Many companies have started to think about measuring and reducing their Scope 3 emissions. The truth is most companies often feel overwhelmed by the scale of this effort and don’t know where to start. In this episode, Tad and Julianna discuss what Scope 3 emissions are, the top Scope 3 category for most companies, how to help your suppliers reduce their carbon emissions, and how to start estimating your company’s Scope 3 emissions from your suppliers.
Textile Waste Innovations for Achieving a Circular Economy with Raymond Randall from WM
Textile waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the United States. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Raymond Randall, Sr. Manager of Textile Recycling at WM, to discuss what WM is doing to drive circularity with textile waste, why textile waste is such a big problem for both the environment and for business, how fast fashion plays a role in textile waste, the textile recycling program at WM, and more.
Deep Dive into LCA, EPD, and PCF with LCA Experts Nicole Meyer and Marquis Miller from Sustainable Solutions Corporation
Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), and Product Carbon Footprints (PCF) are essential to reducing your company’s carbon footprint, but many companies have unanswered questions about the process for completing them. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with LCA experts Nicole Meyer and Marquis Miller from Sustainable Solutions Corporation to answer some of the most frequently asked questions they receive about LCA, EPD, and PCF. They discuss the data collection process, timelines, what to include in your LCA, relevant standards and frameworks, Product Category Rules, functional units, how LCA, EPD, and PCF relate to carbon footprint, and more.
Consumer Perception: How to Craft a Credible Sustainability Message in a Complex Marketing with Suzanne Shelton from Shelton Group
A good marketing plan should include communication about your company’s sustainability efforts. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Suzanne Shelton, CEO of Shelton Group, an ERM Group Company, to discuss the consumer research studies Shelton Group has been conducting for the past 17 years, the results of their recently published report The Buzz on Buzzwords: Seven Years Later, the biggest challenges companies have in marketing their sustainability efforts, best practices for communicating sustainability goals and achievements such as third-party certified products and facilities, how companies should handle not hitting a goal, and more.
An Overview of Carbon Offsets: Are They Right For Your Company?
Many companies have been purchasing carbon offsets to achieve their Net Zero goals. Are carbon offsets right for you and your company? Are carbon offsets actually effective and how should they be used? In this episode, Tad and Julianna answer these questions and discuss decarbonization, science-based targets, and the steps in the decarbonization roadmap. Tad also explains what carbon offsets are, the standards and requirements for carbon offsets, and what the future could look like for carbon offsets.
Incorporating the Circular Economy Mindset into Product Packaging with Kelly McBee from As You Sow
Optimizing product packaging is essential for reducing waste and driving the circular economy. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Kelly McBee, Circular Economy Sr. Coordinator at As You Sow, to discuss the mission of As You Sow, the Corporate Plastic Pollution Scorecard they developed to rank companies on their progress toward plastic goals, how companies can get better scores in the future, why third-party certifications are so important to the achievement of corporate plastic reduction goals, and what’s next for As You Sow.
Using Sustainable Operations Assessments to Set Your Decarbonization Strategy with Lora Urbaniak from SSC
Setting a decarbonization strategy requires an understanding of your operations. Sustainable Solutions Corporation (SSC) conducts Sustainable Operations Assessments (SOA) to help companies understand how to reduce their energy, water and waste. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Lora Urbaniak, Senior Project Manager at SSC, to discuss what an SOA is, how SSC uses SOA to help companies set their decarbonization strategy, the cost savings and benefits of an SOA, areas where SSC usually finds the biggest potential for dollar savings, and how SOA can help a company meet their sustainability goals or science-based targets.
Battery Recycling: The Key to Achieving Electrification Goals with Joe Day from Li-Cycle
Recycling lithium-ion batteries is the key to achieving electrification goals. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Joe Day, Commercial Manager – Midwest and Northeast Regions at Li-Cycle, to discuss how Li-Cycle manages batteries at the end of their life, the type of batteries they take at their facilities, how much lithium, nickel, and cobalt are able to be recovered and integrated back into new batteries, how the battery recycling process works, and how Li-Cycle collects their batteries. We also answer an audience question at the end of the episode about extended producer responsibility.
Infinitely Recyclable: How Aluminum is Contributing to the Circular Economy with Suzanne Lindsay-Walker from Novelis
Aluminum is an infinitely recyclable material and an important part of the circular economy. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Suzanne Lindsay-Walker Vice President, Sustainability, for Novelis Inc., to discuss the type of products that Novelis’s aluminum ends up in, the life cycle benefits of aluminum versus other materials, how aluminum is contributing to the circular economy, Novelis’s closed loop system with Ford Motor Company and Ball, the key focus areas in Novelis’s sustainability strategy, the value of their GreenCircle Recycled Content certifications, and how Novelis empowers their employees to embrace sustainability.
Developing a Circular Economy Plan for Building Materials with Dennis Wilson from CertainTeed/Saint-Gobain
As Earth’s population grows, building construction and maintenance will continue to increase. Building products present one of our greatest opportunities for circularity. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Dennis Wilson, VP, ESG & Managing Director, Saint-Gobain Circular Economy Solutions NA, to discuss his priorities in his new role as Managing Director of Circular Economy Solutions, the key focus areas for CertainTeed/Saint-Gobain’s sustainability activities, how they’re reducing their company’s carbon footprint and minimizing the embodied carbon in their products, and the path toward circularity for building materials.
How to Revolutionize Your New Product Development Process with Sustainable Product Innovation
Sustainable Product Innovation (SPI) is the key to driving new product development teams toward developing more sustainable products. In this episode, Tad and Julianna discuss an overview of the new product development process that most companies go through, explain how SPI works, the steps companies need to take to integrate SPI into their new product development process, and examples of companies that have had success with SPI.
Circularity 101
Have you ever wondered if we can actually achieve circularity? In this episode, Tad and Julianna discuss the basics of the circular economy, whether or not it is actually achievable, if it is possible for a product to be 100% closed loop, and what changes need to be made in order to achieve the circular economy on a large scale.
Using Life Cycle Assessment to Achieve Carbon Drawdown in Agriculture with Mark Izzo from Bright Future Foods
25% of the global carbon emissions come from the food industry. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a great tool that can be used to help reduce the carbon footprint of the food we produce. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Mark Izzo, Co-founder and CEO of Bright Future Foods, to discuss Bright Future Foods and Airly Foods, how significant the food industry’s carbon emissions are, how Airly is using food to reduce climate change, carbon-converting farms, the use of LCA to reduce the carbon footprint of Airly crackers, regenerative agriculture, and what’s next for Airly Foods.
Life Cycle Assessment: The Key to Reducing Carbon Footprint
A Roadmap to Reducing Waste with Denise Coogan from Subaru
Manufacturing cars can produce a ton of waste. Reducing manufacturing waste is essential for all companies in order to decrease environmental impact and save money. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Denise Coogan, Environmental Partnership Manager for Subaru of America, Inc, to discuss Subaru’s journey to reducing waste, how they got their employees on board with their zero waste to landfill journey, how they are supporting National Parks in minimizing their waste, how they have helped Subaru Park, the home of the Philadelphia Union, become the first Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium to achieve zero waste to landfill status, and what’s next for Subaru.
Reversing Global Warming and Creating Carbon Negative Products with Lisa Conway from Interface
Climate change is a significant issue for everyone on the planet. Reducing embodied and operational carbon is critical to reversing global warming. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Lisa Conway VP of Sustainability, Americas for Interface, to discuss Interface’s commitment to sustainability, why carbon is so important in the building industry, Interface’s carbon neutral and negative products for carpet and Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), Interface’s GreenCircle certifications, and what’s next for embodied carbon in products.
Improving Building Efficiency with Sustainable Doors and Hardware with Amy Musanti from ASSA ABLOY
According to the World Green Building Council’s Global Status Report 2017, the building industry accounts for 39% of the world’s carbon emissions. One way to reduce these emissions is to install sustainable doors and hardware. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Amy Musanti Director of Sustainability for ASSA ABLOY, to discuss ASSA ABLOY’s sustainability journey, how ASSA ABLOY is optimizing their products to be more sustainable, the sustainability compass they use in their new product development process, their 150+ GreenCircle certifications, and what’s next for the building industry.
Tackling Hunger and Food Waste with Sunny Reelhorn Parr from Kroger
35% of food produced in the U.S. is thrown away, while 42 million Americans struggle with hunger. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Sunny Reelhorn Parr, Head of Philanthropy at Kroger and Executive Director of The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, to discuss Kroger’s focus on tackling hunger and food waste, keys to success for solving the food waste problem, The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation, and the Innovation Fund.
Everything You Need to Know About Reverse Vending Machines with Mike Noel from TOMRA
Reverse vending machines help contribute to the circular economy. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Mike Noel, Governmental Affairs Manager at TOMRA, to discuss how reverse vending machines work and how they contribute to the circular economy, how regulatory trends are creating risks and opportunities for businesses, the core pillars of TOMRA’s business, and how TOMRA’s sensor-based sorters are reducing carbon emissions related to mining.
Driving Sustainable Innovation in the Footwear Industry with Andy Polk from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA)
The global footwear market is a multi-billion dollar industry that has a huge carbon footprint. In this episode, Tad and Julianna sit down with Andy Polk, Senior Vice President at the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), to discuss FDRA’s sustainability and innovation working groups, how FDRA is working with members to drive product innovation in footwear, how you can access FDRA’s Digital Shoe Sustainability Summit, and more.