May 16, 2018
On today’s episode of Brandstorm, we welcome Jason McDevitt and Kirk Havens from GreenOps Ammo. Jason and Kirk discuss the journey of bringing their biodegradable shotgun wads to market, and how both hunters and environmentalists are in favor of their mission.
GreenOps
Ammo
Jason McDevitt is the CEO of GreenOps Ammo, a
Virginia-based start-up intent on moderating or eliminating the
environmental footprint left behind by plastic shotgun refuse
through their patented, biodegradable wads. Kirk Havens is a
co-founder of GreenOps Ammo, and is also director of the Coastal
Watershed Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Kirk
explains that he and Jason have been working to decrease marine
pollution, particularly involving plastics, for about 10 years.
What Is a Shotgun
Wad?
Historically, the job of a shotgun wad has been to
separate the shot from the powder of a shotgun shell. Once fired,
wads exit the gun along with the shot, and travel downfield
approximately 20-50 yards. Though these wads were once
biodegradable and made from cardboard, cork and felt, the 1960s saw
the advent of plastic shells and wads. These plastic versions had
enhanced functionality, such as barrel protection and converting
the energy created with the barrel into shot velocity. By the
1980s, plastic shells and wads were universal. As Jason explains,
nothing to date matches their performance, but GreenOps Ammo is
working to change that.
Pollution Issues
from Plastic Wads
With most hunters shooting over water
or into dense brush, plastic wads are impossible or impractical to
find and retrieve. In addition to polluting our planet, these wads
create a separate set of issues in water, where plastic floats and
tends to pick up other organic pollutants. Marine animals can be
subject to injury or death by ingesting even small fragments of
plastic.
Kirk says GreenOps was approached by hunters and sportsmen with growing concerns over the effect plastic wads have on wildlife. There have also been concerns from property owners who hunters lease land from, cranberry bog farmers who fear crop contamination and cattle farmers, whose herd could potentially ingest plastic wads.
How GreenOps Ammo
is Different
Jason and Kirk see "bioplastics" (or
biodegradable plastics) as a solution for this problem. GreenOps
shotgun wads break apart after leaving the barrel, providing a
cleaner release of the shot. Because the biodegradable wad breaks
into smaller fragments, it becomes harder to find, creating less
visual pollution and less chance for wildlife to devour it.
GreenOps wads, unlike their plastic counterparts, will not exist on
land or in water for decades or centuries, and will sink in a pond
or lake versus floating or washing up to the surface. Instead, they
break down to small organic compounds that are then assimilated
into nature's carbon cycle.
Barriers,
Competition and Funding
Jason explains that while
nearly everyone in the hunting ammunition industry has tried and
failed to create a biodegradable wad that performs as well as its
conventional plastic models, it isn't for lack of trying. The need
is great as single-use plastics are likely to see regulation or an
outright ban from legislators in the coming years.
GreenOps Ammo has yet to approach national retailers, but as instead talked to smaller independent distributors and is planning to attend hunting trade shows, talk to hunting clubs and outfitters, and look for potential brand ambassadors. Though Jason and Kirk are currently seeking investors, non-dilutive grant funding (funds received without giving away any ownership of the company) has made it possible for GreenOps to develop its biodegradable shotgun wads. They are currently concluding a round of funding and are focused on raising additional capital.
As federal ammunition regulations are daunting for a company of any size, Jason and Kirk are hoping their start-up can make a deal with a strategic partner overseas. They are confident in the great response they've received from beta testers of their wads. GreenOps Ammo is distributing a limited supply of biodegradable shotgun wads this year and are shooting for wider distribution in 2019.
Contact GreenOps
Ammo:
Web: www.greenopsammo.com
Instagram: @GreenOpsAmmo