Fighting plastic waste with crowdinvesting
Potsdam-based producer of palm leaf tableware Leef relies on crowd funding
The Potsdam-based company Leef is launching a crowdinvesting campaign. As of now, interested parties can participate via the financing platform Econeers with an investment starting at 250 euros. Leef produces compostable disposable tableware and various take-away packaging made from sustainable palm leaves.
Dishes and packaging made from sustainable raw materials
Leef Blattwerk GmbH
Put an end to plastic waste: as early as 2021, various disposable plastic products such as plates and bowls will no longer be allowed on the market throughout the EU. At the beginning of this year, the law was made even stricter. Since January, restaurateurs who offer takeaway food in disposable plastic packaging have had to have a reusable alternative ready. Both regulations are important for environmental protection, as several million tons of plastic waste are produced every year in Germany alone, with the majority of this being incinerated. However, it is above all the reusable requirement that is causing many restaurateurs a bellyache. It is costly to introduce special deposit systems with reusable containers - and not all customers accept this system. The Potsdam-based company Leef offers an alternative.
New life for waste product
"It is clear to us that we cannot easily restructure society, but we can provide it with a product that will make it more sustainable in its consumption behavior," explains Claudio Fritz-Vietta, Leef's founder and CEO. On a trip to India, he noticed the many areca nut plantations. The nut is popularly consumed after meals in India, but the large leaves of the palm tree simply fall to the ground and are usually burned. Leef makes use of this waste product: the leaves simply have to be pressed into shape and the edges cut off. Finished are plates, bowls and containers for takeaway food, which are particularly popular with restaurateurs, caterers and delivery services. Transparent lids made of marine plastic and innovative closure systems made of recycled paper make the products suitable for transport. As a palm leaf specialist, however, the company also develops individual solutions for major customers.
With one of the company's non-profit projects, the twelve-strong team also ensures that events such as the Carnival of Cultures in Berlin, the Potsdam Castle Night, the Special Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships become more sustainable - without the mountain of plastic waste. "And for every plate sold, we protect one square meter of endangered rainforest," explains Claudio Fritz-Vietta.
Growth capital for more products made from palm leaves
To be able to manufacture more products from palm leaves, Leef now needs growth capital. The company wants to generate up to 500,000 euros in capital with the help of its crowdinvesting campaign. Starting tomorrow, June 20, 2023, at 12 p.m., all interested parties have the chance to invest in the sustainable company and also benefit from up to 9.5 percent interest p. a. All information can be found on the Econeers funding page.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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