Eating with flimsy, disposable plastic cutlery isn’t much fun for you or the planet. Plastic utensils are some of the most common pieces of trash littering the world’s beaches and are among the biggest threats to the delicate ecosystems that compose our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams.
Cue Cameron Drake and his simple solution to eradicating single-use plastic utensils - Cliffset.
Designed for on-the-go lifestyles and an eat-anywhere state of mind, Cliffset is a personal and portable cutlery kit that comes in a compact and durable case with a built-in cleaning mechanism. A custom-contoured scraping tool features ridges that fit right between Cliffset’s fork tines to scrape off every last bit of uneaten food, for the ultimate clean-eating experience, wherever you are.
Tell us a bit more about yourself and your company. How did Cliffset come to be?
Living on a boat, I was reminded daily of the impact of plastic pollution from the trash that would enter the marina. As someone with an active, on-the-go lifestyle, I was missing reusable, portable utensils that didn't require finding a public sink to wash them in. The bamboo fork I’d forget about at the bottom of my bag tended to collect food and dust which didn’t exactly inspire reuse.
By harnessing the power of alcohol as a cleaning agent, I teamed up with some talented friends and family members to design the first personal, portable cutlery set to come with its own dishwasher, and Cliffset was born!
Are there any outdoor living trends on your radar for 2023 and beyond?
I’ve noticed a trend of more takeout and eating on the go, as well as an increased awareness concerning packaging pollution and peoples’ willingness to carry reusables. Whether they are commuting, taking road trips or staying in Airbnbs regularly, people are reconsidering how much plastic they consume while on the move and are becoming more self-aware of their actions and relationship to the environment.
What unique aspect of your design and manufacturing process would you like your customers to know about?
For each of our product concepts, we start with high-level questions about our daily lived experiences.
- “Why don’t I carry reusables more often?
- “What is the biggest inconvenience to be solved that could make life easier and more sustainable?”
As opposed to the durable materials we use to create our reusable products, such as stainless-steel utensils or ripstop nylon cases, we use highly recyclable and natural materials for single-use, or few-use packagings such as paper mailers and glass refill bottles.
What advice would you give to someone looking to launch their own brand?
Solve a lived problem that you genuinely care about. Devoting ten years to building a door hinge business, for example, would drive you a little crazy if you’re not passionate about doors!
Cliffset is committed to helping lower our dependence on single-use plastics and removing plastic pollution. Can you share more about this?
Eight million pieces of plastic enter our ocean every day. While it’s important to clean up, reducing our dependence on plastic, and eventually cutting production and consumption at its source, is critical.
What are your customers most excited by?
Sustainable moments, small victories, and clean experiences! It’s pretty satisfying when you’re trying to lower your carbon footprint or environmental impact and being able to quantify a small victory and say “I avoided one single-use plastic fork, and it felt satisfying, clean, and easy.”
What has surprised you on your journey as a founder? What are you learning that you did not expect to be learning?
Nobody is going to tell you to do something. Learning to self-manage your work habits and input every day requires a little willpower and A LOT of consistency.
For more information, visit https://cliffset.com/, or follow Cliffset on Instagram at @cliffset, Facebook @cliffsetofficial and TikTok @camcliffset.
HABITAT is proud to confirm Cliffset as a 2023 Exhibitor at the National Hardware Show!