For many people, the Earth’s future is a cause for concern. With all the talk about climate change and pollution, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. But one company is working hard to make a difference: Loam & Lore. This business is devoted to creating plastic-free products, promoting greener Earth, and teaching children, young adults, and entrepreneurs to do the same.
The Founder’s Story
Loam & Lore was founded by Dan and Amy, two entrepreneurs passionate about making a difference.
In 2019 they began working on ideas for an e-commerce business. Dan has a long history of web-based businesses, web design, UI design, and SEO. He runs a blog helping creative entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, and young people build online businesses. Amy is an empowerment coach for women, mentoring them to harness their hormones and achieve success.
As a family, they were looking for a business opportunity they could all get involved in and learn more about the mechanics of ‘’building-your-own-business. ‘’They were keen to start a company that benefitted the environment and positively impacted.
In a school Earth Day presentation, the kids learned about the staggering statistics surrounding plastic waste – and its devastating effects on the planet. Shocked and horrified, they chatted as a family, decided to do some research, and discovered that an average of 426,000 cell phones are discarded daily worldwide. That equates to roughly 1.5 billion phone cases disposed of each year! This family knew they could not tackle the worldwide plastic problem, but they could do something. Together they learned about earth-friendly alternatives to plastics. After diving into weeks of research, they saw an opportunity to make a difference in the world, and they took it!
Loam & Lore was born after many discussions around the dinner table, and the name came about as they searched for words that spoke of this family’s intent for their business. Loam = earth, Lore = stories passed down through generations: ‘Earths Story’. Loam & Lore wishes to be a part of the changing story for our planet and a business that passed on what it knew so that others could do the same. One of consciousness, care, and renewal.
This family-owned business is based in Devon, England. In its short time, it has changed the eco phone case sector, concentrating on design aesthetics and quality to compete with the big players. With a focus on vibrancy and hope-for-the-future, Loam & Lore stands out from the neutral palette in the eco sector.
Daniel and Amy are artists, mindset, and business coaches and have enjoyed the journey of creativity, family involvement, education, and impact. With the recent addition of print-on-demand eco cases to the L&L collection, the whole family has had fun putting their artistic skills into use to provide some of the most unique, vibrant, and colorful cases on the market.
Facing Unique Challenges
To be eco-friendly means extra costs, which can drive up prices and make it difficult to stay competitive. As a relatively new sector, eco-options are constantly changing, meaning you have to learn to pivot fast to bring your customers the latest in eco-technology. Dan & Amy have found that the key to success is partnering with other eco-friendly brands and supporting each other to create a movement, not just a market.
The world is currently influenced by visuals (Reels, Tiktok, YouTube, etc.); creating, designing, and ensuring packaging meets the customers’ needs, and Loam & Lore’s high eco specifications were challenging. After many upcycled cardboard prototypes (again at the dining table!) Dan’s design skills saved the day – creating recyclable luxe boxes that not only delivered the product but educated about the product within.
It’s also been challenging educating consumers about the importance of plastic-free products, especially in the USA. This family had to learn that they needed to show up next to plastic options – to provide choice (and education) to people who did not know that there was a more earth-friendly option.
Sharing Knowledge
As coaches and mentors, and most importantly as parents, Dan and Amy believe it is important to pass on the knowledge they have learned while creating Loam & Lore so that people can build on those foundations and continue to do more.
Another challenge in building an eco-business was learning about the different bioplastics types and their properties – they are so many! They’ve had to educate themselves on the different materials and how to use them best. Not all “biodegradable” goods meet strict standards.
Bioplastics are manufactured using natural and biodegradable materials. Some bioplastics, like PLA (polylactic acid), are made from renewable resources like corn starch or sugar cane. Others, like PET (polyethylene terephthalate), can be made from either renewable or non-renewable resources.
Bioplastics may have many of the same qualities as traditional plastics but have several benefits, such as a lower carbon footprint and composting options.
The Secrets of Loam & Lore Products
Loam & Lore cases are made from a plant-based biopolymer made up of Wheat Straw, TPU, and PBAT to create the material for their 100% compostable cases. The products have been assessed to be safe and free of phthalates, BPA, cadmium, and lead, and they are certified to comply with n the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.
The Technical Bit
Read on to learn what these acronyms stand for and how you can make informed choices about the products you buy.
PBAT
Polybutylene terephthalate (PBAT) is a biodegradable resin that has been used in agriculture for years. Researchers have recently shown that PBAT can biodegrade in soil alone, without the need for composting facilities, proving its usefulness as a fertilizer.
PBAT is slowly becoming widely used as companies search for more sustainable packaging options.
Wheat Straw
Loam & Lore are utilizing wheat straw in their cases to divert material from the waste stream and utilize a recovered resource to create long-lasting, lightweight, and biodegradable goods. Wheat straw is the stalk of the wheat plant, leftover after wheat grains are harvested. Farmers in some countries burn it, contributing to air pollution and health concerns. These stalks, nevertheless, have value. It can be used to make everything from paper to furniture. Unlike plastic, wheat straw is 100% biodegradable.
How long does a biodegradable phone case take to decompose?
In a landfill, it could take up to 1000 years for a regular plastic bag to degrade. The time frame is long because landfills are designed to keep out oxygen and sunlight, two key elements in the degradation process. Under these conditions, plastics never fully break down; they just become smaller and smaller pieces, eventually becoming “microplastics.”
These microplastics are now found in the soil, our waterways, and even the air we breathe. They’re ingested by marine life and enter the food chain.
L&L’s phone cases break down in as little as 90 days in an industrial composting facility. One can dispose of it in their green bin, collected every week if they live in the UK. It will be crushed with the rest of the rubbish and allowed to decompose under proper conditions. For those utilizing a home compost bin, it’ll take around 12 to 18 months for the cases to decompose.
In the United States, systems are changing slowly. There is an increase in commercial composting facilities and home composting tech. L&L has great hope for the future of composting in the USA!
Only some biodegradable plastics can mineralize, leaving no harmful micro-plastics behind. L&L have ensured that their cases are made with these types of bioplastics. Dan & Amy have a mission to create beautiful, everyday products that are Earth-friendly. Their goal is to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced each year and help create cleaner Earth for future generations.
Loam & Lore is currently working on a program where customers can send the products back for proper composting once they’re finished.
Everyone can make a change (even a small one)
Luckily, there are other companies out there with a similar mission! Many everyday items can be replaced with more sustainable, plastic-free options.
Look around your house and see what small changes you can make to help reduce plastic waste.
- Replace plastic toothbrushes with bamboo ones
- Use a reusable water bottle or coffee mug
- Swap out cling wrap for beeswax wraps
- Buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste
- Make your cleaning products using natural ingredients.
The Loam & Lore brand aims to replace plastic products with a more environmentally conscious option. Specifically, biodegradable phone cases are the first products they’ve launched, but there is scope for many more products under the same brand.
Take a moment to consider what would happen if everyone made just one tiny change? What kind of Earth would it be for our kids and grandkids? How can we get our families involved in making a difference?
Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to today’s environmental issues, but purchasing biodegradable phone cases is a good and simple place to start.
Loam & Lore are working with ecologi.com to alter the future together. For every phone case sold, a tree is planted. And not just any tree, but a Mangrove tree. Mangroves are nature’s way of fighting climate change, and they help protect oceans from things like erosion and pollution.
More people are becoming interested in buying eco-friendly products, and there is room for innovation in the eco-friendly product space. This means that companies like Loam & Lore have a lot of potential to grow and make a big impact!
Advice to others about business
Dan and Amy’s advice to others looking to start a business is to do your research and be passionate about what you’re doing.
- Learn from others around you (there is space for everyone) and from people you admire.
- Think out of the box and take small steps daily.
- Don’t try and solve it all in one go – remember to breathe and pace yourself.
- Relax and enjoy being the person that’s learning; it’s ok to be there; you’ll be passing on what you’ve learned to others soon enough, don’t rush the process.
- Know that it’s a roller coaster, full of ups and downs. Try not to attach emotions to the process; instead, see your business as a science experiment, make wise choices and follow the data. Don’t take it personally when it’s hard.
- If something doesn’t work, pivot. Work from a different angle. Fail forward. Don’t try the same thing because you’ll get the same negative results.
- Mindset is everything – join groups that support you, find friends that are invested in your accomplishments or get yourself a coach to help you navigate the bits you are just learning and help you create your road map to success.
Dan and Amy do all these things alongside their family and have enjoyed the journey into entrepreneurship and making a difference for the planet.
The future is looking bright for Loam & Lore. The company is growing rapidly and has big plans to expand its product line and reach even more consumers. There is no doubt that this company and family are making a difference in the world!
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