Each year, tons of single-use plastic waste end up in Canadian landfills. As the country shifts away from these environmentally challenging products, businesses can step up with innovative ideas. At least, that’s how recent Trent University graduate, Safiya Khaki, sees it. Last year, while in the final year of her Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Ms. Khaki delivered her winning pitch to a panel of local business professors in the Pitch IT! Student Entrepreneurial Competition and came away with a $2000 cash prize. Her idea? The BioStraw—a plant-fibre-based straw that is not only biodegradable but strong enough not to disintegrate while drinking. In effect, Ms. Khaki’s idea solves two problems—environmental waste and soggy straws—at the same time.
Ms. Khaki’s passion for community and sustainability led her to found two companies that align with her values and goals where she can further apply her innovative business ideas. One is EasySips, a sustainable consumer beverage products company that aims to promote a greener future—of which you can be sure BioStraw is part and parcel. The other is EasyFits, a virtual clothing try-on platform, known as the world’s first-ever personalized fitting room, to help online shoppers determine their true size, improve the overall shopping experience, and facilitate sustainability trends in the apparel industry. “As a natural leader and innovator, I am always seeking new and creative ways to make a positive impact on the world around me,” she says.
One wonders how many other environmental problems Ms. Khaki will find creative solutions in the years to come.
