Creating AI powered sustainable alternatives to non-recyclable packaging

By
Claire Hae-Min Gusko

With a shared background in consumer goods, the founders of Hamburg-based startup one.five came together to tackle the global issue of reducing CO2 emissions caused by non-recyclable plastic packaging, and create sustainable alternatives.

Even the most conscientious consumer can struggle to complete a day without purchasing a product wrapped in plastic. A takeaway sandwich; the thin film round toiletries; even individual broccoli heads are wrapped in it. The planet churns out 141 million tons of plastic packaging annually, which accounts for 40 per cent of the world’s plastic waste.

It’s a problem that is right before our eyes – and one that we all participate in. So, when Claire Hae-Min Gusko, who was working for a Berlin-based startup with Martin Weber, sat down to brainstorm key issues they wanted to tackle, this rose to the top of the list. Demand for sustainable packaging is growing – half of consumers want brands to improve on this front, according to a 2022 survey by Nielsen – and the market for it is set to grow from about $300 to 500 billion by 2030. “Because of our background in consumer goods, working with large retailers round the globe, we felt more drawn to that space,” says Gusko. “And the biggest problem in the consumer goods industry at this time is packaging – packaging pollution.”

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