Public Funding for Lowena Beauty Limited

The personal care and beauty industry produces more than 120 billion units of plastic packaging every year. Deodorants alone account for 3.2 billion single-use applicators produced each year, most of which end up in waste. Up to a million tons of fishing nets enter the oceans every year. Those that are lost, discarded or abandoned form the most abundant type of plastic waste in our oceans. Once left at sea, the fishing nets continue to entrap and kill marine life. What's more, extraordinary amounts of energy and resources are used in producing the nylon used in fishing nets. The material is extremely robust and designed to withstand extreme pressures, which makes it perfect for recycling and reusing. Shockingly, only 2% of fishing nets are recycled. Our project aims to develop a revolutionary manufacturing solution that tackles both issues. We will turn waste into a resource, and put an end to waste generated by single-use plastic deodorants. To achieve this, we will use the end-of-life recycled fishing gear to make a refillable deodorant applicator that lasts a lifetime. The material produced by recycled fishing nets is formally called PA6 recycled nylon. PA6 is currently used for 3D printing. We have invested in research and designed a product that allows us to expand the use of PA6 for mass manufacturing. Each part of our cleverly designed modular deodorant applicator is made of recycled marine nylon, allowing us to bring this exceptional material to the mass market. Our project is driven by the principles of the circular economy. As such, the full lifecycle of the product is considered. Our lifetime guarantee means that we will replace broken parts or repair deodorant applicators for free. To achieve maximum efficiency, the modular design allows customers to replace parts themselves, with the broken ones being returned to us for repair and reuse. Recycling is the last resort, but should this be needed, we have maximised the recyclability by using a single material, with no added colours, glues or screws. We have also worked with a qualified chemical engineer to develop a formulation for the deodorant refills that is natural and reef safe. We are proud of what we have achieved so far, and the feedback from potential customers and experts has been very positive. We are now ready for the UK market.