Episode 4: The Pure Option – Problem-solving, Perseverance, and Plant-based Packaging

It started with someone dropping litter. It became a mission to replace single-use plastics worldwide.In this episode of The 99% Club, Enterprise Nation’s Aaron Asadi speaks to Charlie, founder of The Pure Option, a business dedicated to creating compostable, plant-based food packaging to replace petroleum plastics.What began in a Welsh garage as a personal quest to solve the problem of a discarded foam burger box has grown into an award-winning operation with international reach – despite government policies that sometimes make it harder to be sustainable.•How a moment in a town centre sparked a 15-year journey of research and invention•Why the UK went from world leader in compostable packaging to falling behind other nations•The impact of losing 75% of staff and how AI helped run the business leaner than ever•Why The Pure Option pays tax for not using plastic – and how they’ve innovated around it•The resilience it takes to survive COVID, policy changes, and market shiftsThis is a story about problem-solving, perseverance, and the belief that sustainability should be simple.🎧 Listen now on Spotify • Apple • YouTube🌱 thepureoption.com👥 enterprisenation.com