In Australia, Jordy and Julia Kay, Co-founders of Great Wrap, are disruptors in an industry that has not seen change since the 1940s. Great Wrap, a materials science company that manufactures the only certified home compostable stretch wrap from potato waste, is expanding to the U.S. in August, to end the American reliance on petroleum-based plastics.
Great Wrap is launching in the U.S. with a compostable cling wrap and a refillable dispenser for American households to help minimize plastic and promote composting at home. Jordy and Julia, a husband and wife duo and a former architect and winemaker, have assembled a team of scientists, biotechnologists and engineers that have developed technology to manufacture the stretch wrap.
The wrap is formulated by diverting potato waste from landfills and converting it into the main raw ingredient. The stretch wrap breaks down in under 180 days into carbon and water, leaving behind zero toxins, unlike biodegradable products that are petroleum-based and decompose into harmful microplastics.
Great Wrap acquired A$24 million in Series A funding for its expansion from key impact and sustainability investors, including Groundswell Ventures, Springbank Collective, Barrel Ventures, ALIVE VC and the investor group Trail Mix Ventures (TMV). This has allowed Great Wrap to set up a biorefinery at its Melbourne factory with the capacity to manufacture 30,000 tons of compostable stretch wrap by the end of 2023, making them Australia’s largest stretch wrap manufacturer. TMV praised the brand for its innovative, mission-driven approach.