Eco Inspiration: Simona Paganetto, creator of I’m Plastic Free – a unique platform for plastic pollution solutions!

At SuperBee, we’re passionate about sustainable living and supporting social good initiatives. Today, we’re thrilled to introduce you to Simona, the visionary behind a groundbreaking platform called I’m Plastic Free. Simona’s platform serves as a digital matchmaking hub, connecting eco-brands and business solutions in a shared mission to eliminate plastic pollution worldwide.

Why We Choose Partners like Simona

When it comes to partnerships, we seek out like-minded, awesome individuals who align with our vision of making a positive impact on people and planet. We love shining a spotlight on partners like Simona so that you can get to know the faces and stories behind the brands, and join us in appreciating the hard work, helpfulness, and inspiration they bring to the table.  

Meet Simona and I’m Plastic Free

Simona is the bright and beautiful mind behind I’m Plastic Free, the world’s first digital matchmaking platform focused on tackling plastic pollution. Her platform is a one-of-a-kind solution, bringing together eco-brands and sustainable business solutions in an open forum designed to drive real change.

Let’s Bee Inspired by Simona’s entrepreneurial journey and the story behind I’m Plastic Free.

Simona, you’ve created a really unique and helpful platform that fills a great need, especially for small sustainable and ethical businesses. What encouraged you to create I’m Plastic Free?

In 2014 I had just left my promising career in the Swiss MedTech sector to migrate to Australia to follow my husband and have a family. I was living in one of the most beautiful areas of the world, Airlie Beach and the gorgeous Whitsunday Islands in Queensland.

I started volunteering for Eco Barge Clean Seas, a local marine conservation organisation, to clean up marine debris from the stunning islands of the Whitsundays …

and that’s when I started to realise how the plastic issue was underreported at the time and how plastic is pervasive in our society to the point that we are ingesting microplastics without really knowing the consequences.

A few years and several attempts and pivots later and ‘I’m Plastic Free’ was born as a global digital platform, in a bid to help people reduce their plastic waste footprint, as well as their exposure to microplastics.

Please share some highlights of your life that brought you to create I’m Plastic Free:

I was born in Genoa, Italy and I grew up in a small village in the hills behind this coastal Mediterranean city, about 30km from the centre. I have fond memories of a childhood spent with lifelong friends riding bikes and playing outside in nature. I have always loved nature, learning new languages, about new cultures and travelling so I attended a high school specialising in teaching foreign languages and in 1998 I left Italy to study in Germany.

I never came back to live in my home country as life took its course which brought me to discover the world… and finally landed in regional Australia, which led to reinventing myself and creating I’m Plastic Free.

What are a few facts about yourself that you would like to share?

As mentioned, I love languages and can speak five and a half (the half being Spanish, which I never really learned properly but picked up while travelling in Central and South America 😉). I’ve always had a strong connection to nature, and I was lucky enough to travel to some of the most spectacular places in the world like the Galapagos Islands for example. I think this has influenced my willingness to create a business that has the purpose as well of saving the oceans.

  What has been most challenging in your mission to fight plastic waste?

One of the most challenging areas has been finding the right product-market fit for my business, it’s ok to be passionate about a cause but ultimately the business needs to be also financially sustainable to be able to survive and thrive. It took me a few years and pivots until I found a model that would work.

Another challenge is having to educate the market, it can be exhausting and too costly. Luckily, a lot has changed, particularly after Covid, and people now seem to be increasingly aware, not just of plastic pollution, but also about the challenges that microplastics pose to human health.

What challenges do small businesses face in opening and maintaining a successful sustainable business?

The main challenge small businesses face when starting a new sustainable business is a lack of capital and resources to help them scale the venture. I was very lucky to receive a few grants from the Northern Territory government where I lived until the end of last year, as this has enabled me to build the platform and launch it.

Since then, we are bootstrapped and we have been reinvesting in the business, trying to grow the traffic and the “plastic-free” blogs which are educational, and research-based, i.e. all articles are linked to studies published in peer-reviewed journals. This has proven to work as the platform is now close to reaching half a million organic page views per year.   

Thank you, Simona, for your incredible work and dedication to a plastic-free future! 

Simona’s story and I’m Plastic Free exemplify the power of passion, resilience, and collaboration in driving positive change. As we celebrate eco-inspiration, let’s all support sustainable businesses and initiatives that take action and make measurable difference in the wellbeing of our planet!

For more eco inspiration, check out our spotlight on another fantastic female entrepreneur: Triana, creator of Livconsciously. Bee inspired by her journey to bring sustainable choices and conscious living to Singapore.For more tips on how you can live plastic-free, check out our list of 25 eco essentials to have in your home.