Sustainability Champions

Latest Episodes:

The Future of Farming Jun 18, 2020

Show notes

It’s estimated that the average meal travels about 1,500 miles to get from farm to plate in the US. What if we could grow most of the fruits and vegetables we eat in the cities where we live?

We’re talking about “vertical farming”, a new way of farming indoors that will reduce unnecessary food mileage, use less space, and deliver a higher yield than traditional farming. Because the food is grown in the city where it will be eaten, it can be picked when it’s perfectly ripe and delivered to the customer within a few hours.

In this episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I speak with Chris Davies, CEO of Harvest London, and Champion of Vertical Farming.

Harvest London is a vertical farm in London that supplies specialty produce - like herbs and vegetables - to restaurants. Their hydroponic farming methods (meaning their produce is grown in water instead of soil), is incredibly efficient: they can grow crops in 5 weeks, year-round. We discuss the future of the food industry and that today’s technology can be the turning point for the vertical farming industry.

Hope you enjoy the episode! If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review!

Resources:

Website: https://www.harvest.london
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harvest.london/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvestlondon/

Turning Bread into Beer Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

If you live in or have been to the UK, you may know that they have the biggest sandwich industry in the world: 80 million pre-made sandwiches are sold every year! During production, the crust and ends of the loaf are cut off and thrown away because they can’t be used in the sandwich. So what can we do about all this bread waste?

In this Episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I speak with Louisa Ziane, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Toast Ale, and Champion of Sustainable Beers.

Toast Ale is a UK brewery that takes the unused ends of bread from the sandwich industry and uses it to replace virgin barley, to create amazing “planet-saving” lagers, pale ales, and IPAs. Having already saved almost 2 million slices of bread from being thrown away, they also act as a social enterprise, donating all of their profits to charities in order to ultimately deliver systemic change to fix the food system.

Their bread-beer recipe is also open to the public so hobby brewers can make their own beer. Plus they’re constantly collaborating with other breweries around the world: from the US to the Netherlands to Iceland - their goal of reducing wasted food is really picking up speed! And if all that isn’t enough, the beer is delicious and is stocked in some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets!

I hope you enjoy the episode! If you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review to support us!

Resources:

Website: https://www.toastale.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toastale/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ToastAle
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/toastale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toastale/

Flying Cars Are Closer Than You Think Jun 12, 2020

Show notes

What if you could easily get from New York to Boston or from London to Manchester in an hour?

As populations continue to increase and cities become denser, transportation - whether public or private - is drawn into the limelight of discussions. We want to reduce and avoid carbon emissions from cars, eliminate traffic jams and keep noise pollution to a minimum. Is the future closer than we think? We’re talking about flying cars…well almost.

In this Episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I speak with Oliver Walker-Jones, Head of Communications at Lilium, and Champion of Sustainable Aircraft. This well-funded German startup is working on creating a sustainable “Air-Taxi”, a new type of aircraft that can travel up to 300 kilometres (186 miles) per hour. The futuristic-looking vehicle doesn't need a runway because it does vertical takeoffs and landings like a helicopter, except safer, quieter and more efficiently.

The 36-engine, all-electric aircraft can hold four passengers plus a pilot and hopes to eliminate short-distance flights by offering an easier solution. Currently, the team is working on finishing their prototype and achieving scalable production. They are looking to roll out their fleet of Lilium Jets around 2025. In the meantime, a few days before this episode was published, Lilium raised an additional $35 million and has achieved unicorn status - valued at $1 billion!

What they describe as “the new mobility service for the modern, urbanized age” could really transform our skies and our future. While it may be a few years away before we can take advantage of this new form of travel, check out the episode to find out all about Lilium’s vision and future plans!

Lilium Resources:

Website: https://lilium.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lilium
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liliumaviation
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lilium-aviation-gmbh

How We Can Avoid Wasting Food Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

Food Waste is a huge worldwide problem, with both ecological and social consequences. Between 33-50% of all food produced globally is never eaten, and the value of this wasted food is worth over $1 trillion. According to Project Drawdown, reducing our food waste is the third most important solution to preventing climate change. More than 50% of food waste takes place in our homes, so that means we can act ourselves. And today’s guest offers the perfect solution to reducing otherwise thrown away products. Think “getting a cup of sugar from your neighbour” – but in the 21st century.

In this Episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I interview Tessa Clarke, Co-Founder and CEO of OLIO, and Champion of Sustainable Sharing. OLIO is an App that allows you to offer and collect unwanted food, whether vegetables, fruits, complete meals, unwanted spices, or even mismatched gifts, to and from people in your neighbourhood or community. The service is completely free, and most of the offerings on their app, are collected within 1 hour. With almost 2 million users, they’re creating an amazing network of active users. They also have a Food Waste Hero Program, where Users can offer to collect surplus food from local businesses at the end of the day and distribute it themselves via OLIO. They show amazing positivity and have already saved equivalent CO2 emissions of about 12 Million Car Miles!

Make sure to listen to the Episode to find more about how OLIO was started, how they’re offering a powerful solution and idea to help prevent climate change, and how they hope to scale up in the future!

Website: https://olioex.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/olio_ex
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olio_ex
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olio-share-more-waste-less

Cleaner, Safer, More Responsible Pet Food Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been talking to pioneers of the meat and seafood industries, who are all creating the future of what we eat. The way meat is currently produced has many unethical and unsustainable flaws, so we look to innovations to find solutions. Cultivated or Cell-Based foods are created by growing meat from the cells of animals, meaning no animals are harmed for its production and we can create an unlimited amount of food. In the words of today’s guest, it’s just “cleaner, safer and more responsible”. When we talk about the food industry, let’s not forget our best friends, guardians of our homes, and balls of fur – cats and dogs.

In this Episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I speak with Rich Kelleman, CEO and Founder of Bond Pet Foods, and Champion of Cultured Pet Food. Bond is a Biotechnology company using cellular agriculture to make animal-free high protein pet food products. In their manufacturing process, which is often compared with brewing beer, they create cruelty-free animal proteins for dogs and cats that are safe, nutritious, and tasty. They’ve even completed their very first protein-packed dog treat bars, made with nutrient-dense yeast proteins and vegetables.

Listen to this episode to find out more about the future of our food industry, and how Rich came up with the idea of creating cleaner pet food!

Bond Pet Foods Resources:

Website: www.bondpets.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bondpetfoods
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bondpetfoods
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bondpetfoods

Switching to Sustainable Production Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

To fully reduce our carbon emissions and minimize our impact on the planet, it’s important that both small businesses and well-established corporations take action. That includes finding alternatives to supply chains that have huge carbon footprints, reducing production waste and recycling as much as possible. And today’s guest is working on doing exactly that.

In this episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I speak with Bruce Tretter, Chief Operating Officer and Co-Owner of VOmax, and Champion of Sustainable Activewear. Established in 1982, VOmax produces high performance sportswear for golf, running, cycling and skiing. VOmax is aiming to become a more sustainable company, which means using recycled or organic fabrics with fewer carbon emissions and organising more local production.

In this episode, we discuss the challenges for a company to become sustainable, what sustainability means to VOmax in a marketing context, and how VOmax is also trying to engage younger employees for a more sustainable future.

Hope you enjoy the episode! If you do, make sure to subscribe and leave a review to support us!

VOmax Resources:

Website: https://vomax.com/pages/about-us-page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OfficialVomax
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vomaxofficial/

Cell-Based Shellfish: Saving Animals And The Environment May 29, 2020

Show notes

A kilogram of farmed shrimp may emit up to four times as much carbon as a kilogram of beef.

It’s important when creating a more sustainable food supply that we find ways to disrupt the seafood industry. That way, we can enjoy shrimp dishes while avoiding the negative environmental side effects. Today’s guest is doing precisely that.

In this Episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I speak with Dr. Sandhya Sriram, CEO of Shiok Meats, and Champion of Cell-Based Shellfish.

Shiok Meats aims to create an alternative to the shellfish industry, with the world's first “clean shrimp”. Their plan is to manufacture shrimp, lobster, and crab meat from stem cells, thereby avoiding the unethical practices of farming animals, damaging ecosystems, and leaving behind a large carbon footprint. Aiming to launch around 2022, the lab-grown seafood also eliminates potential food-borne diseases, antibiotic resistance, and harmful chemicals in the production process.

To learn about this promising technology that may hold the answers to some of our most pressing environmental challenges, please check out this episode! If you like what you hear, we would love for you to subscribe to the podcast and leave a five-star review.

Shiok Meats Resources

Website: https://shiokmeats.com
witter: https://twitter.com/shiokmeats
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shiokmeats
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shiokmeats/

Happier Bees Make Better Honey May 26, 2020

Show notes

Bees are nature’s “free workforce” – they’re the world's most important pollinators, facilitating plants and crops to grow fruits and vegetables and produce seeds that continue their growth. Bees are also very important to us: one of every three bites of food eaten worldwide depends on pollinators for a successful harvest. Unfortunately, bee populations are declining rapidly due to human actions, threatening the world’s ecosystems and our food supply. Today’s guest focuses on increasing the number of bees around the world.

In this Episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I interview Callum Chambers, a beekeeper at The Travelling Bee Company, and Champion of Sustainable Beekeeping.

By taking care of many beehives, they’re actively helping to increase the otherwise dwindling honeybee population. They relocate beehives to places with varieties of flora, help agriculture by having bees pollinate their farms and even offer bees to backyard-beekeepers, so hobbyists can help prevent bee populations dying out. They offer a wide range of ethical honeys, candles and soaps on their website, and stick to a great ethos in their work: “Happy bees make the best honey”.

I hope you enjoy it! Please make sure to subscribe to find out about all the new episodes and if you like what you hear, we would love for you to leave a review to support us!

Traveling Bee Company Resources:

Website: http://www.travellingbee.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travellingbeecompany
Shop: http://www.travellingbee.co.uk/shop#candles
Bee Facts: https://petpedia.co/bee-statistics/
Bee Facts: https://e360.yale.edu/features/declining_bee_populations_pose_a_threat_to_global_agriculture

Can Cultivated Meat Help Avoid Future Pandemics? May 22, 2020

Show notes

There is a way we can make safe meat that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 96% while using 99% less land, 96% less water, and 45% less energy. It won’t use any antibiotics and won’t create future pandemics. This is cultivated meat - meat made from animal cells instead of raising an entire animal.

In this Episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I speak with Brian Spears, CEO and Founder of New Age Meats and Champion of Manufacturing Cultivated Meat. New Age Meats is pioneering research into cultivated and lab-grown meats, starting with pork sausages and in the future moving on to other meat delicacies.

With plans of becoming the world’s largest meat company, Brian spoke about how New Age Meats is refining their process for large-scale manufacturing, how the COVID-19 crisis has uncovered many problems with the meat industry, and of course, how good the cultivated meat tastes.

I hope you enjoy the episode! Make sure to subscribe to find out about all new episodes and if you like what you hear, please leave a review to support us!

New Age Meats Resources:

Website: https://www.newagemeats.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NewAgeMeats
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-age-meats

Ethical Rings or Blood Diamonds May 19, 2020

Show notes

The jewellery industry is one of the world's most unethical productions. From blood diamonds to dirty gold to sweatshops and child labour, it can be incredibly difficult to know where a piece of jewellery comes from. Times have changed - we can no longer find gold or diamonds at the bottom of riverbeds - and miners need to dig deeper. To do so, many large-scale mining firms use a huge amount of harmful chemicals to mine gold, for instance, without regard for the environment or their workers’ health.

As consumers become more and more conscious of what they buy and how products are produced, there is a rising demand for ethical and climate-friendly jewellery. Today’s guest offers exactly that.

In this episode of Sustainability Matters Today, I speak with David Rhode, CEO and Co-Founder of Ingle & Rhode, and Champion of Ethical Jewellery. His story began in 2006, when David was looking for an engagement ring but couldn’t find a jeweller who could tell him where their diamonds had come from or the conditions under which their jewellery was produced.

Ingle & Rhode take extra care in finding out where their products are sourced so they can be confident that suitable working conditions are in place and the environmental impact of mining is taken into account. As a result, they have a unique offering of ethical and environmentally-friendly jewellery: recycled gold and platinum, gold from Fairtrade mines in South America, diamonds from sustainable companies in Canada, and even lab-grown “cultured diamonds”.

To find out more about the history of precious metals, from gold and platinum to rubies, sapphires, diamonds and emeralds, and how Ingle and Rhode produce their ethical engagement and wedding rings, check out the episode!

If you like what you hear, please subscribe to find out about new episodes and leave a review to support us!

Ingle & Rhode Resources:

Website: https://www.ingleandrhode.co.uk
Guide to Ethical Rings: https://www.ingleandrhode.co.uk/ethical-sourcing/your-ethical-ring/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ingleandrhode
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ingleandrhode/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ingleandrhode
Fairtrade Gold: https://www.fairtrade.net/product/gold

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