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| Region/Nation | Edinburgh, Scotland |
|---|---|
| Business Name | Project Harmless |
| Owner | George Greer |
| Partner | DSL Business Finance |
| Social Media |
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Project Harmless was set up during the Covid-19 pandemic when George noticed high concentrations of plastic dog waste bags along the shores of Loch Long while walking his Swiss Shephard, Noah. This gave him the idea to re-purpose a water-reactive, non-toxic and microplastic free material to develop a new class of dog waste bags that dissolve in the open environment.
Founder George Greer received a loan from the British Business Bank and Virgin StartUp in September 2022 to expand his line of sustainable dog waste bags, following a surge in demand from consumers in the USA.
Since then, the business has diversified into new markets with the launch of Harmless Fashion, a range of plastic-free accessories designed to combat greenwashing in the fashion industry and support the UK textiles sector. The collection, featuring a previously unused tartan designed for the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games, includes tote bags, laptop cases, and dog leads.
Impact of the Start Up Loan
The Start Up Loan
was used to expand his line of sustainable dog waste bags, following a surge in demand from consumers in the USA.
Virgin StartUp
is an official Start Up Loans Business Support Partner and has a team of experienced business advisers who work closely with applicants to help prepare their business plan and cash flow forecast.
As a purpose-driven business, our products help tackle the growing environmental issue of plastic pollution. Project Harmless started when I realised just how harmful dog waste bags are, and the same goes for fashion.
Many UK fashion brands claim to be sustainable, but their products are often made outside the UK and EU and most contain several types of plastic. There is a clear gap in the market for an alternative that is genuinely plastic-free and made by craftspeople earning well above the living wage in Scotland.
George Greer Founder of Project Harmless
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