Good Garbage with Ved Krishna

Introducing - Good Garbage News! Every month - in addition to the interviews with Ved, we will be adding an audio newsletter, with all the highlights from the sustainable packaging industry.

You can listen to this podcast in the morning, during a workout, while making dinner - to get all the information you need about the latest in the world of compostables and circularity!

Hosted by Good Garbage Producer, Alex Moore

We've wanted to talk about policy on the show for awhile, and we accomplished it with Lauren Scott, the director of corporate affairs for CJ Biomaterials on Good Garbage!

Listen in as she breaks down all the latest in the policy landscape, including what's happening in California right now with SB 54, California's plastic pollution and packaging producer responsibility act. This is a can't miss episode, as we learn even more about the power policy has.

We’ve been waiting for this one - welcome Brad Rodgers, the Vice President of Technology at Danimer Scientific to Good Garbage! Ved and Brad’s conversation is a masterclass in PHA, and the knowledge that comes from being in this industry from the beginning. 

Brad has seen it all, from PepsiCo to Danimer, and PLA to PHA. This is a can’t miss episode of Good Garbage. 

Hello, hello! It's our 50th episode - and we are so excited to share this conversation with Pulpac CEO Linus Larsson Green!

He joins Ved to talk about their dry molding technology, all the patents they have, how legislation is changing in the EU towards anti-pollution and how it will affect sustainable packaging, and to explain the power of "swedish common sense".

Thank you so much to all of our listeners. We could not be in a better place as we reach our 50th episode, and we can't wait for the next 50. We will continue to spread as much knowledge about leaving this planet cleaner as possible.

Hello, hello! Peter Wells is the CEO of Temperpack - a materials engineering and manufacturing company, looking to disrupt the cold-chain shipping industry.

As Ved finds out through this conversation, Peter drops a lot of "gold nuggets" as he shares his journey from architecture, sustainable energy to Temperpack.

Introducing - Good Garbage News! Every month - in addition to the interviews with Ved, we will be adding an audio newsletter, with all the highlights from the sustainable packaging industry.

You can listen to this podcast in the morning, during a workout, while making dinner - to get all the information you need about the latest in the industry.

Hosted by Good Garbage Producer, Alex Moore

Tom Lock's British Chip Company does not only have delicious crisps (or chips), they are also sustainably sourced and packaged! We've wanted to take a customer angle on Good Garbage - and Tom was the perfect guest. He was even up to the task of talking technical with Ved! Enjoy this conversation on sustainable packaging and the industry,

The Co-Founder & CEO of Cruz Foam, John Felts joined the Good Garbage podcast, and we had an absolute blast. John had all the stories from his journey from college student to CEO - and they had Ved laughing and smiling. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

Cruz Foam is a circular materials company offering certified compostable, protective packaging foam and other sustainable packaging solutions. Two of their investors include Leonardo Dicaprio & Ashton Kutcher.

Introducing - Good Garbage News! Every month - in addition to the interviews with Ved, we will be adding an audio newsletter, with all the highlights from the sustainable packaging industry.

You can listen to this podcast in the morning, during a workout, while making dinner - to get all the information you need about the latest in the industry.

Hosted by Good Garbage Producer, Alex Moore

Erthos CEO & Co-Founder Nuha Siddiqui joined Ved for a conversation about her journey to the company, what they are trying to accomplish in the biomaterials world, and how diversity is their superpower in another episode of Good Garbage!

Introducing - Good Garbage News! Every month - in addition to the interviews with Ved, we will be adding an audio newsletter, with all the highlights from the sustainable packaging industry.

You can listen to this podcast in the morning, during a workout, while making dinner - to get all the information you need about the latest in the industry.

Hosted by Good Garbage Producer, Alex Moore

Ved met Ben Mascarello, the CEO of Genera Inc at the International Molded Fiber Association conference. There was an immediate spark, and getting Ben on the show was the obvious choice.

We are so lucky and glad to have Ben as our first guest of 2024. We hope this year brings learning, joy and progress - as we continue to strive to make our planet cleaner.

When it comes to finding someone as interested, possible more interested than us in flexible packaging - it's always a joy to have them join us on Good Garbage.

This episode, it was Jonathan Quinn, the Global VP of Marketing and Sustainability at Accredo Packaging - who started about as young as it gets in this industry! You won't believe how far back he goes, and the immense wealth of knowledge he's gained along the way.

Hello, hello! When two driven youngsters started cleaning up a beach in India - it has now turned into over 25,000 volunteers and over 450 tons of waste collected.

Their drive and passion is incredible - and the best part is - they're just getting started.

Hello, hello! In Ved's conversation with Will Ghali, CEO of Ecosurety - he puts Will in charge. Will gives his opinions of what regulations he would put in place if he were in charge of policy for packaging and waste - as well as what year he thinks there will be no more waste in landfills by.

The year is a lot sooner than you think.

Hello, hello! We heard Sharon Barak speak at the Rethinking Materials conference, and were amazed by her company Solutum, their products, and her.

As she showed off her product completely dissolving in water, and her dedication to the solving the plastic problem - it was a no brainer to have her on Good Garbage, to talk about sustianable packaging, regeneration, and a love for leaving the planet cleaner.

Sharon is also the second guest in a row we have had on from Israel - the timing just worked out like this, and we are happy to give both her and Daphna an opportunity to escape the reality of what is happening around them. We wish for peace and safety to everyone in that area.

Hello, hello! It's been a dream of ours to have TIPA represented on the Good Garbage podcast, and what better way for the dream to come true then with CEO Daphna Nissenbaum.

Her journey in this industry started on a jog, when she thought about how we would package if there was no packaging at all. Daphna came to the conclusion that all packaging needs to be compostable, and needs to have the ability to go into the organic waste stream.

From the moment we first spoke with Love-Ese Chile, we knew the managing owner of Regenerative Waste Labs was special. The way she speaks about complicated scientific processes, making them so easy to understand through fun narratives - had us listening closely at every word.

She has a bright future in front of her - and her love for waste, packaging and making the world cleaner leaves us excited for the future.

Hello, hello! The CEO of Biotec, Stefan Barot joins Ved Krishna this week on Good Garbage - and he had a lot to teach us.

His science background, and infinite knowledge of systems gave Ved plenty of questions to ask and so much to talk about. Enjoy the conversation as the two cover the circular economy, waste streams and what must change in the industry, and world.

Hello, hello! Mark Lapping is the CEO of Aquapak, a leading specialty polymers business. Mark's career has taken him through a stint in the army, a trek through Africa, into the packaging industry - to where he is now at Aquapak.

Mark often talks about always wanting to climb the mountain, and the challenge that he embraced most recently, was seeing Aquapak and following them until he decided he wanted to work there. Ved and him bond over there mutual love for taking on challenges, packaging and leaving the planet cleaner!

Hello, hello! Cory Connors is a fellow podcaster, Portlander and sustainable packaging expert! With everything Ved and him have in common, we had to have him on the show to talk packaging, recycling, and more.

Cory is the director of sustainable packaging for Orora Packaging Solutions as well, so Ved talked to him about his position there, and what they offer on a global level. Enjoy the converation.

Hello, hello! Cee Azerraf & Shaul Lapidot both work for Melodea, where Shaul is the CEO and Cee is the VP of Sales and Marketing. Both have worn different hats while there and have known Ved for quite some time.

Their experience in the industry is fascinating, and their knowledge is vast - as they dive into a number of topics on this episode of Good Garbage, including how they got here, what Melodea does, and how they are working towards a cleaner planet.

About Melodea: Melodea develops innovative sustainable products for various industries. Melodea offers environmentally friendly oxygen, oil & grease and water vapor barrier coatings that allow the paper and packaging industries to replace existing materials that are harmful to the environment with an eco-friendly, recyclable alternative without compromising on performance.

Steve Davies, VP, performance packaging of NatureWorks joins us on Good Garbage this week, and we were so lucky to have him on the show.

He'll cover a number of topics with Ved, including stories of visiting the landfill (it was called a dump back then), his journey to NatureWorks, and everything they're accomplishing with PLA. Enjoy the conversation.

When we heard about the company UBQ - we knew we had to have them on the show. On this episode - Daniela Engelberg, digital marketing lead for UBQ joins us to talk about the work she and UBQ are accomplishing, and it has us so hopeful for the future of waste.

Claudia Amos, technical director at Anthesis and host of the Wise Women in Waste podcast joins Ved on the latest episode of Good Garbage!

Claudia's immense knowledge and passion for waste has brought her to where she is today. Now with her podcast, she is looking to empower women in this industry and make sure that everybody knows, we must do this together.

In May of 2023, our team at the Good Garbage podcast were completely blown away by Neil Morris and a presentation he gave at the Rethinking Materials conference in London. The next month, we had him on the podcast, and he was just as intriguing as before. From the Bosnian War, to becoming the CEO of a seaweed company, his journey is exciting and inspiring.

Hello, hello! Dinesh Tadepalli has accomplished so much - he's been on Shark Tank, had a long conversation with Mark Cuban, sold his home, won awards, all while not taking a single dime from his company until they sell 100 million spoons. Dinesh is the CEO of Incredible Eats, an edible cutlery company.

After eating ice cream with his daughter one day, Dinesh was motivated to help with our plastic problem. Using a spoon for a short time only to throw it away didn't sit right with him, especially while thinking about his daughter's future. You'll hear about all this and more on this - the latest episode of Good Garbage!

We were absolutely blown away by everything Svanika Balasubramanian has accomplished and at such a young age! The CEO of RePurpose Global, the company that has led on plastic credits, is making huge differences in this world - and we wanted to hear about it all. From her roots in Oman, to her life in London now, follow her amazing story and listen to everything she has to say about leaving our planet cleaner.

Hello, hello! The CEO of TerraCycle Tom Szaky joins the show this week - and he presented Ved with a different perspective on Good Garbage. Tom has built TerraCycle from when he was just a college student at Princeton, to the recycling giant it has become today. They recycle everything, from cigarettes to razors.

This conversation was fantastic, and covered all the topics from composting to recycling, and the fundamental differences that the two have as they come together for the same goal. There is even a part of the episode where Tom asks Ved how much he would pay for a bag of poop. Enjoy!

Hello, hello! On the show this week we have Savannah Seydel - she's the Vice President of sustainability for Better Earth - and while her career is incredibly impressive, so is her ability to live a sustainable life. With her husband, she has created a family that does everything possible to make the planet cleaner. She talks a lot in this episode about what we can realistically do to make the planet cleaner, and how we can also use policy to make changes, while also living a life that leaves the planet better every step of the way.

Hello, hello! With a title like #trashnerd - we knew Meredith Danberg-Ficarelli was going to be exciting to talk to, and she lived up to that expectation in more. It starts with her time spent in Lebanon, where she taught herself to do a waste audit - and her depth of knowledge just grows from there. Her company WATS (Waste Administration + Tracking Software) presents solutions to huge waste issues. We hope you enjoy this fantastic conversation.

Hello, hello! We are so lucky to have a passionate, smart guest like Living Ink CEO Scott Fulbright on the Good Garbage podcast. In this episode, you’ll hear him talk about studying marine biology as a college student in Michigan (which is really far away from oceans by the way) and how he used to miss football games to look through a microscope. It’s a fantastic conversation and Scott’s excitement, knowledge and passion for his company show in just the tone of his voice.

Hello, hello! Today we have Bold Reuse CEO Jocelyn Quarrell on the show! Bold Reuse is a Portland, Oregon based company that is building systems which create zero packaging waste, inspired by regenerative systems found in nature. Jocelyn bought the company when it was called GoBox. Before the pandemic, they worked with a lot of food carts - but when the pandemic hit, and they didn't have that same opportunity, Jocelyn had to find another way to keep her company afloat among trying times. Listen to this exciting conversation about recycling, business and transparency!

Hello, hello! Today on the show, Ved Krishna takes the guest chair as our producer, Alex Moore interviews Ved on a wide ranging array of topics. Usually the host, Ved is the founder of Pakka Inc - he's had an exciting journey to get to this point, starting from growing up as a kid with a love for nature and the planet, to an always evolving relationship with leaving the planet cleaner. We cover it all in this episode - and also touch on his relationship with his parents and other mentors, how his company Pakka has become what it is today, and if he'll bring back the goatee he used to have. This is such a fun conversation, and it's fantastic to get the other side from Ved, who finally gets to answer - what is Good Garbage?

Hello, hello! Saloni Doshi is the CEO and "Chief Sustainability Geek" of Ecoenclose. Ecoenclose offers Earth-friendly shipping solutions and guidance. They push for material circularity and to create an Ecoally community. Saloni and her team have a purity of intent, and there is so much thought that goes into every product they create. In this conversation, Saloni talks about her experience and what led her to Ecoenclose, and also answers questions about the work environment she has helped create, and why the beginning of life is just as important to the end of life for regenerative packaging. This is an exciting and insightful conversation. 

Hello, hello! Daniel Carraway is the CEO & Co-Founder of RWDC Industries, a biotech company working with nature to produce materials we use in our daily lives. RWDC is a commercial producer of PHA. PHA is an biopolymer made through microbial fermentation of plant-based oils. In this conversation, Ved and Daniel talk about the technology, application and capabilities of this material. They also speak about the success RWDC has had raising money, and how it can be a model for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators. In this episode, Daniel answers what usages their are for PHA, and which one he is most excited for.