29 min
LTP024 Lindsey McCoy, Resolving Environmental Problems One Bottle at a Time Leap To Purpose
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- Entrepreneurship
Today, we had a delightful conversation with Lindsey McCoy, the co-founder and CEO of Plaine Products. Lindsey started the company with her sister, and they’re on a mission to reduce the use of plastics. Lindsey thought about doing this after witnessing how plastics never really never really disappear once they’re made, despite her teenage promise to never get into business.
Being inspired with the pile of shampoo bottles in their bathroom, as well as the humble beginnings of the now media giant Netflix, Lindsey began to think of the possibility of refilling bottles used as packaging instead of throwing them away. They spent lots of research about the best reusable bottles to use, the best way to clean them, and the best ingredients to use for their product. As they delve in more deeply to the problem, Lindsey found out that most mainstream personal care products use a lot of chemical.
After a year and a half of preparation, they launched Plaine Products, a company that use vegan and cruelty-free ingredients for shampoo, conditioner and body wash. But what’s new? Their smart packaging. The initial order comes with a pump, which consumers can refill once they ran low. A refill bottle gets sent to the customer, while the original bottle gets sent back to the company and gets reused by other customers. Since then, the company’s growth has been organic.
Lindsey also talked about how some people thought her idea was ridiculous, but she never really got a good explanation why except that it’s never been done before. Thanks to Lindsey’s tenacity, the good people around her (including her sister, her co-founder), and a great idea, Plaine Products came to existence. It’s been feedback and continuous learning that make Plaine Products the awesome company it is now.
What does Lindsey want to tell others who want to start but just don’t know how? The secret is to start now as nothing can ever be perfect. Also, be patient with yourself—everything is a learning process, so always be willing to learn and take feedback seriously. And if you have an idea, stick with it! Well, unless it’s illegal.
Today’s Guest
Lindsey McCoy is co-founder and CEO of Plaine Products, which offers premium personal care products in aluminum bottles that can be returned, refilled and reused. She was inspired to start Plaine Products after spending 10 years working on environmental education in the Bahamas, islands full of single-use plastic. All of the products are vegan, non-GMO, cruelty-free, biodegradable, color-safe and free of parabens, sulfates and toxins, good for the body and the planet. Based in the USA, Plaine Products is B Corp and a member of 1% for the Planet. Lindsey has a master’s degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs from Indiana University. She is currently on the Board of Plastic Ocean Project and a volunteer for Citizen’s Climate Lobby.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plaineproducts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plaineproducts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plaineproducts/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaineProducts
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/plaineproducts/pins/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEfXbsauybbKpZey8-WZ_ug
You’ll Learn:
Why tenacity is important
The importance of working with people you completely trust
Why you should never stop learning
Today, we had a delightful conversation with Lindsey McCoy, the co-founder and CEO of Plaine Products. Lindsey started the company with her sister, and they’re on a mission to reduce the use of plastics. Lindsey thought about doing this after witnessing how plastics never really never really disappear once they’re made, despite her teenage promise to never get into business.
Being inspired with the pile of shampoo bottles in their bathroom, as well as the humble beginnings of the now media giant Netflix, Lindsey began to think of the possibility of refilling bottles used as packaging instead of throwing them away. They spent lots of research about the best reusable bottles to use, the best way to clean them, and the best ingredients to use for their product. As they delve in more deeply to the problem, Lindsey found out that most mainstream personal care products use a lot of chemical.
After a year and a half of preparation, they launched Plaine Products, a company that use vegan and cruelty-free ingredients for shampoo, conditioner and body wash. But what’s new? Their smart packaging. The initial order comes with a pump, which consumers can refill once they ran low. A refill bottle gets sent to the customer, while the original bottle gets sent back to the company and gets reused by other customers. Since then, the company’s growth has been organic.
Lindsey also talked about how some people thought her idea was ridiculous, but she never really got a good explanation why except that it’s never been done before. Thanks to Lindsey’s tenacity, the good people around her (including her sister, her co-founder), and a great idea, Plaine Products came to existence. It’s been feedback and continuous learning that make Plaine Products the awesome company it is now.
What does Lindsey want to tell others who want to start but just don’t know how? The secret is to start now as nothing can ever be perfect. Also, be patient with yourself—everything is a learning process, so always be willing to learn and take feedback seriously. And if you have an idea, stick with it! Well, unless it’s illegal.
Today’s Guest
Lindsey McCoy is co-founder and CEO of Plaine Products, which offers premium personal care products in aluminum bottles that can be returned, refilled and reused. She was inspired to start Plaine Products after spending 10 years working on environmental education in the Bahamas, islands full of single-use plastic. All of the products are vegan, non-GMO, cruelty-free, biodegradable, color-safe and free of parabens, sulfates and toxins, good for the body and the planet. Based in the USA, Plaine Products is B Corp and a member of 1% for the Planet. Lindsey has a master’s degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs from Indiana University. She is currently on the Board of Plastic Ocean Project and a volunteer for Citizen’s Climate Lobby.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plaineproducts/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plaineproducts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plaineproducts/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaineProducts
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/plaineproducts/pins/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEfXbsauybbKpZey8-WZ_ug
You’ll Learn:
Why tenacity is important
The importance of working with people you completely trust
Why you should never stop learning
29 min