Social Moments, a Melbourne cookie business founded by neurodiverse entrepreneur Mattie Michael, is winning customers with its hand-baked treats – but facing a stumbling block with its packaging.
To maintain the cookies' structural integrity and freshness, they are packaged in clear plastic boxes for smaller formats, as well as larger cardboard boxes which incorporate a plastic window. Neither plastic solution is currently recyclable, and there is some degree of pushback from consumers, who say they love the product but want it packaged more sustainably.
With two product lines (regular and gluten-free) and formats ranging from bite-sized pieces to cookie bars, the company is searching for a sustainable, affordable solution that can flex with its growing range.
For Mattie, cookies are more than a sweet treat – they’re a vehicle for joy, connection, and opportunity. As founder of Social Moments, he has turned his passion for baking into a thriving business supplying cookies to cafés, hospitals, and universities across Victoria.
The name Social Moments reflects the simple pleasure of sharing cookies with friends over coffee, but also the broader connections that spring from the business: sourcing ingredients, baking side by side, delivering orders, and chatting with customers. Each step creates what Mattie calls “moments that matter.”
Empowering an entrepreneur
Mattie lives with autism and complex needs, and his journey into entrepreneurship was enabled through the support of EdAble, a social enterprise that helps neurodiverse individuals build meaningful careers and businesses. With their backing, he has mastered every aspect of his venture – from baking and packaging to invoicing and delivery – and today proudly serves a loyal customer base.
Social Moments has grown beyond the kitchen bench, with Mattie showcasing his cookies at major events like the Employment Expo at Jeff’s Shed and AGL’s Diversity and Inclusion Marketplace. True to his generous spirit, he also ensures every bake includes extra cookies donated to people experiencing homelessness, whom he fondly calls the “hungry people.”
Balancing values and packaging
But while the cookies are winning hearts, their packaging poses a problem. The plastic window undermines recyclability, the cost of stick-on labels eat into margins, and the need for multiple formats complicates production. For a business built on values of connection and care, this disconnect between brand ethos and packaging performance is a frustration Mattie is eager to resolve.
As Social Moments looks to the future, finding an affordable, sustainable and adaptable packaging solution will be key to enabling its next stage of growth. For packaging professionals, this is a challenge that touches on many familiar issues: how to balance product protection, visibility, branding, and cost while keeping sustainability front of mind.
Companies with ideas or solutions can reach out directly to Mattie at info.edable@gmail.com
