Company Founded By Millennials Is Popping the Plastic Bubble

By Alexandra Patel

TemperPack, a company founded by three Millennials in Richmond, Virginia is changing the packaging business by setting for their business not only financial goals but also CO2 reduction goals achieved through the use by their customers of their revolutionary packaging. 

• Last year the company succeeded in avoiding the creation of 25 million pounds of CO2 emissions.

Their sustainably designed insulation (ClimaCell™) and packaging techniques (PopBox™), which can eliminate styrofoam insulation and "popcorn," bubble wrap, and plastic "pillows," are fully curbside recyclable and thus vastly reduce the environmental impact of shipping and the waste associated with disposing of traditional packaging.

Why This Matters: As cities struggle to recycle and avoid putting waste in landfills, products like these will be in increasing demand.  TemperPack demonstrates how young people are willing to start businesses that will disrupt current wasteful and fossil fuel dependent systems because they are especially motivated to confront climate change. The company's rapid success is a harbinger of changing times, but also a reminder that it is still only the beginning of the revolution needed to beat our plastic addiction.

• While making momentous gains in reducing waste and CO2 emissions through sustainable packaging, we still have not figured out a way to scale biofuels for airplanes and electrify the delivery truck fleet so that we can eliminate transportation emissions associated with home delivery upon which shipping is dependent.