What inspired you to start JOCO? Please could you share the story behind the brand's inception and how it has evolved over the years?
The JOCO brand was conceived back in 2008. It was through a personal protest to the eye-opening amount of Plastic and single-use waste that was being created by our daily routines and obsession with convenience. Waste and plastic items that could so easily be avoided.
The First JOCO cup was simply a ceramic mug that I acquired from the tearoom of the corporate office at which I was working, and a bamboo coaster that I used as lid to stop the coffee from spilling on the way back from Café to Office.
Not only did this reusable cup allow me to personally cut out the waste and plastic from my daily Routine, but it enhanced it as the coffee was so much better compared to drinking out of a Plastic lid and plastic lined paper cup.
Since this time JOCO has evolved to become a leader in product design and production delivering products that are truly fit for people and the planet.
We now provide a way for individuals to not only stop the flow of single use and plastic waste, but to also contribute to the clean-up efforts funded through every JOCO purchase.
We continue to improve as we learn but we are always striving to deliver real product solutions that tend to the multi-faceted issues at hand. Minimising the footprints of each product but maximising the positive impacts each product has.
JOCO's mission is to eliminate plastic and reduce single-use waste.
Can you tell us about why this mission is so important to you personally?
We believe it possible to experience life’s luxuries without compromising health or the natural environment. JOCO creates eco innovative products that empower the individual to refuse plastic and single use waste all whilst enhancing their daily ritual.
Over the years and still to this day we are being dealt many fallacies that further fuel the plastic and waste crisis. “Healthy plastics”, Plastic recycling and the proposed repurposing of plastic waste are aimed to justify the continued use of plastic and single use. But if these are not factual then all we are doing is turning a blind eye to a problem that will be the biggest threat to mankind.
We need to understand every facet of the problem and face the real issues that are coming to light. Realising that the perceived convenience of Single use and plastic items is false. We have over applied the use of plastic into applications where it should not be used and adopted single use in our obsession for convenience. But the negative impacts of this are already becoming far more inconvenient every year.
It is important for us to get this back under control!
Since its launch, JOCO have made a fantastic impact on reducing plastic waste. Please can you share some key milestones or achievements that you're particularly proud of?
Through this time the JOCO brand and products have been recognised with various awards. Two of the most recent were the Product innovation award (for a new product we have coming out ) and the best reusable cup award.Having the JOCO cup which was our first product listed by a major global publication as” the number 1 life changing thing to try” was pretty cool.
But seeing the JOCO brand mission deliver value to millions of individuals all over the world including many famous identities well known for their commitment to health, wellbeing and doing their part for the environment , has been the most exciting and something that the whole JOCO team is very proud of.
What does the future look like for JOCO? Are there any upcoming projects that you're excited about?
JOCO will continue to strive to deliver the best product solutions for people and the planet. We have many new and exciting products coming out that really showcase our commitment to reducing plastic waste and single use but to also enhance the daily ritual. We will continue to develop and improve our operations and look at new materials that fit within the JOCO pathway.
For individuals looking to reduce their plastic usage, what advice would you give them?
Many issues in today’s world may seem too big or overpowering to deal with. But its not all doom and gloom, slight adjustments made from reconnecting with basics are very powerful. Embrace the small steps, know the negatives but focus on the positives and the momentum will build in the right direction.Equip yourself with the right products and right mindset around what really is convenience.
