A South Staffordshire entrepreneur is giving new life to food waste with an innovative new product now on sale at a landmark Birmingham attraction.
Molly Ratcliffe, 25, set up sustainability business WasteProjekt, turning food waste into biodegradable plant pots which nourish the soil as they break down – meaning they not only tackle food waste, but also reduce plastic pollution in gardening.
Since starting out, Molly’s success has blossomed – from being named a runner up in the 2024 AXA Start-Up Angels competition and being featured in the Evening Standard, to launching her project at BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC in Birmingham this summer.
And now, her product is being sold at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens shop.
Commenting on the initiative, Wombourne-based Miss Ratcliffe said she was ‘frustrated by the theoretical nature of many sustainable materials’, so ‘set out to create something tangible, useful, and meaningful’.
“With grant support from South Staffordshire Council’s Start in South Staffs programme, I was able to begin environmental testing and scale up the production process – and now I’ve begun trials with partners including Garden Organic, gardening influencers, and the horticulture team at Birmingham Botanical Gardens,” she said.
“At its core, WasteProjekt is about redefining waste – it doesn’t need to be an ending, it can be the beginning of something better.”
While working full time as a surveyor and technical engineer, Molly dedicated evenings and weekends to the hands-on experimentation and creation of the new product.
South Staffordshire Council aided Molly in her pursuits, supporting her with a £1,000 grant to get the environmental testing needed for her plant pot and providing her with a two-day business support workshop.
Councillor Mark Evans, cabinet member for planning and business enterprise at South Staffordshire Council, said: “This recent success demonstrates the tangible outcomes the Start in South Staffs programme support can deliver.
“It is a clear illustration of how strategic investment in enterprise can foster innovation, stimulate the local economy, and showcase the exceptional talent within South Staffordshire.”
South Staffordshire Council is committed to supporting local entrepreneurship through its Start in South Staffs programme, offering expert workshops, one-to-one guidance, and practical resources to help navigate the critical first two years of trading, covering areas such as compliance, marketing, and sustainability.
Delivered both online and in-person, the programme ensures flexible and practical support tailored to the needs of new and early-stage businesses across the district. On successful completion, eligible businesses may also apply for grant funding of up to £1,000 to assist with start-up costs. To find out more and register your interest, click here.