Jordy & Julia Kay from Great Wrap
Jordy & Julia Kay are co-founders of Great Wrap, a compostable cling wrap made from food waste. Sustainability and a long-term vision of a world without plastic is a driver behind everything the pair do.
Photography: Courtesy of Great Wrap
‘We have a lot of very similar values, so we often get excited about working on projects together,’ says Julia Kay. Photo: Courtesy of Great Wrap
Great Mate, designed to dispense, slice and dice our home compostable cling wrap from Great Wrap. Photo: Courtesy of Great Wrap
‘The design element definitely comes from my architecture background and it’s so nice we’ve been able to weave sustainability and design into our latest innovation, Great Mate,’ says Julia Kay. Photo: Courtesy of Great Wrap
H&F: Hi Julia, tell us about how the Great Wrap journey first came about?
Julia: I was working in architecture and I’d spent my career obsessing over the materials I was using every day. I saw huge amounts of waste in the industry and wanted to do something about it. Jordy, my husband and co-founder of Great Wrap, was making natural wine and farming organically and felt similar frustrations when shipping his wines around the world.
One day we were sitting on a beach and asked ourselves if we weren’t operating in our respective industries would they be any different without us? The answer felt like a no, which was when we really decided to do something more meaningful for the planet and for ourselves. We both love spending time in the ocean so the plastic waste problem felt like a natural fit to tackle. That’s when Great Wrap was born.
What does a ‘normal’ day at work look like for you both?
Every day looks different. It usually starts with a morning swim and coffee, then we'll head into the the factory, that's usually followed by chats with our investors and we'll spend the afternoon in the lab. There is always something happening at Great Wrap.
How do your skills complement each other at work?
We always knew we wanted to work together and before Great Wrap, we tried a few different business ideas together that never really took off. We tried a wine label, opened a cellar door and organic grocer as well as a few dining events. We have a lot of very similar values so we often get excited about working on projects together.
Why are sustainable products and design so important to you?
Both Jordy and I grew up by the beach and have a strong connection to the Australian landscape. We want to see future generations enjoy Australia the same way we did, so we’re doing all we can to make that happen. We founded Great Wrap because we saw devastating amounts of plastic heading to landfill in our respective industries and wanted to change that. Our goal is to leave the world a better place than when we started for future generations. The design element definitely comes from my architecture background and it’s so nice we’ve been able to weave sustainability and design into our latest innovation, Great Mate.
‘We want to see future generations enjoy Australia the same way we did, so we’re doing all we can to make that happen,’ says Julia Kay. Photo: Courtesy of Great Wrap
Great Mate, designed to dispense, slice and dice our home compostable cling wrap from Great Wrap. Photo: Courtesy of Great Wrap
Great Mate colour options – the perfect addition to any kitchen! Photo: Courtesy of Great Wrap
Great Wrap is made from compostable packaging, which breaks down into carbon and water, leaving no toxins behind. Photo: Courtesy of Great Wrap
“We founded Great Wrap because we saw devastating amounts of plastic heading to landfill in our respective industries and wanted to change that. Our goal is to leave the world a better place than when we started for future generations.”
‘We both worked in industries where we would spend hours labouring over hand-crafted, environmentally conscious materials, only to see them arrive and depart in layers of single-use plastic. It became obvious this was an issue we could no longer ignore.’ Photo: Courtesy of Great Wrap
How have your former careers shaped what you do today at Great Wrap?
Similar to how I approached architecture and how Jordy approached winemaking, we couldn't simply find someone to manufacture cling wrap for us, design a nice website and sit back and relax. We knew we had to build Great Wrap ourselves in Australia. Jordy and I wanted to take on the entire plastic industry, work with a University and use bacteria to ferment starch into a life-changing product and we’ve managed to do all three over a short period of time, which we’re so excited about.
What drives and motivates you?
The future and our team are always motivating us. Also, our product is a solution for a problem that had previously not been solved and we are seeing a significant amount of conviction from the market, by making the move away from conventional petroleum-based stretch wrap. This is one of our goals and it's great to see it taking shape.
One thing you wished you’d known when you started the business that you know now?
Every day you will be faced with new challenges that you could never prepare for like difficulties with our machines and supplier delays. When you run a business you make a lot of big plans, have a clear vision and set blue sky goals but it is inevitable that the biggest problems will always be the ones you haven’t got a contingency plan for. This keeps us level-headed and at peace with whatever work throws at us because we understand that it’s impossible to prepare for everything!
What’s been your proudest work moment to date?
At the moment every day feels like something to be proud of! We have recently set up a second Great Wrap manufacturing facility where we make our home compostable wrap in Tullamarine, and we’re surrounded by a great team. We’re very motivated by this so that’s what we’re currently most proud of.
Where do you think the future of sustainable design and products will take us?
We’re now seeing a shift in consumer and business choices, it seems to be catching on with more Australian businesses opting to manufacture locally to tackle environmental issues. The shift towards a circular economy is something we are very passionate about. It's important to stop manufacturing new plastics, but it's even more important to clean up the mess we’ve all contributed to.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you would give someone starting their own business?
The best piece of advice we've received and the best we can share, is that when you publicly say you have a business people often come forward with a lot of advice for you. Sometimes it feels like advice whiplash! We're always very grateful, however it's important to remember to know your business better than anyone else. No matter how much experience someone has, their suggestion must fit with you and your values for you to take it on board.
What’s in store for Great Wrap this year?
This year will look like rapid growth, new product development, international expansion, biotech advancements, growing teams and thoughtful leadership opportunities.