A zero waste project based in Launceston has captured the attention of the state’s business minds with Sustomi taking out People’s Choice at the final of Pitchfest.
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The regional final was held at the Tramsheds on Thursday night and Launceston’s only finalist Bronwyn Kidd won People’s Choice and came runner up at the event.
Sustomi has been running for about 15 months and Ms Kidd said she was excited her products tickled the fancy of the Pitchfest judges.
“I was so excited to win People’s Choice, because it meant the people in the room really resonated with my idea,” she said.
As part of the final she said she was required to make a five-minute pitch to the judges and respond to seven minutes of questions.
Sustomi is a company that focuses on reducing plastic waste by providing reusable and ethical food storage options.
The signature item in the Sustomi line up is Ms Kidd’s beeswax food covers.
Ms Kidd said she had a lot of interest from the Launceston community about her products, with the beeswax covers being the most popular.
All the food storage items are made from natural ingredients and are “as ethical as possible,” Ms Kidd said.
An increased focus on every day waste has spiked in the community and on social media recently, with the ABC starting a War on Waste campaign.
The campaign focused originally on reusable coffee cups to highlight the fact they can’t be recycled because of plastic lining.
In Tasmania and across the country, the campaign has sparked a response in the business community, with cafes giving discounts to customers who bring in their reusable cups.
Ms Kidd said she had enjoyed every minute of the Australia Post Pitchfest experience and had learned some valuable lessons and ways she could take her business into the future.
“All of the finalists were sent to an acceleration program in Melbourne and we also got to meet a lot of people,” she said.
She said the experience had been invaluable and had provided her with a lot of exciting ideas for business.
“I’ve been able to meet a lot of really great entrepreneurs in Melbourne and in Tasmania who have become my mentors.”
The Pitchfest final was won by John Hyslop of Deviant Distillery and was held at the Tramsheds, Inveresk.
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