Part 2 of this blog will talk about how the Social Enterprise model can help solve the issue of the plastic wet wipe.

A market opportunity

As explored in our course, Social Enterprises combine the triple bottom line, or commonly referred to as the three P’s which stands for: People, Planet and Profit.

Let’s take this social issue of plastic wet wipes and see how it can be integrated into the Social Enterprise model.

The Social Issue:  Plastics crisis destroying our environment – specifically the plastic wet wipe

People:

A Social Enterprise can help people by creating a solution to this social problem. There are people that rely on wet wipes and use them daily. Those looking after babies, the elderly and people with care needs use them to keep clean. There are anti-bacterial types for cleaning surfaces and many people use them to remove make-up too.

A Social Enterprise can look to create an alternative within an ethical supply chain; it could work with disadvantaged people to give them an opportunity to work, and it could work with other social enterprises who can manufacture and market the product.

Planet:

An environmentally friendly alternative to a plastic wet wipe can help with the sewage blockages and the plastic waste that ends up in the ocean. This in turn can help to keep our water clean.

It doesn’t just stop at the actual product itself; the packaging should be plastic free too. Could you think of an innovative way to package?

Profit:

A Social Enterprise could reinvest a proportion of profits to specifically help the problem. This could be through working with a water charity for example, so the brand is involved in all aspects of keeping our water clean.

There are lots of different ways profit can be used to meet a social enterprise model – that’s the fun of a social enterprise, instead of dedicating your business to shareholders, you can be creative and increase your positive social impact!

It is clear there is a problem with plastic wet wipes and that an environmentally friendly alternative is urgently needed.

There are most likely some variations of bio-gradable products already on the market, but there clearly needs to be more.

This problem presents an opportunity. Could you be the next founder of a plastic-free wet wipe Social Enterprise? Our course can help you get started. Click on the Learn page to find out more.

If you already have a Social Enterprise dedicated to tackling this particular issue, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at info@withsocialenterprise.com.

Please check your ‘Junk’ folder to accept the confirmation that you would like to sign up to our latest news!