MAKE It Last, an environmental social enterprise, was set up by Frightened Rabbit bassist Billy Kennedy and business partner Suzie Bowman after seeing beaches ruined by plastic waste on a trip to Sri Lanka. They have plans to run an educational programme pilot in a North Lanarkshire school and want to develop their own products in the future.
Name(s): Billy Kennedy and Suzie Bowman
Position: Co-founders
WHAT IS THE BUSINESS CALLED?
Last For It
WHERE IS IT BASED?
Glasgow
WHY DID YOU SET UP THE BUSINESS?
Billy: WE were on holiday in Sri Lanka and met a Buddhist monk who had his own enterprises and wanted to give back. We were disturbed by the plastic waste out there so we got rid of all the plastic bottles on tour and used refillable ones. It had a big impact on us.
Suzie: We had quite an inspiring conversation with the monk. He was doing something over and above running his temple and he saw issues in his community. Seeing plastic washed up on the beautiful beaches was disturbing.
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HOW DOES IT WORK?
Suzie: WE’RE working part time on this with a group of volunteers. I’m a service design manager at Skills Development Scotland. I previously ran a successful online retail shop and always wanted to start a business.
Billy: I was a full-time musician and I still continue to write. I also always wanted to start a business but I wasn’t sure what until I went to Sri Lanka.
Suzie: In the first lockdown the environment was the last thing on people’s minds and that had an impact on sales. The pandemic didn’t allow people to think about other issues.
Billy: One of our products is a water bottle but you weren’t allowed to take reusable products into cafes. Plastic stopped being the enemy but became our friend as people were getting their shopping delivered in plastic bags. People’s eyes have been opened with the 5p bag charge. There are more people with tote bags now and they are trying to give up single use plastic.
Suzie: The [David] Attenborough effect has been a key driver. His latest show has brought the climate crisis back to people’s minds.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM COMPETING BUSINESSES?
Suzie: WE are aiming to set ourselves apart from other environmental organisations as we are a social enterprise too. We want to get people to move from not thinking about the environment to doing something about it. We’re trying to make our products accessible and desirable to get people to want to use them. We recently did some market research and a survey that measured the social impact and changes our products have made. It found people have made changes at home and had conversations with family as a result of our #StartWithOneThing campaign. People felt really overwhelmed as their lifestyles were about convenience and it seemed too difficult to change.
Billy: Our competitors in Scotland have a physical presence but we are mainly online. Lots down south are limited companies but being a social enterprise is a big differentiator. We are planning to run a pilot of an environmental education scheme on plastic waste in a North Lanarkshire school. We’re here to make a difference, not a profit. We are testing plastic-free household cleaning products at the moment. We don’t sell things that people don’t need.
IS SCOTLAND A GOOD PLACE FOR THIS TYPE OF BUSINESS?
Suzie: THE Scottish Government is clear in its aims for Scotland to become a zero-waste society with a circular economy. They have made small but successful steps with the plastic bag charge and banning plastic cotton buds, as well as more recently running a public consultation on whether to ban a further list of single use plastic products, including my greatest enemy, the polystyrene food container! We aim to be part of the solution for Scotland. We have a beautiful country but unfortunately much of it is blighted by plastic waste as litter. on our beaches and Hillsides. Not to mention the more serious concerns of carbon emissions, global warming and marine pollution.
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WHERE DO YOU HOPE THE BUSINESS WILL BE IN 10 YEARS?
Suzie: WE are working on a two-to-three-year business plan that a friend has been helping me with. I would like to pay everyone that works for us and expand our pop-up locations. People have said they want to buy products like this more locally so we’re trying to have a physical presence in various locations. Being a social enterprise is an important part of our identity. Other companies have great environmental aims but social enterprise is the future. The effect it could have on society is massive.
Billy: We’re also keen to develop our own products as well as expand our current range.
View the Last For It website here.
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