Norwich's iBoxit is taking on the plastic packaging sector

Disposable packaging could soon be a thing of the past, thanks John Farley, the former-construction professional and now founder of Norwich-based iBoxit.

The company, which specialises in designing carbon-negative pallets and shipping boxes, is ramping up to begin an industrial trial of its products, in which it will create around 5,000 prototypes to ship worldwide.

John Farley (centre) founder of Norwich-based iBoxit (Image: iBoxit)

Having previously owned a salmon smokehouse in Northern Scotland, Mr Farley said he’s got a personal interest in improving shipping methods for fresh food.

He said: “The wastage involved with transporting food, especially fresh seafood, is immense.

“If you’re shipping from the UK to say, Dubai, you’re likely to see around 60pc of that product thrown away because it's consumable.”

Last year the firm was awarded a grant worth £850,000 from Innovate UK to broaden its product line to include a special spray for use on seafood, which improves shelf-life with no impact on the taste or nutritional benefits.

Mr Farley said the success has been down in no small part to the support of Norwich Research Park, based at the University of East Anglia (UEA), where the business is headquartered.

He said: “We started running the company from a hot desk in 2017, and from there moved into a lab office, and we’ve just moved into a new, very large space to match our growth.

“The team at Norwich Research Park has facilitated everything, from helping us to make connections at the university to providing an extraordinary amount of support and opportunities.”

In recognition of the work Mr Farley has carried out as a tenant at the research park, the UEA has nominated the firm for the Earth Shot prize -  a global environmental award that is given to five winners each year for their contributions towards environmentalism.