“My business was stolen from me.” Story of a co-founder of the first zero-waste company in Ukraine

OZERO is the first Zero Waste company in Ukraine to help people lead a conscious lifestyle. The online platform would sell products made from natural materials or reusable items, such as reusable coffee cups or bamboo toothbrushes.

How was the company born?

The idea belongs to Anastasia Martynenko, an environmental expert and mentor, who knows exactly how to make life more environmentally friendly:

"The very idea of opening a zero waste space came to me when I saw similar spaces abroad, and later visited one in Paris in August 2017," Anastasia shares her memories with Rubryka. "A few days after my return, I went to study at the Ukrainian Social Academy, where mentors helped future social entrepreneurs. A month later, in September, we met our former partners when we gave lectures on waste sorting in schools. In October, at one of our meetings in Lvivsky Pliatsky cafe, I talked about this idea. It turned out that Olha Fil, our colleague, also dreamed of such a store and we decided: why not open the first one in Ukraine? I am so grateful to Olha for believing then that it's possible. Then, I was joining one of the Ukrainian Social Academy programs with a project of reusable bags and feminine hygiene products, but I decided that this project is larger in its impact: exactly what we wanted. So, I invited my colleagues to apply for training with a joint project."