Sustainably Speaking

Most of us toss a plastic bottle into the recycling bin without thinking twice. But where does it actually go? Does recycling really work? And what happens after the truck drives away? On this episode of Sustainably Speaking , Mia Quinn sits down with Laura Stewart, executive director of NAPCOR, to discuss the recycling system most people never see. From high-tech sorting systems powered by AI to...

From startups to hands-on STEM education, Akron is emerging as a model for how cities can grow jobs, strengthen recycling systems, and build a circular economy for plastics. In this conversation, Mayor Malik shares how Akron is leveraging its roots in rubber and plastics to drive innovation—investing in pilots that help startups scale, strengthening ties between universities and industry, and crea...

What does a career in STEM—science, technology, engineering and math—really look like today? It might mean managing thousands of employees at a federal agency, protecting breakthrough inventions through patents, or helping redesign the materials that power modern life. The common thread isn’t a straight line. It’s curiosity, adaptability and the willingness to say yes to new opportunities.   Host...

What if we could recycle just half of the plastic currently going to landfills? The answer: 173,000 new jobs, nearly $50 billion in economic output, and a stronger American manufacturing base. In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn welcomes back Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, for a wide-ranging conversation on why recycling is no longer just an environmenta...

Biodegradable water-soluble films. Recycling that reuses molecules over and over. AI that can develop more sustainable polymers. In this conversation, Sustainably Speaking host Mia Quinn sits down with Anne Kolton, Chief Sustainability Officer at SK Capital Partners, to explore the next wave of innovation in manufacturing and materials. Anne shares how her team invests in companies developing brea...

What if your car was easier to recycle? Hyundai’s Amanda Nummy is helping make it happen.  In Episode 52 of Sustainably Speaking, we explore how biomimicry, recycled plastics, and smart design choices are helping the auto industry tackle its waste footprint — and what that means for the next generation of our cars and trucks. In this episode, you’ll hear:          •           How Hyundai’s goal is...

Greenwood Cemetery is the final resting place of over 50,000 African Americans whose legacies stretch back generations. But for years, erosion and neglect made the site nearly impossible to access. That changed when a group of volunteers decided not to let history disappear. In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, we visit with the Greenwood community about how they worked with engineers, nonprof...

Recorded live at SXSW, this episode brings together leaders from Van Dyk Recycling Solutions, Dow, and Greyparrot to explore how AI is reshaping the recycling system. From real-time data and material tracking to smarter packaging design and policy reform, it's a conversation about what's working, what's broken—and what could finally close the loop. In this episode you’ll hear: How AI helps sort wa...

In the second installment our SXSW conversation with Rey Banatao and Peter Chauvel from Google X, we explore what it looks like to build ambitious ideas from the ground up. This episode dives into early ‘Moonshot’ experiments with textile recycling, the role biology could play in the future of materials, and how big ideas move from the whiteboard to the real world. We also go behind the scenes of...

What if the future of recycling isn't just about managing 'waste'—but unlocking its value? At Google's X, the Moonshot Factory, turning moonshots into reality means rethinking the impossible. And in this episode, you'll hear how that vision could help build a smarter, more circular world—one molecule, algorithm, and bold idea at a time.   Recorded live at SXSW, this episode features Rey Banatao an...

Live from SXSW in Austin, Mia sits down with Rich James of Dow and Gina Oliver of the American Chemistry Council to talk all things automotive recycling. They break down how new plastics are making vehicles safer, lighter, and more efficient—and discuss breakthroughs that are keeping valuable materials out of landfills. This episode explores the path to sustainable automotives and why America has...

When Matt Campana saw a YouTube video of a 3D printer creating prosthetic hands, what he really saw was an opportunity to make a difference. Little did he know how big a difference he would make. As Matt tells us, “The whole thing has been organic—from finding clients to participate to finding recipients. It's just happened exactly the way that it was supposed to.” It’s true, cutting-edge technolo...

In an era marked by rapid technological advancement and an ever-increasing reliance on electronic devices, the need for effective recycling has never been more crucial. But how do we go about recycling our electronic devices? Leaders in sustainability like Cody Oliver from evTerra are working to make that easier than ever before by improving and developing the technology to enable more recycling i...

Adam Minter has been traversing the globe throughout his career as an award-winning journalist and author of two best-selling, critically acclaimed books, “Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade” and “Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale”. His objective? To uncover the facts about recycling. In the second installment of our two-part episode, Adam weighs in on the n...

From scraps to facts. How does a kid who grew up working in his family’s scrap yard become an award-winning journalist and author of two best-selling, critically acclaimed books about recycling? “They always say, write what you know about. It turned out I knew something about scrap!” Adam Minter’s career trajectory is undoubtably a fascinating story in and of itself, but his reporting on global re...

The recycling industry is going beyond high-tech. Scientists and inventors are working on cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the future of the industry and increasing opportunities for circularity. For example, how do we take used fishing nets and turn them into new materials for automobiles? It’s something that may have been unimaginable years ago, but not anymore thanks in part to innova...

Everything’s bigger in Texas—and Austin’s ambitious zero waste goals are no exception. The city is blazing a trail when it comes to transforming traditional waste management into sustainable resource recovery. On this episode, Maddie Morgan from Austin’s Circular Economy Program shows us how the city is creating a more sustainable future. As you’ll find out, Maddie’s approach to improving the circ...

Are you curious about the recycling industry? Have you ever wondered how you can get involved? In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership, shares advice for anyone who feels inspired to have a positive impact on the planet. Keefe also brings new data to the table as we learn about the current state of recycling in the U.S. and how you should really re...

Jeremy DeBenedictis is on a mission to change the future of recycling. Advanced recycling technologies, like those used at his company Alterra, have potential to fast-track recycling and keep more plastics in the circular economy.  Alterra’s disruptive technology breaks down hard-to-recycle plastics and converts them back into materials that can be used to make new plastic. By doing this, Jeremy a...

Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than five millimeters. They are challenging to detect and can have primary or secondary origins. Studying the life cycles of plastics is crucial for reducing microplastics and allows the industry to develop more durable products and design items that degrade under controlled conditions. The journey towards safeguarding from microplastics in ou...

In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, Ross Eisenberg, president of America's Plastic Makers® at the American Chemistry Council delves into his journey, sharing his experience advocating for circular and sustainable solutions and looking at priorities for this year and beyond. He also shines a light on the challenges of implementing federal and international policy on sustainability. Ross and Mi...

In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn explores innovations in sustainable architecture with guests Heidi Kujawa and Jordan Goldman. Heidi, CEO of ByFusion, discusses their innovative approach to using plastic waste to create building materials, highlighting the need to reduce environmental impact. Jordan Goldman, Engineering Principal of Zero Energy Design, sheds light on the cha...

In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn hands over the mic to Susan Jackson from BASF Corporation to talk with two prominent political pollsters who explored people’s perceptions around recycling.  Jackson is joined by polling experts Cornell Belcher, president and founder of Brilliant Corners Research and Strategies and best known for his polling work for former President Barack O...

On this episode of Sustainably Speaking, we’re discussing how the world of sports and entertainment can become more sustainable. We’re joined by Head of Sustainability for the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Team Sofi Armenakian who helped the Hawks’ State Farm Stadium become the first sports and live entertainment venue in the world to receive TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) platinum certificat...