Assignment 7A- Testing the Hypothesis

Assignment 7A- Testing the Hypothesis

         Reusable Straw Portable Case

·      Opportunity-

o   Every day, Americans only use enough single-use plastic straws to stretch around the entire world over two and a half times leading to thousands upon thousands of straws in our landfills and in our oceans. The opportunity exists because the use of straws is beginning to creep into our everyday lives whether it be by overfilling landfills or our oceans because they take over two-hundred years to decompose.

·      The who: Americans who use straws regularly

·      The what: Large sums of plastic waste created each day

·      The why: Straws are an aspect of our everyday lives therefore their continued usage is foreseeable, but by using reusable straws we can stop this trend

·      Testing the who: Single-use plastic straws are not just an American staple, however they are primarily used by people living in the Americas. Most European countries has banned the usage of any single-use plastics including plates, bags, and straws because of this they do have really have a need as much however, they do use reusable straws so this product as a case could be successful there. People who live in developing nations who do not have the same infrastructure of restaurants like we do in the United States also do not have a large need. The “who” lives mostly in North and South America, Asia, and Australia where the large amount of plastic straws is still growing. The “who” are people who go to bars, restaurants, and other venues where they are ordering drinks, which is a large portion of Americans because it is equal between gender, age groups, etc. The sheer number of people who fall into the “who” for this issue is part of the reason I chose to tackle this issue, if we begin making small changes within our population we can truly change our world.

·      Testing the what: The large sums of plastic created daily by Americans is extremely large, however the easiest way to tackle a problem so large is to take small pieces out until the whole becomes just as small. I believe starting with the elimination of single-use plastic straws is the first, excuse my pun, but straw to pull in order to get rid of the larger issue. Straws are used every day by millions of people therefore it is a “what” that has no end without an alternate solution.

·      Testing the why: Since the invention of plastic straws in the late 1880’s, people have been using them for everything. They are used in restaurants, bars, homes, etc. and they show no signs of stopping. Straws are given without second thought, when I worked as a waiter I was taught to give each patron and straw never thinking twice. Straws have become such a part of our way of life that you probably did not even think about it until you started reading this blog. This is why the “why” behind them is such a hard thing to fix, when something has been so ingrained in our everyday lives it becomes really hard to change.

·      Interview #1:

o   In this interview, I was hoping to understand why some men find reusable straws “feminine,” this was a major concern that was expressed to me in some comments on other assignments. Therefore, after asking my normal set of questions like ‘Do you know how many plastic straws are used a day?’ and ‘What does this large amount of plastic mean to you?’ I added questions about his likelihood to use the product. From his answers I sensed a feeling of hesitant when it came to buying a product related. This is when I first began to think of a way to edit/market the product to where its outreach would be effective to men. I, also, was able to begin get a better understanding of the interest from someone who is not in a field related to sustainability. From this specific interview I gathered that once people truly are aware of the issue their interest levels skyrocket and are actually wiling to purchase the product. He also made it very clear that he would not be willing to try the product unless it was as cheap as a normal phone case or cheaper.

·      Interview #2:

o   This next interview was done with someone who is in my Environmental Science classes and has been carrying around a metal straw for the last year. In this interview I was hoping to see more information to see if people actually see the need for an easier way to carry around a straw. After asking the normal question which she sort of scoffed at just because she already knew everything I was telling her, I was able to get to the root of the problem. She expressed how often she forgets her straw or loses it because she just throws it in her purse when she is done. This was good for an extra backing for my opportunity. She went on to talk about how if I was to do a case of sorts I should include a small brush for cleaning after each use.

·      Interview #3:

o   This next interview was done with someone who is a bit older than my first two interviewees in order to get knowledge from someone who is maybe not really environmentally aware. From this interview, I was hoping to learn the viewpoints of someone who has lived for a while and does not really feel the same passion for the environment as the two others. From this interview I gathered a couple key points that have really almost shifted my line of thinking. First, is that the older you go in society the less and less they are likely to know about the environmental damage we are causing every day. This is prevalent because without proper marketing or education on the subject they would see no need for this product. Lastly, I learned that some older people are very new to iPhones and other smartphones therefore, when they buy a cause they are looking for durability more than style. Therefore, if a phone case is the chosen case to sort out this opportunity I would need to make sure it is just as sturdy as a normal protective case.

·      Interview #4:

o   In this interview I chose someone who has recently graduated college and now works in the medical field. While they are not very knowledgeable or experienced in the sustainability field, they knew a fair amount about single use plastics. He seemed very curious when I was telling him about the product however, he warned me this safety concerns with constantly reusing the same metal straw over and over again without washing it. He, also, voiced his concern on whether or not that this opportunity is widespread enough in our current climate, meaning he does not really see any of his peers truly caring enough to buy one. This is valid considering he would not be my prototypical customer, but is also concerning.

·      Interview #5:

o   For my last interview I chose my friend’s high school sister in order to get someone who is younger than everyone before. When going through this interview you could tell that she was very interested in doing activism and making a difference which is exactly how I was in high school. She also made a ton of good points about how if she was able to get the product she could probably also get her parents and family on board. After having this interview, I feel more confident in this opportunity especially for younger generations.

·      Given your interviews, what do you know about the opportunity that you didn't know before? 

o   Based on these interviews I have learned a lot more about who is my prototypical customer. I previously thought my prototypical customer had to have some knowledge beforehand about sustainability or single-use plastics, however after these interviews this has been proven false. Two out of the three people I interviewed that did not know about sustainability felt as though they would look into the product after learning some basic facts. This made me feel a lot more confident in the opportunity, therefore pushing me to work harder.

o   Another thing I learned from these interviews is that the theory that some men might find this opportunity too feminine was confirmed. When interviewing the two male candidates, I asked questions about this and they both seemed very hesitant towards it. I, personally, do not understand this because I see no gender roles or traits associated with caring about the Earth we live on however this is something that we should be concerned about when selling this product.