Season 6, Episode 3: Talking a load of rubbish (with guest Jonathan Straight)

Dahlia is joined by Jonathan Straight, entrepreneur and NED to discuss how he built a business out of rubbish and waste management. Jonathan explains how he has used eyewear to create an iconic personal brand and how his clothes have been intertwined with his selling strategy over time. The discussion includes Jonathan's reflections of how his personal style influenced the way he ran his bin business and how even a bin can be 'well dressed'! As the owner of almost 400 (!) pairs of glasses, Jonathan has a look for every day of the year and he talks about how experimenting with frames has been a key part of his style journey. Jonathan Straight is a pioneer of recycling in the UK and Founder and former Chief Executive of Straight plc. Jonathan grew the company from a one man operation into the UK’s leading supplier of kerbside recycling containers with an annual turnover of £30M.  Whilst volunteering at a Leeds recycling non-profit,  Jonathan spotted an opportunity in the recycling container business. He initially worked as a consultant to the McKechie Group plc, before establishing his own company in 1993 supplying container solutions for separated waste. Following 10 years of sustained growth Straight joined the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market with a view to fuelling further growth. Straight plc supplied more than 25 million kerbside boxes, baskets and cadies to local authorities across the UK and had rapidly growing international operations. The company made several acquisitions and transitioned to manufacturing most of its products in house. Having sold the business in 2014, he currently has a plural career with interests in the arts, creativity, tech-for-good, waste management and surplus food. He is also a published and exhibited photographer.