This is us: Part 1 – Peter Barry

Peter Barry joined Gaia’s board of directors earlier this year following his investment in the company. But what brings an Irishman from the tea industry to a Swedish company working to phase out the world’s use of plastics?

Peter Barry was born into tea. His family founded and runs Ireland’s leading tea brand – Barry’s Tea – and Peter was involved in various small jobs at the company from a young age.

After finishing school, Peter left Ireland for the UK in 1989 to start working for Typhoo Tea, where he stayed for 16 years before becoming a director at the contract tea-packaging company Infusion GB.

“We package about 1 billion tea bags annually, and that’s just one company in one industry,” says Peter Barry.

“The packaging industry has an enormous impact on the environment, and it’s our duty to make ourselves part of the solution since we are part of the problem.”

It was through another company that Peter first came into contact with Gaia Biomaterials, and the concept immediately fascinated him.

“The fact that there is a material that can replace plastic, is compostable, has a very low CO2 footprint, and is made from one of the most common minerals on the planet is incredible. It seemed almost too good to be true, and I was a little hesitant at first.”

After doing his research, he realized that Gaia’s material, Biodolomer, is very much “the real deal.” During the latest investment round, Peter became an investor in the company and joined its board of directors.

“Biodolomer is being used in everything from grocery bags to beer cups and pots for plants. The potential is huge. We’ve already tried using Biodolomer in envelopes for tea bags at Infusion GB, and the results are very promising. The engineers say it’s the best material they’ve come across in 40 years – and it uses 50% less energy.”

Peter now works to keep brands and packaging companies in other sectors interested and informed on how compostability can solve many problems.

“I come from within the industry, so I bring a certain credibility to the table. There’s a lot of conservatism and a mindset of ‘we can’t do that.’

“It’s like in Ireland when smoking was banned in bars and restaurants – we were the first in Europe to do that. Before it came into force, there was a lot of disgruntlement, but once implemented, it wasn’t a big deal. Now, it just seems strange that people used to smoke in pubs…

It’s the same for plastic packaging. Once people understand that there’s a realistic alternative, they’ll realize it was much ado about nothing.”