#sustainability

94: The Glad Products Company – ​​Doing More to Waste Less

In this episode we talk with Eric Schwarz, General Manager of The Glad Products Company. He talks about Glad’s commitment to reducing our environmental footprint, and helping consumers with their own green goals. Their sustainability journey focuses on 4 key areas: Products, Production, Packaging and Programs.
Products with less plastic – Glad has developed breakthrough technology that enables their most popular product, the drawstring kitchen trash bags to use less plastic than leading competition without sacrificing strength. They have to reduce 50% of virgin materials in Glad Trash by 2030 and have reduced it by 13% as of CY2020. Production with less pollution – they are improving manufacturing processes to reduce environmental impact. They have achieved the goal of Zero Waste to Landfill manufacturing for North American plants and utilize 100% renewable electricity in our North American plants. Packaging with less waste – reduce its environmental impact with the goal of 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable. They have achieved in making their packing 99% recyclable and have a 48% reduction in virgin packaging as of CY2020. Programs with more purpose – Glad teamed up with Recyclops to improve curbside recycling access across the U.S. Learn more in this episode.

https://www.glad.com/sustainability/
https://www.mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/

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Packaging
94: The Glad Products Company - ​​Doing More to Waste Less
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90: Better Meat Co. – Plant Proteins For A Better Planet

Paul Shapiro, author, entrepreneur at the age of 13 told his parents that he wanted to become a vegetarian. Until that point every meal that Paul ate had meat. From that moment on, he has been on a journey to help reduce the consumption of meat on the planet. First by lobbying for better farm and agricultural practices to writing a book and talking about it. He soon realized that people have to be offered a better, whole and cheaper alternative to stop eating meat. Convincing people to give up meat on the basis of animal cruelty and its impact on our planet isn’t sufficient. Better Meat Co grows plant based meat by fermenting Rhizas – mycoprotein, protein made from fungi. Rhiza is objectively superior to textured plant protein isolates commonly used to make plant-based meat today. When it comes to nutrition, meat-like texture, and efficiency, Rhiza is just better because of its exponentially quicker harvest cycle, while using fewer resources such as land and water. It’s also a whole food with a complete amino acid profile, not a protein isolate or fractionate. They take common ingredients like potatoes and subject them to an age-old fermentation technique. Within hours, the result is an all-natural, high-protein, whole food with the natural texture of animal meat. If you are a meat lover committed to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, this episode is for you.
https://www.bettermeat.co/
https://www.mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/

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Food
90: Better Meat Co. - Plant Proteins For A Better Planet
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82: Carbon8 Systems – Making Carbon Productive

Each year, industries such as Waste-to-Energy, Cement and Biomass for power generation, send millions of tonnes of thermal residues to landfill. At the same time, these thermal processes produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide that are released into the atmosphere. We talk with Maarten Van Roon, Chief Commercial Officer of Carbon8 Systems. Carbon8 Systems is the result of hard work and persistence of researchers – Dr Paula Carey and Prof. Colin Hills. Carbon8 Systems is the inventor and owner of a chemical process that treats industrial residues, including hazardous waste, using CO2 captured directly from flue gas to transform them into valuable low-carbon products. Through its innovation in engineering, has developed an on-site containerized solution that operates at industrial sites. Each CO₂ntainer can treat up to 12,000 tonnes of input residue material annually. The innovation views CO₂ and landfill destined residues as resource – ingredients, to engineer valuable, low-carbon products. Listen to learn more.

https://c8s.co.uk/
https://www.mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/
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Carbon Capture
82: Carbon8 Systems - Making Carbon Productive
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78: Thaely – Don’t Just Do It – Do It Right

We talk with Ashay Bhave, founder of Thaely, who as a middle-schooler dreamt of becoming a sneaker designer. His journey begins at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, where disenchanted within the first year, he returned back to Dubai to pursue a degree in business at Amity University. As a designer Ashay wanted to solve problems – the problem of plastic grocery bag waste – we consume 3 trillion of them annually. After some near fires in his kitchen, he developed a product Thaely Tex. Thaely is made with 100% recycled raw materials. Each sneaker uses ThaelyTex that’s made using 10 upcycled waste plastic bags. ThaelyTex is made in collaboration with TrioTap Technologies in Gurugram, India. The waste plastic bags are collected from housing complexes, offices, and stores from in and around Gurugram, India. The lining is made with rPET (Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate is a fabric made from recycling waste PET Plastic Bottles) using 12 Recycled waste plastic bottles. With their partnership with The Shoe Laundry, the sneakers are either refurbished or recycled. Each pair is also packaged in a reusable rPET. Every component of the shoe and its process is looked into great detail to achieve Thaely’s sustainability goals. Come along and learn more in this episode.

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Design and Innovation
78: Thaely - Don’t Just Do It - Do It Right
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76: HexcelPack – Sustainable Packing Solutions That Work

HexcelPack™ was founded in 2014 using an updated version of a 30-year-old technology developed by David Goodrich, with the idea of using paper to replace the traditional, one-use plastic products that are prevalent throughout the world in the packaging industry. HexcelPack’s™ proprietary slit paper technology was developed in the early 90’s when it was discovered that the hexagon is one of the strongest shapes to engineer, and it was possible to successfully manufacture slit paper using the hexagon shape. Back then, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was still unknown, and most people had little awareness of the wide-ranging negative impact of plastic waste on ocean ecosystems. Today, a concern for preserving ocean ecology is the company’s driving influence – making recyclable, sustainable paper packaging products in lieu of plastic. HexcelPack™ uses specialty kraft papers that make HexcelWrap™ completely unique. We talk to Lorne Herszkowicz, Partner of Hexcel Pak about how nature inspired this sustainable innovation. Learn more in this episode.

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Design and Innovation
76: HexcelPack - Sustainable Packing Solutions That Work
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74: MPOWERD – The Power of Sun in Your Hands

We speak with John Salzinger founder and Seungah Jeong CEO of MPOWERD, about their company mission and passion to give back. In 2012 MPOWERD created Luci, the first inflatable solar light with the goal of making an affordable clean energy product that people could use in any situation. They create sustainable, affordable, and thoughtfully designed products that suit the needs of the many. The belief that everyone deserves access to clean, reliable and affordable energy, no matter how or where they live has driven them to create their sustainable products. For over 3 billion people, everyday tasks are made more difficult (and dangerous) than they should be. Access to clean energy can improve health, create education equality, economic empowerment, all the while combating climate change.

As a B Corp, they use the power of business to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. As a social enterprise, they reinvest a majority of their gross revenue to achieve sustainability, increase their reach to enable them to fulfill their mission. Aside from the Give Luci Program – which donates lights to their partners – their sustainable business model means that the more they sell here at home, the more affordable they can sell to emerging markets and nonprofits. As a member of the American Sustainable Business Council along with other members like Patagonia, Ben and Jerry’s, Greyston Bakery, Avocado Green Mattress, advocate for policy change and inform business owners, policymakers, and the public about the need and opportunities for building a vibrant, broadly prosperous, sustainable economy. Listen to their journey in this episode.

https://mpowerd.com/
https://www.mindfulbusinessespodcast.com/podcast-links

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Design and Innovation
74: MPOWERD - The Power of Sun in Your Hands
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65: The Farmlink Project – Harvesting Hope

The Farmlink Project was started at the height of the pandemic in April 2020 to fight food insecurity by repurposing surplus produce. Back home in Los Angeles at the start of the pandemic, with nothing but time on their hands, Aidan Reilly and James Kanoff were like many of us disturbed by the long lines at the food pantries alongside farmers throwing away their produce, eggs, milk … and their harvest. The boon of an efficient supply chain in the food industry can be a major problem with any slight disruption. The Farmlink Project, a non-profit run by 200 plus volunteers, operates in 48 US states and Mexico bringing the excess produce of farmers to food banks. They are the recipient of the 2021 Congressional Medal of Honor – Citizen Honors Award – awarded to outstanding Americans who have gone above and beyond to perform extraordinary acts of courage or service. Listen to their story of compassion, drive, and vision on Mindful Businesses podcast.

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Food
65: The Farmlink Project - Harvesting Hope
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63: TOPUP TRUCK – Mobile Zero-Waste Shop

With a vision to shop plastic-free, Ella Shone (founder of TOPUP TRUCK) drives a milk float around Hackney, East London, refilling consumables that her customers pre-order. Ella and I chatted virtually over a cup of tea – she had her classic English Breakfast with oat milk and I had an African Rooibos. She recounts her journey with laughter and enthusiasm about founding TOPUP TRUCK – the refill store that floats to your door.

When she was furloughed at the beginning of the pandemic, Ella volunteered at the local food pantry. She found it very fulfilling as she biked around Hackney during the lockdown dropping meals to those who couldn’t come to the community kitchens to pick up their meals. With a head full of various business ideas, Ella came up with the idea of the TOPUP TRUCK. She wanted to reach out to the reluctant environmentalists and make it easier for them to shop plastic-free. She partnered with Re-Stor, a local refill store, and started TOPUP TRUCK.

Learn more about her journey right here on Mindful Businesses podcast.

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Europe
63: TOPUP TRUCK - Mobile Zero-Waste Shop
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62: Rhino Machines – Silica Plastic Blocks

When Manish Kothari, Managing Director of Rhino Machines and a second-generation entrepreneur involved in the casting and foundry industry in India, saw how dark, dusty and dangerous this industry was to the environment and the workers, he decided to do something about it. He is a social entrepreneur with a passion for innovation who decided to tackle the dust and sand waste that the foundry creates. He reached out to Shridhar Rao, a partner in the architect firm R + D studio to make a brick by combining the foundry dust with plastic to create the first Silica Plastic Block (SPB). The SPB tested 2.5 times stronger than regular brick and it was comparable in cost to the regular bricks in Indian metro cities. They have created a sustainable alternative to traditional brick.

Manish is adamant about not patenting his innovation and in fact, believes in assisting and sharing the know-how with other sustainable entrepreneurs. Learn more about these enterprising, creative and forward-thinking entrepreneurs on Mindful Businesses podcast.

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India
62: Rhino Machines - Silica Plastic Blocks
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61: Emoss – Future Inside

We talk to the energetic Karan Shah, director of Emoss, an Indo – Dutch company that is an independent supplier of fully electric and hybrid powertrains. Based on over 20 years of experience in the development and production of EV and HEV, Emoss not only offers complete electric powertrains for all your vehicles, but it also supplies high-end battery systems, fuel cells, range extenders, generators, power electronics, and control systems suitable for different industries.

Karan talks about how Emoss is working to shape the commercial EV landscape in India. Can such innovations be successful in a nascent market like India and what can legislations and governments do to assist the industry? Karan, Harvard Business School MBA 2016, reflects on how being amongst peers from varied backgrounds gave him a broader perspective and helped him become a better leader and entrepreneur. Listen more on Mindful Businesses podcast.

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Energy
61: Emoss - Future Inside
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