What Searious Business does

Searious Business is a Dutch circular plastics consultancy headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, founded in 2019 (per company history; firmographics indicate 2016) and led by CEO and Founder Willemijn Peeters. The firm operates as a small, founder-led social enterprise of approximately five core employees that advises large multinational brand owners, retailers, and manufacturers on transitioning away from virgin single-use plastics toward circular economy models. Its service portfolio spans circular plastics consulting, reusable packaging model development, reuse systems and closed-loop design, effective recycling services, and circularity training, employing decision tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), behavioural-change frameworks, and deep material-and-market knowledge of the recycled plastics supply chain.

The company's commercial model is professional-services consulting delivered through direct B2B engagement with enterprise clients across FMCG packaging, furniture, consumer electronics, tourism, and white goods sectors. Marquee clients include Nestle, Unilever, Danone, Mondelez, Aldi Sud, Estee Lauder, Carrefour, Jumbo, Whirlpool, and Evonik. Revenue is generated through quote-based consulting engagements with standard terms of a 50% down payment and the balance due within 14 days, supplemented by grant and public-private partnership funding from sources including the US Department of State ($14.5M EPPIC), Norad (Plastic Waste Free Islands, GTPI training), and Provincie Noord-Brabant (BRAVE'R pilot).

Beyond direct consulting, Searious Business acts as convenor and operational anchor for multiple international consortia and initiatives, including EPPIC, Plastic Waste Free Islands (with IUCN), Vita Nova (with BOPET Films Europe), BUDDIE-PACK (Horizon Europe), RePLHA, and the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (with UNEP, UNWTO, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation). The firm's geographic footprint spans at least 14 countries across Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Notable technical components include blockchain-based PET-bottle tracking pilots in Moroccan supermarkets and NFT/token-based incentive systems for reusable packaging at events.

Name

Searious Business

Legal name

Searious Business

Website

https://seariousbusiness.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Searious Business is a Dutch circular plastics consultancy advising multinational FMCG brands, retailers, and manufacturers on transitioning from single-use plastics to circular packaging, reuse systems, and recycling solutions via LCA/CBA decision tools and an extensive value-chain network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainability Consulting

akta.pro primary industry

Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)

Keywords

• Circular plastics consulting
• Sustainable packaging advisory
• Plastics circularity services
• Reuse systems design
• Recycling supply chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Eindhoven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Circular Economy Consulting: Professional consulting services helping brand owners achieve plastic targets, comply with legislation, optimise product circularity, integrate recycled content, and source reliable recycled plastics supply. The company works on international projects with NGOs and governmental organisations for systemic change.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Searious Business is a circular plastics consultancy that advises brand owners, retailers, and manufacturers on transitioning from virgin single-use plastic to circular packaging and product systems. Services include optimizing product circularity, integrating recycled content, sourcing reliable recycled plastics supply, designing reusable packaging models, and helping clients comply with regulations such as PPWR, EPR, DPP, and UPV using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) decision tools.

Product overview

Searious Business is a circular plastics consultancy that offers advisory services rather than a traditional software product. Their offerings include circular plastics consulting to help brand owners achieve plastic targets and comply with legislation, reusable packaging solutions, reuse systems development, effective recycling services, and circularity training. The company also manages several international initiatives and projects including EPPIC (End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative), Plastic Waste Free Islands, Vita Nova Consortium, BRAVE'R Refill Cleaning System, Buddie Pack, RePLHA, and provides Zero Plastic Waste Toolkits and Zero Waste Office framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circular Plastics Consulting Services Advisory services helping brand owners achieve plastic targets and comply with legislation by optimizing product circularity, integrating recycled content, and sourcing reliable supply of recycled plastics using LCA and CBA decision tools.
• Reusable Packaging Solutions Development of economically and environmentally viable reusable packaging models including packaging design refinement and behavioural change tools for cross-sector collaborations.
• Reuse Systems Development Creating systems for effective material retention in closed loops, linking feedstock to recyclers and recycled materials to brands through a network of partners.
• Effective Recycling Services A one-stop shop for operationalizing circular ambitions, redesigning packaging, products and business models for sustainable and profitable futures, including larger international projects with NGOs and governmental organisations.
• Circularity Training Training courses delivered to employees to inspire and engage around circularity topics, including theoretical background, hands-on DISRUPT model, and practical innovation tools.
• Zero Waste Office Platform Framework for facility and office managers to address waste issues within their organisation, providing practical solutions to reduce plastic waste and save costs.
• BRAVE'R Refill Cleaning System A pioneering provincial pilot reducing single-use plastics in the professional cleaning sector using durable packaging and Ecourage's smart refill technology to cut waste at source. Up to 30% cost savings and up to 80% waste and CO2-eq reduction reported.
• EPPIC - End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative Public-private initiative galvanizing global efforts to combat plastic pollution through upstream and midstream solutions, including policy development, capacity building, MSMEs empowerment, and innovation prizes.
• Plastic Waste Free Islands Collaboration with IUCN tackling plastic waste on islands, creating a Blueprint guide and implementing solutions such as bottle-to-bottle recycling, reusable food containers, and waste-to-product solutions. Up to 80% plastic waste reduction achievable on islands through combined reduce, reuse, recycle solutions.
• Vita Nova Consortium Consortium with BOPET Films Europe promoting mono-PET flexible packaging within circular economy, working to improve design, sorting, and recyclability of flexible PET packaging in Europe.
• RePLHA Consortium Reusable Transport Packaging for Large Household Appliances consortium creating environmentally sustainable and economically efficient reuse system for transport packaging in the LHA sector per EU PPWR requirements.
• Buddie Pack Consortium Horizon Europe project on reusable plastic packaging systems focused on business models, reverse logistics, and profitability drivers for circular packaging in Latin America.
• Zero Plastic Waste Toolkits for Tourism Sector-specific toolkits for hospitality, tour and cruise companies providing practical guidance to reduce plastic waste with cost-benefit analysis comparisons and waste/carbon footprint savings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 80% plastic waste reduction achievable through combined reduce, reuse, recycle solutions on islands
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Long-standing partnership for the Plastic Waste Free Islands initiative, working on six Caribbean and Pacific islands since 2019. Also co-hosts EPPIC (End Plastic Pollution International Collaborative) consortium. Developed the Blueprint for Plastic Waste Free Islands - a DIY guide for reducing plastic waste on any island. Funded by Norad.
• The Ocean FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Part of the EPPIC Host Consortium along with IUCN, Aspen Institute, and Searious Business. EPPIC is a $14.5 million USD multi-year public-private partnership funded by US Department of State.
• Aspen InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Part of the EPPIC Host Consortium along with IUCN, The Ocean Foundation, and Searious Business. EPPIC galvanizes global efforts to combat plastic pollution through upstream and midstream solutions.
• BOPET Films EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading the Vita Nova consortium with Searious Business to promote mono-PET flexible packaging within circular economy. Includes producers, sorters, recyclers, machine manufacturers, retailers, and brand owners throughout the supply chain.
• EcouragecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner in BRAVE'R project providing smart refill dispensers and refill technology. BRAVE'R is a provincial pilot in Noord-Brabant reducing single-use plastics in professional cleaning sector.
• VebegominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot testing partner for BRAVE'R project, including Cleaning Services and Bright Solutions teams using the refill system in daily operations to validate usability, reliability, and workflow integration.
• Voice of the OceansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal expedition focused on documenting plastics in marine ecosystems and finding solutions. Tramontina USA partnered with Voice of the Oceans and Searious Business to reduce one-time plastic packaging.
• UNEP (UN Environment Programme)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) along with UNWTO and Ellen MacArthur Foundation. GTPI helps tourism businesses transition away from single-use plastics.
• UNWTO (World Tourism Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leader of Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) with UNEP and Ellen MacArthur Foundation to tackle plastic pollution in the tourism sector.
• Ellen MacArthur FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leader of Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI) with UNEP and UNWTO to help tourism businesses adopt circular solutions.
• National GeographicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlastic Waste Free Office assessment client. Searious Business assessed National Geographic's plastic footprint and provided practical solutions to reduce plastic waste and save costs.
• VitraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlastic Waste Free Office assessment client. Furniture company assessed for plastic footprint and circular solutions.
• VolksbankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlastic Waste Free Office assessment client. Bank assessed for plastic footprint and waste reduction solutions.
• Zero Waste EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-researcher on Indian street vendors study showing business case for reuse systems to reduce plastic production.
• National Hawker Federation (India)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Indian street vendors study on reuse solutions for plastic pollution reduction.
• Zimbabwe Tourism AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in GTPI-related training project delivering plastic waste reduction training to hotels in Zimbabwe.
• Africa InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in plastic waste-free hotel training programs in both Zimbabwe and Malawi.
• BRS Conventions (Basel, Rotterdam, Stockholm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conventions on chemicals and waste management. Searious Business involved in systemic change projects.
• Ministerie van Infrastructuur en WaterstaatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch Ministry involved in systemic change projects and plastic waste initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plastic Bank: Social enterprise addressing ocean plastic pollution through collection networks and recycled-content supply for brands. Comparable social-enterprise positioning, plastics circularity focus, and brand-owner partnerships.
• Metabolic: Dutch-based sustainability consultancy advising on circular economy, materials, and systems change for governments and corporates. Comparable on circular-economy focus, LCA methodology, and Netherlands-headquartered European presence.
• Quantis: Sustainability consultancy specializing in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), environmental footprinting, and circular economy strategy for major brand owners. Highly comparable on LCA/CBA decision tooling and enterprise packaging sustainability mandates.
• SystemIQ: Circular economy advisory firm working with brands, governments, and NGOs on plastics, packaging, and climate transitions. Closely comparable in mission, methodology (systems thinking + consulting), and clientele (multinationals, multilaterals).
• Closed Loop Partners: Circular economy platform combining investment, consulting, and infrastructure to advance reuse and recycling systems. Comparable focus on building closed-loop systems for plastics packaging and consumer goods.

Broad incumbents

• EcoAct: International climate and sustainability consultancy serving enterprises on net-zero, carbon, and circular economy strategies. Broader incumbent adjacent to Searious Business's brand-owner advisory work.
• Anthesis Group: Large global sustainability consultancy offering circular economy, packaging, and ESG services to enterprise clients. Broader incumbent that competes for the same brand-owner sustainability mandates at greater scale.
• South Pole: Major climate and sustainability consultancy with circular economy practices serving multinational corporates and governments. Larger incumbent competitor for enterprise sustainability advisory mandates.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Largest pure-play environmental consultancy with packaging, plastics, and circular economy practices serving Fortune 500 clients. Broad incumbent competing for major brand-owner mandates.

Emerging players

• OceanCycle: Social enterprise certifying and sourcing ocean-bound and ocean-recovered plastic for brand owners' recycled-content programs. Partial overlap in the plastics circularity and brand-owner recycled-content sourcing space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TEDxTalks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/searious-business

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Searious Business