Interview with Lukas Thoma, CEO & Founder Washo
Lukas Thoma, CEO & Founder Washo
PATRICK ROTH: Everyone is talking about making the Fashion & Textile Industry more sustainable. For the most part, no one is talking about how to wash their fashionable textiles sustainably. Why do you suppose that is?
LUKAS THOMA: The fashion and textile industry is highly visible and omnipresent. NGOs and the climate movement have increasingly drawn attention to abuses in the industry in recent years and thus raised consumer awareness for sustainable alternatives.
Unfortunately, the washing of textiles is not an issue in this context. Detergents are still hidden and hardly visible to consumers, and they are not talked about. It is only through our active social media campaign that consumers have become aware of this. We put the topic in the spotlight and show that you can make an important contribution to sustainability directly when washing without going without.
PATRICK ROTH: The idea of Wash Strips is a new idea. Why did it take so long for such a seemingly simple idea to arrive?
LUKAS THOMA: The idea originated internationally more than 10 years ago. However, sustainable washing was not really in line with the zeitgeist back then and the big retail brands dominated the market almost 100%. Small brands like Washo benefit from the current climate and sustainability debate. In addition, ecommerce has changed a lot and new brands can be launched and marketed as direct-2-consumer brands.
PATRICK ROTH: Why should people move from the powder and liquid laundry detergents they know and use to Wash Strips like those from Washo?
LUKAS THOMA: Because everyone can make an important contribution to the future of our planet without sacrificing anything.
Honestly, sustainable washing will dominate the market of the future. The times of "even cleaner" and "even whiter" are over. Today's customer wants a simple and clean solution. 60 Washo for 60 washes replace a heavy plastic bottle of conventional detergent or even a giant box of washing powder.
PATRICK ROTH: Your advertising says that you plant a tree for each box of Washo Wash Strips you sell, and that you donate 10% of the Washo profit to charities that support "Drinking Water". How did this idea start and what are the goals you have for it?
LUKAS THOMA: We want to make our social and sustainable commitment visible. Our company is certified as climate neutral and offsets all CO2 emissions. However, this is not so easy for consumers to grasp. That's why we also plant a tree for each box. This makes our sustainable commitment immediately visible. In addition, the customer receives confirmation from an external organisation.
We don't support the Charitiy:Water organisation with a business intention, but simply because social commitment is part of our self-image. In my opinion, success is measured by how much you can give back to society.
PATRICK ROTH: Your company acts very sustainably and is transparent about it's manufacturing processes? Where does the journey of Washo go in the next 5-10 years?
LUKAS THOMA: True to the motto "It's not the Big that eat the Small, it's the Fast that eat the Slow", we will quickly gain significant market shares and move into new product ranges. It is not only in the laundry room that too many harmful chemicals are still used. Our customer community is growing rapidly and is also very demanding in this respect. I don't think we need five years to become a well-known brand. Migros decided to test our product as soon as it was on the market and has now decided to put us on the shelves. Migros (known to be the most sustainable retail group in the world) is a pioneer here. Other retailers will quickly follow this example in order to satisfy customer demand.
Expansion into other countries is currently being planned. With the positive Blue Print from Switzerland.
For more about Washo Washings Strips, check out our blog post: Stripping the “Toxic” out of Detergents - With Washo’s Washing Strips