Scooping up solution
Entrepreneur bags a winner for dog owners
A GEELONG business reducing the amount of plastic going to landfill one dog poo at a time is set to have its ecofriendly dog poo bags displayed at major US and UK pet trade fairs.
Made from cornstarch, Oh Crap Dog Poop Bags is supporting Australian high-end dog accessory brand Georgie Paws, which is stocked in more than 240 stores in five countries, at the fairs in New York and London.
Founded in 2014 by “chief crapologist” Bruce Hultgren, Oh Crap! is also expanding its ecofriendly range to provide plastic-free alternatives to nappy and garbage bags.
Mr Hultgren said pre-orders for the new products, which dog bag clients have been requesting, would be available for pre-sale in two weeks before coming online at the start of October.
A serial entrepreneur, Mr Hultgren recounted his journey from being a national level basketballer and running basketball clinics to developing a coaches training course, Billy Bounce, which he ran in the US from 2006 to 2011.
”Yes, an old white guy was teaching American kids how to play basketball,” Mr Hultgren told an Entrepreneurs Geelong breakfast on Friday.
The former Geelong Supercat said he had also been involved in a “pocket angels” enterprise that was on the cusp of being distributed across the Borders Bookstores chain in the US.
“We were on the verge of going into all 650 stores, we had done all the stock and all the printing, and all of a sudden they went (under) overnight,” he said.
Returning to his hometown of Geelong, his passion for business found a purpose when his family got a dog.
“About three weeks after getting my dog and picking up the usual business in plastic, I thought, ‘There’s got to be a better way’.”
Through a contact in China, he quickly found the cornstarch alternative and Oh Crap! was launched with the mission of making a difference to the environment one dog poo at a time.
“There are 3.7 million dogs in Australia and they generate 1200 kilograms of crap every single day,” Mr Hultgren said.
“That 1200 kilograms is wrapped in plastic bags.”
He said he become a corporate partner of the Victorian arm of the RSPCA and discussions had since moved to a higher level.
“In the next two weeks it will be national,” Mr Hultgren said.
About 18 months ago the business reached a point where it needed to add staff and Oh Crap! based in Newtown, now employs three people.