Sustainability In Your Ear

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Earth911 Podcast: Trex Blends Recycling and Engineering to Replace Traditional Wood Apr 18, 2022

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Leslie Adkins, Vice President of Marketing and ESG Development at Trex, joins the conversation to discuss how the company pioneered a recycled alternative to lumber for decks, fences and other applications. Trex was founded in 1996 on the premise that there must be a better use of the “mountain of single-use plastic film packaging generated every day that is not being recycled.” The company developed a process for making a wood decking alternative that consists of 95% recycled polyethylene film blended with sawdust made mostly of reclaimed wood. The result is decking that looks like wood but lasts at least two and a half times longer.
Trex is one of the largest buyers of #2 and #4 polyethylene film in the U.S. through a novel commercial recycling program that pays retailers to collect and send the often hard-to-recycle films used to wrap palletized packages for shipping, along with plastic shopping bags, bubble wrap and those troublesome air pillows used as padding in e-commerce boxes. Upcycling our plastic waste to contribute to a more sustainable built environment is an intriguing solution to our current waste problems. You can learn more at https://www.trex.com/

Earth911 Podcast: As Buying Used Rises, eBay Invests for Sustainability Apr 16, 2022

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The transition to more sustainable shopping is underway, and we’re pleased to welcome eBay’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Renee Morin, to discuss what the Ecommerce giant is doing to make the its marketplace more sustainable. Buying used is one of the most effective ways to reduce your environmental footprint because nothing new needs to be manufactured. Of course, getting reliable used products shipped to you can be challenging — and long shipping routes can add to the product’s carbon footprint. That’s where online marketplaces like eBay come in. In additioon to using renewable energy for their datacenters, they can help connect local buyers and sellers efficiently or provide tools, such as adding carbon offsets to transactions to reduce the impact of shipping. We talk with Renee about eBay's sustainability efforts, including its emissions goals and the challenge of measuring the Scope 1, 2 and 3 CO2 footprint of a global ecommerce company.
We learned on a recent show that 39% of respondents to the EPAM Consumers Unpacked survey in the U.S., U.K. and Germany said they are planning to buy used items to reduce their environmental impact. That signals a shift is underway as people look to lower their impact on the planet. eBay also recently concluded a “recommerce” survey that found a rising tide of sustainability priorities among shoppers. 80% of Gen Zers reported buying used in the last year and sustainability is becoming a driver of eBay purchases and selling. 26% of women, 15% of men and 23% of Millennials say that environmental responsibility is their primary reason for selling on eBay. And 94% of those sustainability-minded respondents say they buy and sell used specifically to reduce the amount of waste they produce. You can learn more about eBay's sustainability efforts at https://www.ebayinc.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Recycleye's Victor Dewulf on Sorting Waste Using Automation Apr 15, 2022

Show notes

Meet Victor Dewulf, cofounder and CEO of Recycleye, a London-based company that makes machine vision systems and robots capable of separating waste on the high-speed conveyor belts at materials recovery facilities (MRFs). Recycleye also hosts Wastenet, the largest databank of images of products and materials that can be used to train computers to sort waste, which is some of the most dangerous work in a recycling facility. The results are cleaner, better sorted recyclables, as well as greater transparency about the sources of wasteful products and packaging, which can improve how we hold organizations accountable for the waste they create.
A modern society is composed of myriad, complex systems, materials and responsibilities. As the recycling system matures, the introduction of advanced technology, such as machine vision and robotics that can sort plastic from paper, can simplify the recycling process. But it is still on all of us to send clean recyclables to the right programs to handle them. Even as advanced technology can help to turn more waste into renewed materials and the next generation of products we use, people need to start the recycling process. You can learn more at https://recycleye.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Electra Battery Materials CEO Trent Mell on EV Battery Trends Apr 13, 2022

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The rise of electric vehicles comes with hard choices. The availability of cobalt and lithium needed to make batteries, for example, may be so limited that we must begin new mining projects to make enough batteries for the EV fleet of the future. We talk with Trent Mell, CEO of Electra Battery Materials, whose goal is to make North American battery manufacturing self-sufficient and circular. The company is developing two projects, including a Battery Materials Park that will process and recycle batteries that will be located in Ontario, Canada. It also leased a large cobalt and copper deposit at Iron Creek in Idaho, which the company plans to mine. The Battery Materials Park project , which opens this year, will process raw ore from the mine and recycle used EV batteries. Electra Battery also estimates that approximately 250,000 tons of lithium-ion batteries already in use will be recycled by 2025, substantially reducing the need for new mining.
The Department of Energy has warned that 70% of the world’s cobalt supply is located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and they sell 80% of that cobalt to China. However, new cobalt and lithium deposits have been identified in Idaho and Nevada, respectively. That raises the prospect of more mining. Environmentalists are justifiably concerned that nature will pay the price, again, for human progress. Trent discusses the approach to mining and restoration plans for the Iron Creek site. You can learn more at https://electrabmc.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Future Meat's Koby Nahmias on Lab-Grown Beef, Chicken and More Apr 11, 2022

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Meat production accounts for the lion’s share of greenhouse gas emissions in the human food supply. Meat represents 57% of greenhouse gas emissions generated by feeding people, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature Food. Yaakov ("Koby") Nahmias, is the founder and president of Future Meat Technologies, an Israeli company that grows meat from animal cells in bioreactors. Future Meat recently achieved an important goal, producing meat for less than $6 a pound its meat — it claims that its meat produces 80% less GHG emissions, used 99% less land and 96% less water than traditionally farmed meats.
Koby discusses the potential for low-cholestorol, perfectly marbled or novel meats grown in the lab, as well as the energy and environmental issues involved in acheiving large-scale meat production that could displace traditionally grown beef, chicken, pork and seafood. The company ended 2021 by closing the largest venture investment in the history of lab-grown meat, $347 million — the funding will get them to market and help build a U.S. production facility. We may be seeing Future Meat on store shelves by 2023, he says. You can learn more at https://future-meat.com/

Earth911 Podcast: Maen Mahfoud's Replate Connects Food Waste to Food Need Apr 08, 2022

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Maen Mahfoud, founder and CEO of Replate, uses technology to connect sources of surplus food to non-profits that can get it into the hands of people in need. Humans waste an immense amount of food because it has been difficult to move surplus produce, meat and packaged foods to the places where it can be used before it spoils. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans waste between 30% and 40% of the food produced annually, some due to spoilage in the fields and transportation, but mostly because we buy and don’t use an average of 218.9 lbs. of food per person. Replate's approach to food collection is novel because it charges businesses, caterers and chain restaurants for picking up and distributing leftover food. Replate launched in 2016 and the organization has grown to include a staff of more than 50 people who provide food in cities across the country. Similar programs are operating in Europe, and the strategy may work for other local recycling and waste reduction challenges.
Replate has recovered 2.7 million lbs. of food and delivered about 2.3 million meals while saving 748 million gallons of water and reducing CO2 emissions. Maen discusses the evolution of Replate, from his early efforts as a solo food rescuer to where the program can be optimized to improve food recovery and distribution while making participation more convenient for donors and recipients. He explains the California's SB 1383, which requires homes and businesses in the state to compost and route surplus food to those in need can provide a model for other states that helps divert food waste to beneficial uses. You can learn more at https://replate.org.

Earth911 Podcast: Atlantic Packaging's Wes Carter on Making Commerce Sustainable Apr 06, 2022

Show notes

Wes Carter, president of Atlantic Packaging, a Wilmington, N.C.-based maker of sustainable boxes, shipping solutions, recyclable mailers, and six-pack carriers, explains the complex supply chains that feed our lifestyle. Atlantic Packaging is working to reduce its environmental impact and waste at every step between a manufacturer and the home. Listen to this wide-ranging conversation to hear how the adoption of sustainable sources of fiber in packaging and six-pack rings make these traditional sources of landfilled waste biodegrade in months instead of the centuries plastic takes.
We also discuss simplifying the range of materials used in packaging and extended producer responsibility programs. Improvements in recycling collection and the growing use of "right-sized" packaging can eliminate much of the waste created by home deliveriews. Wes also shares Atlantic Packaging's analysis of how plastic films are used in the supply chain. He suggests that films reduce the need for paper and other packaging. Building on Wes' passion for surfing, the company is recently launched the A New Earth Project, a video series designed to help end ocean plastic pollution, with a global community of surfers and environmentalists. You can learn more about Atlantic Packaging at https://www.atlanticpkg.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: How Zero-Waste, Local Bulk Food Delivery Can Work Apr 04, 2022

Show notes

The future of the food supply can be more regional and sustainable. Stephanie Hughes recently launched Raw Bulk Foods Online, an Australian source of zero-waste foods delivered from the farm to the customer’s door. “We exist to clean up the planet [by] delivering your everyday pantry items direct from Aussie farms to your door minus all the junk,” Stephanie explained as part of the company's Kicktarter campaign. While not a sustainable choice for U.S. shoppers, because of the overseas shipping involved, Raw Bulk Foods Online is another model for regional approaches to augmenting our food supply.
Now that shoppers are shifting their purchasing to foods grown nearer to home and abandoning traditional packaging for environmentally responsible alternatives, Raw Bulk Foods is a useful model for U.S. startups. Stephanie’s team spent a year developing the production and packaging processes they use, which includes a refill program that eliminates single-use waste, before they funded their launch on Kickstarter. Raw Bulk Foods Online raised seven times the $7,335 needed to start shipping food in June of this year. Crowdfunding can be a fast path for launching sustainable alternatives to traditional products and services. You can learn more at https://rawbulkfoodsonline.com/.

Earth911 Podcast: Carbon Collective's Zach Stein Explains Investing for Zero-Carbon Apr 01, 2022

Show notes

Zach Stein, cofounder of Carbon Collective, how to the company's Climate Index can help investors identify ESG investments that accelerate progress toward the zero-carbon economy. Investors can have influence that can reshape business practices. It takes time and energy to understand how companies are changing to reduce their environmental impact, create positive social outcomes and improved transparency and accountability. We also discuss the potential impact of the Securities & Exchange Commission's recently proposed rule that would require companies to disclose greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks with their regular finacial reporting.
The Carbon Collective’s basic approach suggests divesting from 20% of companies responsible for 85% of emissions, particularly fossil fuel companies, to reallocate those that capital to climate solution companies. Their tools are open for anyone to learn from, offering insights into companies based on Project Drawdown analysis of their environmental and social performance. Carbon Collective also plans to launch managed Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) focused on climate and the social safety net. You can learn more at https://www.carboncollective.co/.

Earth911 Podcast: nZero's Josh Weber on Corporate GHG Emissions Tracking Mar 30, 2022

Show notes

Josh Weber, cofounder and executive chairman of nZero, a Nevada company that tracks Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions for large organizations, explains the complexities of tracking corporate greenhouse gas emissions. Tracking emissions is the first step toward business taking responsibility for the previously unacknowledged environmental and social costs of delivering products and services. It will be some time before this information is widely available in useful form for consumers and citizens to help make decisions about the products or services they buy or the government policies they support. nZero’s technology, along with those of other emerging carbon tracking tools, is a critical piece of the environmental puzzle we each need to understand.
A study by the non-profit As You Sow of the 55 largest companies in the U.S. found that only three, Microsoft, PepsiCo and Ecolab Inc, earned an A-level grade; Google and Apple received B and B- grades, respectively, and most of the rest, 84% of companies are flunking out of the race to head off climate change. Carbon tracking is mostly restricted to Scope 1 and 2 emissions, the direct and indirect emissions associated with power used by a company. MSCI Research reported in September 2020 that only 18% of the firms it follows are reporting their scope 3 emissions — we’ll explore why these emissions are difficult to track. You can find out more at https://nzero.com/.

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