A life-changing surgery inspired a West Oxfordshire entrepreneur to launch a business aimed at transforming the way people move house.
Richard Howe has launched Crate Crew, a reusable moving crate rental service designed to reduce waste and make the moving process easier.
The business offers reusable, stackable plastic moving crates for hire, aiming to replace single-use cardboard boxes.
The 27-year-old said: "I was browsing social media one day and I came across an American man who was just starting this same reusable moving crate business model over there.
"Having moved into my first house last year I realised what an ingenious idea it was and wondered if moving crate rental was done over here in the UK."
After researching the market, he discovered that while similar services exist, they are rare and often complicated by high delivery fees and slow quoting processes.
He saw an opportunity to bring a simpler, more accessible version to Oxfordshire and nearby areas.
His background is rooted in entrepreneurship, having run businesses since school, including a mobile car detailing service and a successful online resale shop.
A spinal fusion at age 17 led to chronic pain and forced him to pivot away from manual labour, eventually leading him to work in retail and later discover online selling.
He said: "I went to a special agricultural college to learn all the skills required for that landscaping business, but sadly my dream got cut short.
"I had to undergo a full spinal fusion at 17 for scoliosis, which left me with chronic pain.
"This made the manual labour side of that business no longer possible for me, so I ended up working in retail for a good few years."
He later transitioned to full-time self-employment in online sales earlier this year.
With extra time on his hands, he began looking for a second venture that aligned with his interest in the circular economy and didn’t require sourcing inventory.
That’s when Crate Crew was born.
He said: "The first advantage is, of course, the environmental benefits.
"According to a research study published by eBay, the UK uses approximately 8 million cardboard boxes each month for home moves.
"With approximately 1.9-2.1 million people moving home each year, using this information and the figures from the Oxfordshire Data Hub, I estimate that Oxfordshire alone uses approximately 80,000+ moving boxes a month."
Crate Crew’s boxes are made partly from recycled polypropylene and are designed to be reused hundreds of times before being recycled again.
They are durable, water-resistant, and can hold up to 25kg, making them more secure and convenient than cardboard alternatives.
Each crate includes an integrated label holder and tamper-evident seals, and some packages come with moving dollies to help transport the boxes easily.
He plans to expand the business over the next year by increasing his stock of crates, launching new advertising campaigns, and potentially introducing wardrobe boxes for easier clothing transport.
Share