Material World

Latest Episodes:

Inside Fashion's Quest to Make Sustainable Clothes Fit May 01, 2017

Show notes

Americans love what they wear -- until it's time to throw it away. Each year, we generate 21 billion pounds of discarded clothing, amounting to 70 pounds per person. Now, as the world finally begins to address climate change, is there a business case for the fashion industry to invest in sustainability? Lindsey and Jenny talk brands including H&M, Levi Strauss and Timberland about what they're doing to make their products more green. With apparel at the beginning of its transformation, customers will need to demand improvements to help spur change.

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This Bud's For You: Weed Goes Mainstream Apr 19, 2017

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As legalized pot becomes more widely available, the race is on for brands to become household names. One in five American adults now lives in a place where he or she can smoke, eat, drink, vape or otherwise ingest cannabis as they please. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laid out plans last week for the country to become the first Group of Seven nation to legalize it nationally. As the product moves out of the black market, cannabis is getting a makeover. Jenny and Lindsey dive into what's going on politically and how the industry is changing. Some ganjapreneurs are leaving Jamaican flags, giant pot leaves and highly potent strains behind in the quest to become the Coca-Cola or Budweiser of weed.

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How America's Push to Live Healthier Is Changing Food Labels Apr 03, 2017

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Food and beverage companies have long used buzzwords like "natural" and "healthy" to get shoppers' attention, a battle that's intensified now that foodie culture has gone mainstream. Whether it's organic, gluten-free or non-GMO, consumers are demanding more information about what's inside the stuff they eat and drink. And that, in turn, is forcing companies to navigate an antiquated and confusing regulatory system. Jenny and guest host Craig Giammona examine how the demand for information about what's in our food is playing out in grocery stores.

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The Rise of Ghost Tequila Mar 21, 2017

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The man who helped turn Fireball whisky into a shot sensation is at it again, this time with ghost-pepper infused tequila. Recording a day in the life, Material World follows him around to find out exactly what it takes to make a liquor brand go viral. How do bars come by their selection of alcohol? Jenny heads to Boston to interview Ghost Tequila's founders, bar owners and tequila drinkers -- and to suss out if this startup spirits company can disrupt a giant industry.

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Is Trump's 'Made in America' Push Healthy for Your Wallet? Mar 06, 2017

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Jenny and Lindsey explore what Trump's campaign to revive domestic manufacturing means at the mall. Some companies, including Knot Standard, the custom suit-maker that dressed the younger male Trumps for the inauguration, say the U.S. doesn't have the technological infrastructure or employee knowhow to get the job done. Others, such as hoodie-maker American Giant, say that's baloney. Either way, after a decade of plummeting prices, shoppers may need to prepare themselves to spend more on the clothes they've been coveting.

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How to Live Forever Young Feb 21, 2017

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Immortality may remain forever the stuff of science fiction, but our ability to live long and prosper is finally within reach -- if a select group of so-called biohackers can be believed. Take Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey, so committed to the lifestyle that he plans to live to the age of 180. Or consider Jim Fadiman, who studies the benefits of microdosing on psychedelic drugs such as LSD and says small changes can have big benefits. They're just two of the scores of experts, professionals and skeptics whom Jenny and Lindsey spoke with for this week's Material World. We also explore more mainstream efforts to live better, from diet and exercise to smartphone apps that help less-committed people quantify their wellness goals and success.

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Why There's No Excuse Not To Buy Better Underwear Feb 06, 2017

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Material World is taking a look at the basics -- underwear. Technology and innovation has infiltrated the rest of your closet. Now, entrepreneurs say it's time to upgrade your underwear drawer. There's plenty to pick from: The global men's underwear market is expected to expand to $11 billion in 2020 from $8.4 billion in 2015, according to Persistence Market Research. That 31 percent jump dwarfs the expected 14 percent growth in the overall men's apparel market to $33 billion in 2020, according to Edited. Jenny and Lindsey talk with the founders of My Pakage and Tommy Johns, mens' brands, and Thinx, the so-called period underwear, to explore trends driving this market. Plus, they host a consumer-expert panel to find out if the new products actually live up to the hype.

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Shopping in Trump's America: A Look Ahead to 2017 Dec 27, 2016

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This year was full of surprises -- Brangelina called it quits, the U.K. voted to leave the European Union and Donald Trump became the next president of the United States. It's hard to predict what lies ahead in 2017. Jenny and Lindsey are joined by others on Bloomberg News's consumer team to do just that. They discuss what retail might look like next year. Skinny pants, beards and progressive advertising themes could be out. Shoulder-pads, fast food and sugar may be in. The team tries its best to guess what living in Trump's America will mean for shoppers.

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Zombie Brands Are Hard to Kill Dec 12, 2016

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The holidays are upon us, and with them a shopping season that can make or break a struggling retailer. Yet bankruptcy doesn't always mean the end. Many struggling chains linger well past their expiration dates and others find second lives under new ownership. The deciding factor is the strength of the brand. Join us as Lindsey and Jenny explain the bankruptcy process -- and why some brands survive while others don't. Jamie Salter tells us why he bought Aeropostale, the teen apparel chain, four months after it filed for bankruptcy in May. Bazillion Points book publisher Ian Christe describes his conflict with Borders, the bookseller that went out of business in 2011. Ryan Cotton, a managing director at Bain Capital Private Equity, explores what sets successful brands apart, while Bloomberg's Lauren Coleman-Lochner breaks down the mechanics of filing for bankruptcy.

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America's Sugar Addiction: Why So Sweet? Nov 29, 2016

Show notes

This time of year feels like a continuous feast. With pumpkin spice lattes and apple pie and holiday cookies at every turn, Americans are constantly confronted by sugar. More than half of the nation's people are trying to eat less sugar -- and some are trying to quit altogether. So why is it so hard to tame that sweet tooth? Jenny and Lindsey dig into the ingredients that keep us chomping long past our necessary caloric intake: sugar, salt and fat. Jacqueline Raposo, a food writer and host of the "Love Bites" podcast, talks about the challenges of her month-long pledge to abstain from sugar. New York University's Nutrition and Food Studies Professor Marion Nestle explains why certain tastes appeal. Bestselling author and New York Times investigative reporter Michael Moss and Bloomberg's Craig Giammona speak to the companies that rely on sugar, salt and fat to attract consumers and how Big Food and Big Soda are being forced to change tactics.

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