In a massive warehouse in Melbourne’s west, a gleaming new machine hums and purrs around the clock, extruding large rolls of clear plastic wrap.
Turning waste into wrapping Jordy Kay was formerly an organic winemaker striving to make chemical-free wine but was dismayed to then see it packaged on a pallet wrapped in yards of single-use plastic.
His company, Eco-Pak, now produces a range of compostable packaging — from coffee cups to oyster trays — made from renewable sugarcane pulp, which is a by-product of the sugar refining industry.
“Consumers are becoming more aware of the environmental impacts that their choices are having, but at the same time there’s a lot of legislation coming into play that’s pushing the needle and, I guess, driving the adoption of more sustainable materials, bio-based specifically,”.
The stuff people make from what would otherwise be considered waste never ceases to amaze me. Humans can be so resourceful when they aren’t solely thinking about money.