Thinking outside the box has opened up global opportunities for UK packaging pioneer Shellworks and its ingenious natural material Vivomer that’s a compostable replacement for plastic. Based on polymer substances grown in bacterial cells and involving a fermentation process, Vivomer is durable enough to withstand heat and humidity. Crucially it also has a long shelf life and is biodegradable in any environment. With those key capabilities in place they form the bedrock of a sustainable production cycle. The brainchild of Imperial College graduates Insiya Jafferjee, Shellworks chief executive, and director Amir Afshar, the business launched six years ago. After a £1 million turnover last year, it is aiming to hit £10 million come 2026. Among the brands it collaborates with are People Care.Planet Care and Wild which sells in Boots and Tesco.
“This is nature’s answer to plastic. Our approach to the plastic waste problem combines material science, biology, design and manufacturing. We offer both rigid and flexible materials so deliver a complete packaging solution,” explains Jafferjee. “Clients come to us actively seeking change and our ability to meet retail standards has been a key factor in our growth. We have shipped over a million units with Wild. “Initially we catered to more luxury brands but now we’ve scaled and reduced costs we’re able to serve a broader, mass-market audience. So far we have replaced 40 tonnes of plastic with 1.2 million packaging solutions that would otherwise have relied on petroleum plastics.”
The raw ingredient is produced internationally then Shellworks and its team of 20 manufacture the material in the UK with actual products made globally. A major tech pivot led to the business using animal-free polymers, but perhaps the hardest task has been confronting the packaging industries scepticism. “There were concerns of all kinds about our technology mimicking plastic’s functionality – could it scale, would it sell, even if it might contaminate recycling centres,” says Afshar.
Verification tests to underline Vivomer’s credentials have taken some £100,000. After strong seed venture capital backing, the company is now in the throes of its first institutional Series A funding raise which will be used to scale up manufacturing internationally and expand output to a billion units.
With the potential too to supply packaging to the food and supplements markets, recognition of the inspirational creativity it has taken so far has now earned Jafferjee a place on Champagne superstar Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Woman Award’s shortlist with the winner announced in May.
The awards, spanning 53 years, are the longest-running international recognition of female entrepreneurship celebrating exceptional UK women in business. In 1805 Madame Clicquot, a courageous widow, took over the business her husband left her and introduced innovative industry techniques still used today. One of her famous quotes, “The world is in perpetual motion, and we must invent the things of tomorrow”, is a perfect fit for what Jafferjee is achieving right now. www.shellworks.com, www.veuveclicquot.com