“Do what you love, and the money will follow.” For most, this statement is more of a fantasy than a reality. Merely doing what you love doesn’t always bring in the money you need. For two friends, Anthony Barresi and Dave Sedacca, this dream became their reality when their passion for pasta and ocean conservation gave them an idea for a lucrative business venture.
Living the Life of Pasta
Keeping in mind that they wanted to save the sea turtles, Anthony and Dave knew the harmful effects of single-use plastic straw pollution. The development of the paper straw was genius at first. But the straws lacked substance, and the paper fell apart quickly in drinks sending people running back towards plastic. There had to be a better solution. Anthony and Dave decided to combine their endless wealth of pasta making knowledge, business, finance, and operations, and co-founded the company Pasta Life.
Pasta Life’s first brainchild were drinking straws made out of gluten-free pasta that are 100% biodegradable. This sustainable pasta straw was less resource-intensive to produce and could last longer in drinks, easily beating out the competitors! By merely trading out your plastic straw for a pasta straw, you could save the ocean one sip at a time! But once the Covid-19 pandemic hit, a new plastic pollution trend started. Disposable masks.
Changing Gears
The pandemic has brought about the new reality of wearing a mask when you are venturing outside your home. Unfortunately, the one-time disposable masks are having devastating effects on the environment. Masks are washing up along multiple beaches, and birds and fish are getting entangled in the elastic straps.
Anthony and Dave knew they had to evolve their business to continue their mission of environmental sustainability and social responsibility. They wanted to design a mask for their Pasta Life customers to combat this new pollution problem, but they had an idea to solve another problem along the way.
Bars are beginning to open back up, and social distancing gatherings are becoming more popular. There is just one problem – How are people supposed to gather near one another and enjoy their afternoon cocktail safely while wearing a mask? Pasta Life has the answer to both of these problems – the reusable “Slurp Mask.”
Save a Sea Creature
Sip easy my friends, because Pasta Life is donating a portion of proceeds from each sale of the Slurp Mask to the Ocean Conservancy in a step further to combat ocean plastic pollution.
You don’t leave trash and waste scattered about your home, so why would ocean creatures want your trash floating around in theirs? Making these two simple switches to reusable masks and biodegradable pasta straws can significantly impact ocean conservation.
Innovation for the Future
When new problems arise, we need new solutions. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused many businesses to either evolve or risk shutting their doors. Some companies, like Pasta Life, have taken this opportunity to make the world a better place. To combat the rise of plastic pollution brought on by single-use items during the pandemic, we each need to do our part.
To be inspired with more pasta solutions to plastic pollution, you can follow Pasta Life on Instagram, or grab your own set of pasta straws along with a Slurp Mask and spread the word about combating our environmental issues!