Give a fisher a problem, and they’ll find a solution.
Tom Long and his wife Kath own TomKat Line Fish in Kurrimine Beach, and they're passionate about sustainable fishing and marine conservation. They wanted to transport their seafood to suppliers using environmentally-friendly packaging, not expanded polystyrene (EPS). After searching all over the world for an alternative to EPS, Tom realised, there wasn’t one.
Polystyrene is not sustainable. It's difficult to biodegrade and insoluble in water. It's also reported to have an estimated landfill lifespan of 500 years. Using this type of packaging didn’t align with Tom and Kath’s values and ethos.
As a self-proclaimed problem solver and innovator, Tom decided to develop an alternative to EPS. In 2018, he succeeded when he invented, produced, and patented ‘TomKat KoolPak’ and the machinery to manufacture inhouse.
Tom's cold-chain packaging ‘KoolPak’ is reusable and recyclable. It also has built in traceability and temperature sensing. This allows suppliers to monitor freshness and location during transit. If the packaging ends up in the ocean, TomKat can track the owner using the traceability function.
This outstanding innovation and effort from one fisher and his wife, has the potential to help Australia reach its 2025 National Packaging Targets.
Discharging garbage into the sea is prohibited. Regulations apply to all vessels, including all domestic commercial vessels (DCVs). Make sure you comply and help keep our seas clean.