In a recent LinkedIn post, Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld discusses Shellworks’ effort to bring a food-waste-based biopolymer into mainstream packaging. Her post describes the company’s shift from lobster-shell prototypes to a material designed to run on existing factory equipment, presenting industrial compatibility as a key test for sustainable alternatives.
“Over 8 million products shipped. Zero grams of petroleum plastic left behind.”
From lobster shells to microbial fermentation
According to Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld’s account, Shellworks co-founders Insiya Jafferjee and Amir Afshar began by experimenting with discarded lobster shells after Jafferjee left consumer technology manufacturing. The early chitin prototypes demonstrated the underlying chemistry, she writes, but could not scale. The team then pivoted to microbial fermentation using second-generation waste feedstocks, including used cooking oil, to develop the PHA biopolymer VIVOMER.
That pivot is central to the story Boeckenfeld tells: the original material concept changed, while the broader aim of converting waste into a packaging alternative continued. She reports that the company says its material has been used in more than eight million products and has diverted 240 tonnes of petroleum plastic from supply chains.
Addressing the factory-floor barrier
Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld argues that sustainable packaging can struggle to gain adoption when it requires manufacturers to replace costly machinery. In her post, she emphasizes that VIVOMER is designed for standard injection moulding, blow moulding and extrusion lines. That compatibility could reduce one operational hurdle for manufacturers evaluating a switch, though the post does not provide comparative cost or performance data.
“Most sustainable packaging fails at the factory floor because manufacturers refuse to write off multimillion-dollar machinery.”
As Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld notes, the material is presented as rigid, suitable for protecting shelf life and capable of degrading in soil or home compost without industrial heat. She also cites claims of three or more years of shelf stability and the absence of microplastics, PFAS and BPA. Those product attributes are part of the case made in the post; the post itself does not detail testing methods or conditions.
Commercial adoption as a measure of progress
Beyond the pilot stage
Boeckenfeld points to brands including Unilever’s Wild and Sonsie, and retail availability at Tesco, Boots and Whole Foods, as signs that VIVOMER has moved into commercial use. She also reports that Shellworks closed a $15 million Series A to expand manufacturing across the UK, EU and US. These milestones frame the company’s challenge as one of production scale and market reach, not simply laboratory performance.
“Real environmental transformation happens only when circular alternatives match industrial speed, mechanical tolerance, and commercial unit economics.”
Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld’s post ultimately makes a broader argument about materials innovation: environmental promise has to meet manufacturing constraints and commercial requirements to reach everyday products. Her closing question asks consumers to consider whether they have noticed packaging that eliminates plastic without sacrificing quality. The answer, her account suggests, may depend on whether new materials can work within the systems already used to make and sell goods.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Dr. Martha Boeckenfeld on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on November 4, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →