With apologies to Darrell Jobe, the founder of a range of uber cool sustainable packaging products in the USA, I've been waiting a long time for a con to face down a con. Darrell Jobe is a real ex con who developed a range of packaging materials that are a compostable, recyclable alternative to Styrofoam (EPS / PS-E) and he, and a bunch of other ex inmates, have not only developed am alternative to one of the worst plastics on earth, but they simply can't keep pace with demand.
It's a long time since Jobe was on the inside, but like everyone, your past defines your future - how that plays out depends on the choices you make. Jobe, who is the nicest guy you'd ever meet, is actually at pains to point out that while it is true that he grew up on the 'wrong side of town', joined a gang in 8th grade and went on to live a life of shoot outs, stealing cars and guns, among other other crimes, he managed to avoid long term prison. He did find himself in the juvenile system and county jails. When he eventually got out of the cycle and decided to make a better life for himself, he struggled to get a job, before he finally found his way into the packaging industry. And it's a good thing he did.In 2015 he started Vericool, a sustainable alternative to the increasingly outlawed 'broccoli box' and it's PS-E brothers & sisters. He knew there was a high demand for an alternative and Jobe quickly raised capital and partnered with Europe’s packaging giant BillerudKorsnas. Vericool now has back orders beyond $USD40 million and literally can't keep pace with demand. (Which probably means we won't see the products in Australia any time soon.)
ACCORDING TO HIS STORY IN FORBES: IT’S NOT EASY TO MAKE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY INSULATED COOLER AT A VIABLE PRICE POINT, AND JOBE TRIED A VARIETY OF MATERIALS, INCLUDING STARCH, COCONUT HUSKS, BAMBOO AND HAY, BEFORE SETTLING ON POST CONSUMER PLANT FIBRE THAT IS RECYCLABLE OR COMPOSTABLE. A SELF-TAUGHT ENGINEER, HE FILED 30 PATENT APPLICATIONS ON HIS CREATIONS, FIVE OF WHICH HAVE BEEN AWARDED. A 12-INCH SQUARE CUBE OF HIS MATERIAL COSTS LESS THAN $5, MAKING IT ROUGHLY COMPARABLE TO THE COST OF AN EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE FOAM VERSION OF THE SAME SIZE.(Every time someone manufactures a product like this - and scales it, in response to massive demand, it's another chalk mark on the wall for the stories peddled by big oil.)As if it isn't enough to have invented a competitive packaging range made of recycled consumer waste, that is compostable and recyclable, as an ex con himself, Jobe is committed to helping other ex cons get real work - and for real reasons. The Vericool website says, "PART OF THE CORPORATE DNA OF VERICOOL IS TO FIGHT RECIDIVISM THAT WILL RESULT IN SAFER NEIGHBORHOODS, REDUCED PRISON POPULATIONS, REDUCED POLICE WORK-LOADS, LOWER PRISON BUDGETS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, BUILDING STRONGER AND MORE LOVING FAMILIES." And that is exactly what he's doing. Around 1/3 of the Vericool workforce are ex cons. And that is very cool. He's not yet in Australia, but says he's keen to come. He's on linkedin if you are looking for a cool products packaging partner.