact so far is 14.1 tons of waste removed, 44.6 hours of workshops held, and 252000 up-cycled bottles.

BEFORE AFTER

MAKING L.O.O.P. LOOP• L.O.O.P. is a for-profit social enterprise. It seeks to be self-sustainable and

therefore aims to raise capital through earned income.• Currently “take-action” services for corporations is the companies largest

source of revenue.• Service clients are large companies and reach us through our website,

usually after having come across a L.O.O.P. awareness campaign in the press media.

• L.O.O.P. products are currently sold at 2 yoga studios, 3 stores in Lima, and one Peruvian online platform. They are also sold at fairs and L.O.O.P. events.

• Products are also sold as merchandising to companies.

TECHNOLOGY• L.O.O.P.’s own activities are low-tech as they are primarily logistics

and communication and therefore depend on human resources.

• Textile production and product confection is done by tertiaries.

• L.O.O.P. works closely with its textile provider. Together the two companies are looking into innovative new rPET fabrics that can be developed. Below is a diagram of the bottle to fibre process.

MARKETING AND SALES• The L.O.O.P. mission targets the public at large. This is achieved

via:– A. Social media: Daily updates on current plastic pollution news and

trends are poste. Every week a L.O.O.P. educational graphic is posted. Average reach of a 1000 views.

– B. Awareness campaigns: over 5800 participants have been directly involved in L.O.O.P. activities, indirectly reaching 23300 people. In addition media coverage of campaigns in Sunday papers reaches over 1500 thousand readers.

• Marketing costs are approximately $10 000 annually. 50% of this budget goes into the organization of the annual artshow. The other 50% covers the eco-actions.

COMPETITORS• L.O.O.P.’s three-pronged approach combining products and services with public

advocacy to bring about social change is unique in the marine conservation field in Peru.

• Local organizations are focused on research/community awareness mainly related to fisheries and species diversity. L.O.O.P. is the only one specialized in plastic pollution.

• Similar companies at a global scale such as Chicobag or Envirosax are not present in the Peruvian market.

• In addition L.O.O.P. only works with local and recycled materials to support green jobs in Peru.

• Making awareness the mission allows L.O.O.P. to diversify and take advantage of opportunities, enhancing economic resilience.

• For example services were developed after noticing that team-building CSR event planning services were lacking in Peru. The resulting “take-action” campaigns have so far involved eight corporate clients and over 500 participants.

THE TEAM• Irene Hofmeijer – Founder and CEO:

– Responsible for general administration, finance, production, marketing and social media. – Experience: 3 years of research in the environmental sector in Peru. – She belongs to the Global Shapers community of the World Economic Forum.

• Nadia Balducci – Co-owner and COO: – Responsible for coordinating with clients and organizing campaigns, designing

educational material and overall R&D on marine debris in Peru.– Experience: four years of marine conservation work along the Peruvian coast. Life long

hobby of cleaning beaches.

• José Carlos Alverez – Graphic Designer: – Responsible for producing weekly L.O.O.P. graphics and product designs.

• Volunteers: – L.O.O.P. counts on a group of 50 volunteers, key to realizing its campaigns.

• Advisors: – Carlos Kouri: avid marine conservationist and CEO of a PP recycling plant that produces

storage boxes for the mining industry.– Manuel Bartra: CHRO at a local company, provides legal aid.

FINANCIALS• Projected revenue (net income): – Year 3: $13 000– Year 5: $25 000

• Customers:– Year 3: 25 000 bags sold, 8 corporate clients– Year 5: 50 000 bags sold, 12 coporate clients

• Capital raised so far through: – Personal investment– Crowdfunding– Earned revenue

SUSTAINABILITY: A L.O.O.P. Core Principle

• L.O.O.P. Products:– Current products are all made of 100% rPET fibre made from recycled plastic

PET bottles.– Future products MUST always be made from the highest percentage of

recycled plastic possible.– The textile dying process is toxic-free. Feasibility of natural dies for future

use is being tested.

• L.O.O.P. Campaigns:– Continuously promote sustainable lifestyles choices.– Images with an educational message are posted weekly on social media.

• Sustainable operations:– We are constantly looking for ways to reduce our environmental footprint in

our daily activities. – Examples: eliminated printed flyers and developed plastic-free pins.

CURRENT STATUS• In 21 months L.O.O.P. has:

– Raised $30 100– Reached 5800 participants directly– Had awareness campaigns freely covered by major national newspapers,

magazines and television. – Been invited to sit on policy committees at the Ministry of the Environment and

the Ministry of International Relations

• In 2013 L.O.O.P. aims to:– Strengthen product distribution and development. For mid-2013 it aims to

launch a clothing line made from rPET fabric. – Gather local data on marine debris in Peru by teaming up with marine

conservation NGOs to carry-out research.

• The $50,000 would be used for: – Product development– Hiring a communications officer – Improving the website– Develop a marine debris research project in Peru