[Consumerwide_Jinil Kang Reporter / Yohan Bok Reporter] Between May 19th and 21st, 2023, the Megazoo Ilsan event was held at Ilsan Kintex 2nd exhibition hall. Megazoo is a Pet Industrial Exhibition where you can find overall pet industry trends.
Megazoo 2023 facilitated ESG special promotion hall. It can be interpreted as pet customers' value consumption trend, which makes a choice up on various social values such as eco-friendly, social contribution, and share, is turning to a main stream in Pet Industy. So I feel that value-consumption is settling as one of the standards for pet owners. Consumerwide met brand owners, who participated in the ESG special promotion hall during the event, for interviews.
Jiwoong Choi, the CEO of Ecopettree says, "Practice your eco-friendly-consumption by purchasing our pad product made from sheet mask leftovers."
Q. In what way can the Ecopettree pads be related to the 'ESG special promotion hall'?
A. Currently tons of masks are manufactured and wasted after Covid19. Every month, over300 million masks are made and thrown away. This is how we came up with the idea of making pads for pets using the mask sheet leftover from the factories. It is a special eco-friendly product, so our product could enter the ESG special promotion hall."
Q. This is an 'Upcycling pad'. I am curious about what led you all to make this type of product.
A. We are ordinary university students. We have got to be aware of the fact that masks are constantly wasted, which causes ocean environmental pollution. While thinking about the resolution, we came to the idea of using the mask as a resource circulation to benefit environment. Utilizing two resource categories, pads and masks whose products are wasted everyday, we summed up the research by inventing this item, which could possibly contribute to expanding environmental values in society.
Q. When has your brand begun? And, what are the responses in the market?
A. We began in July last year. We are already at the stage of expanding the business after going through successful sales in the market. LH Social Venture Support Government Business (LHSV2022) has been supporting us based on our solid business plans and record. It seems to me the response in the market is positive. It's one of the upcycling products, yet it has competitive aspects such as waterproof and absorption capabilities while being an environment-friendly product. These are the points that satisfy customers. Users of our products commented, "We are happy that we can protect the world with our pets.", "It's surprising that it is an upcycled product while having a high quality of absorption.","It wasn't easy to clear up whenever pets were peeing because it was licking and smelling. But, my family is giving me good feedback about the thickness of this product."
Q. Do you have anything you'd like to pass onto pet owner customers who value eco-friendly products?
A. Our pads are made of two parts, a part with high absorption and another part with waterproof, just like how a mask works. This is an item that connects the resource recycling chains. Supporting your pet can be a part of activities to protect the earth. This upcycling pad, which benefits the pet owners, can be one of the ways to practice value consumption. There are various product choices out on the market. If you would like to participate in environmentally caring activities along with your pet, then our product could be an adequate choice. I assure you that the excellent quality of our product will satisfy the whole family as well as pets."
