The small businesses turning trash into treasure

Not all is lost when it comes to the planet’s rubbish problem. Thanks to a growing band of innovative founders, industrial scraps are being given a second life. These quiet crusaders of the circular economy—or “closed loop” supply chain—are turning trash into treasure. 

From spinning fashion dead stock into new yarn to crafting designer lamps from reclaimed plastic, they’re proving that waste can spark creativity. And there’s no shortage of waste to tackle. Globally, only nine per cent of plastic is recycled. At the same time, 83 million tonnes of textile waste is generated worldwide each year. But these entrepreneurs are rethinking what others throw away—and shooting for the stars with their clever solutions.

Great Wrap turns forestry waste into cling-wrap

Julia and Jordy Kay couldn’t find a truly compostable alternative to plastic wrap so they invented one. Great Wrap turns forestry waste into wrap for pallets, catering and kitchen use, while its cling-wrap dispenser is made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Co-founder, Julia Kay:  "I worked in architecture and was buying a lot of very green building materials but they’d arrive on a pallet wrapped in plastic. My husband, Jordy, was making organic wine and then sending it out covered in plastic. The largest freight and logistics companies in the world are using kilometres and kilometres of this product every day. We realised it’s a huge problem and once you see it, you can’t ignore it. 

"Initially, we did some research online, found a product that was contract-manufactured and bought a small sample size. We posted it to our social-media accounts and set up a rough website. We sold out in 24 hours. We’ve since done about five investment rounds and received government grants and finance for our machinery. 

"Plastic cling wrap is so cheap and functional that it’s hard to replicate. Making an alternative that performs exactly like plastic for the same price turned out to be much harder than we thought. We have an amazing team of scientists around us and have developed a high-performing product but we went through a lot of iterations first. Great Wrap turns compostable biopolymers, agroforestry waste and plant-based oils into wrap for pallets, catering and kitchen use. 

"Jordy and I have gone from working out of our lounge room to a 12,000-square-metre facility in Melbourne with a team of 15 full-time staff. We’re about to launch a new catering wrap for hotel groups, restaurants and other hospitality. Oh, and we’re expanding into the US market, which is exciting."

Julia's tips

1. Connect with start-ups: Being in a network of other founders was really important; I encourage anyone to find that community early on.
2. Be public: Put yourself forward before you feel like you’re ready. Customers will get behind what you’re building if you’re doing it for the right reasons.
3. Work together: Early on, Jordy and I were clear about our roles and carved out our own space. We respect each other’s areas of expertise. 

Heliograf gives ocean-bound plastic new life

Heliograf founders Angus Ware and Jeffrey Simpson created a purposeful and playful lamp made from reclaimed ocean- bound plastic. Cleverly designed to look like a single-use soy sauce “fish”, it’s emblematic of an environmental problem caused by pieces of plastic too small to recycle. 

Co-founder, Angus Ware: "We’re a design brand focused on encouraging change, positivity, and joy—we believe we can still have nice things, create joy and give people hope. That’s why Heliograf takes plastic from regions without formal waste management—predominantly shorelines and riverways in Southeast Asia—and recycles it into our Light Soy lamps. 

"I’d been bothered by the little soy-sauce fish you get in takeaway places for a long time; it’s ironic that they’re literally shaped like fish and can get washed into the ocean, causing harm to marine life. There’s a lot of messaging out there saying, ‘If you want to be sustainable, stop doing this. Don’t do that.’ This was a way to raise awareness in a different way. 

"We spent years prototyping and finding the right people to make a quality product. It was very challenging. We launched the day that Australia went into the first COVID-19 lockdown. Heliograf had a mention in The Australian Financial Review Magazine and I went to the newsagent to buy the paper. The front page was all, ‘The world is ending!’ I thought, ‘Oh god, what have we done?’ But it was a great opportunity because people were looking for positivity and to brighten up their work-from- home ‘cells’. 

"We’re now looking to expand the product line and even design some solutions for soy-sauce packaging itself. Hoping to address the problem right at the ‘sauce’ of it so to speak!"

Angus' tips

1. Do research: Don’t build something and assume people will buy it. Get feedback first. 
2. Consider the circle of life: Think about the journey of the parts and packaging of your product, from the start through to its post-purchase life.
3. Forget flawless: We want things to be perfect before sharing them but the earlier you can get feedback, the earlier you can refine your product.

Dempstah creates new fibres from old materials

Frustrated by the volume of waste created by fast fashion, Melbourne-based designer Guy Dempster founded Dempstah in 2019 to transform unwanted clothes and offcuts into high-quality spun yarn. 

Founder, Guy Dempster: "While working in China, I realised how incentivised textile manufacturers are to make as much product as they can. It was unnerving. But after moving back to Australia, one company I worked for in Hong Kong built a textile recycling mill. It derives new fibre from old materials that can be spun into yarn, without the use of chemicals or water. 

"With the help of my partner, Otis, who works in logistics, I began sending Australian textile waste to the mill: post-production scrap fabric and offcuts. I wanted to understand how the quality, type and colours of textiles would impact the yarn yielded. Natural fibres, such as cotton, wool, silk and linen, work best. 

"The first round I sent was self-funded; I didn’t even know what we were going to do with it. It was an experiment. Eventually, we got a grant from the City of Sydney to do a bigger run with the Salvation Army, working alongside staff at their Tempe facility to recover unwanted clothing and ship it to the Hong Kong mill. Recently, Dempstah won a Circular Fashion Fund grant, which will help us build our own micro-mill on a little plot of land my family owns in Tasmania. It’s a privilege to be able to tread water while I do this and not break the bank, go for investment or take on debt early. This speaks to my temperament—I’m very trepidatious! There’s still so much legwork to do."

Guy’s tips

1. Incubate: Take your time to test and trial ideas before you jump into your business plan or scale up. 
2. Go for grants: Don’t assume that your business is too small; ignore that niggling feeling and just go for it. 
3. Be transparent: Tell your story to your customers and backers with clarity and honesty. Talk straight about what you want to do.

Helpful tips for purpose-driven start-ups

Starting a business with purpose means creating something that not only thrives but also makes a difference. 

1. Get specific about a problem: The best businesses solve real issues. What’s being thrown away too soon? Where are people struggling to reuse or repair? The more focused your idea, the easier it will be to innovate.  
2. Find the right people: Look for partners who share your vision—whether that’s suppliers using reclaimed materials or brands looking to reduce waste. Smart collaborations can help you grow faster and make an impact.
3. Rethink the way you sell: Innovation isn’t just about products—it’s also about the business model. Could customers rent instead of buying? Could you offer trade-ins or refills? Moving beyond the old “buy and toss” approach is not only good for the world but it also builds long-term customer relationships.

Related articles

• How Cupitt’s Estate grew into a much-loved community destination
• Small businesses supported by CommBank Matildas players
• How to give your business a health check