Plastics, Recycling and the Circular Economy
05/30/23 • 56 min
This episode is sponsored by the Circulen family of sustainable solutions from LyondellBasell. Visit LyondellBasell.com/Circulen to learn more.
The Sustainabilty SmartPod gang is doing something different and bringing you a themed episode. Today we're going to focus on plastics, recycling, and the circular economy. From wind turbines and solar panels to 3D printing and executive education, all of today's segments will touch on at least one of those topics, if not all three. And after the four of us do our usual roundtable discussion, we will also be welcoming in two different guests.
Roman Smith, Director of Global Environmental Sustainability and Social Innovation from AT&T, joins the show (25:07) to talk about an AI-powered recycling tool AT&T has deployed at its headquarters in Dallas.
Dan Coughlin, Senior Staff and Leader of Industrial Collaborations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will also join the show (31:32) to delve into how the government is working hand in hand with industry and leveraging technologies like 3D printing to create more sustainable manufacturing materials for industries like aviation, wind energy, housing and more.
Show Segments
Sustainable or Suspicious - (1:54)
The recycling/repurposing conundrum surrounding wind turbines and solar panels
Top Headlines from SmartBrief on Sustainability - (8:29)
Smart bin will automatically track food wasteInvestors urge CPG firms to speed plastic reductionExecs seek courses to fill sustainability knowledge gapsHere and There - (18:30)
How The Philippines is using AI to monitor its plastics trash
This episode is sponsored by the Circulen family of sustainable solutions from LyondellBasell. Visit LyondellBasell.com/Circulen to learn more.
The Sustainabilty SmartPod gang is doing something different and bringing you a themed episode. Today we're going to focus on plastics, recycling, and the circular economy. From wind turbines and solar panels to 3D printing and executive education, all of today's segments will touch on at least one of those topics, if not all three. And after the four of us do our usual roundtable discussion, we will also be welcoming in two different guests.
Roman Smith, Director of Global Environmental Sustainability and Social Innovation from AT&T, joins the show (25:07) to talk about an AI-powered recycling tool AT&T has deployed at its headquarters in Dallas.
Dan Coughlin, Senior Staff and Leader of Industrial Collaborations at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will also join the show (31:32) to delve into how the government is working hand in hand with industry and leveraging technologies like 3D printing to create more sustainable manufacturing materials for industries like aviation, wind energy, housing and more.
Show Segments
Sustainable or Suspicious - (1:54)
The recycling/repurposing conundrum surrounding wind turbines and solar panels
Top Headlines from SmartBrief on Sustainability - (8:29)
Smart bin will automatically track food wasteInvestors urge CPG firms to speed plastic reductionExecs seek courses to fill sustainability knowledge gapsHere and There - (18:30)
How The Philippines is using AI to monitor its plastics trash
Previous Episode
A Conversation with Liliana Esposito, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Wendy's
In the quickservice restaurant industry, Wendy's is known as the 'Queen of QSR.' But as Wendy's continues to serve up tasty burgers and yummy Frostys, the company is also working to be the Queen of ESG. Guiding the company's efforts on that front is Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer Liliana Esposito. Esposito joins the show (21:41) to outline the details of 'Good Done Right' - which is the name Wendy's has given to its ESG strategy. Esposito also offers insights from Wendy's 2022 Corporate Responsibility Report, shares her experience establishing the company's Science-Based Target goals and details numerous other sustainability efforts Wendy's has embraced.
Show Segments
Sustainable or Suspicious - (1:45)
Should whales be monetized as carbon offsets?
Top Headlines from SmartBrief on Sustainability - (8:11)
The 'Cardboard washing' of consumer products
Creating bioplastic pellets from seaweed
Is 'Sustainable Fashion' just a trend?Here and There - (15:28)
Copenhagen leads the way on sustainable fashion shows
Highlights from Liliana Esposito
The origins of 'Good Done Right' - (22:10)
Highlights from 2022 Corporate Responsibility report - (23:20)
Responsible food sourcing - (27:47)
Sustainability as a factor in food safety - (29:10)
How sustainability shapes menu innovation - (30:44)
Responsible packaging - (31:52)
Science-Based Targets - (34:55)
Wendy's environmental footprint - (38:43)
New 'Global Next Gen' restaurant design - (40:12)
Partnering with Duke Energy Florida on community solar power - (42:09)
Tying executive compensation to ESG performance - (43:22)
Liliana's bold predictions - (47:27)
Next Episode
Deloitte's John Mennel on Tackling the Complexity of Sustainability Data
As Evan notes in this episode, data is the linchpin of corporate sustainability. So we are gonna spend a lot of time talking about data; including how companies like Amazon and FedEx gather and disseminate sustainability data.
And to help us sort out the complexitiy of all that data, John Mennel, Managing Director in Deloitte’s Sustainability, Climate & Equity practice, joins the show (18:44) to share his insights on current corporate sustainability trends. John also details some of the technology- and analytics-enabled tools Deloitte has developed -- including GreenLight Solution, GreenSpace Tech and ClearCarbon -- to help companies and investors design and implement decarbonization plans, commercialize abatements and better understand climate-related risks.
Show segments
Sustainable or Suspicious - (1:58)
Amazon's HQ2 make some bold sustainability claims
Top Headlines from SmartBrief on Sustainability - (12:05)
FedEx offers emissions tracking toolClimate change reducing omega-3 content of ocean fishDutch city tackles litter with fleet of mini EVsHighlights from John Mennel - (18:44)Deloitte's centralized position in the sustainability landscape - (18:58)
Things organization need to remember when establishing net-zero goals - (20:21)
Do we live in a world with too much data? Or not enough? - (22:04)
Which data needs to be prioritized: Compliance vs Business improvement vs Business transformation - (23:50)
The challenges of Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 reporting standards - (27:04)
Using data to navigate the intersection of stakeholders and regulators - (29:39)
Talent as a key stakeholder - Deloitte's Gen Z and Millenial Survey (32:07)
The basics of GreenLight Solution - (34:55)
How GreenSpace Tech propels innovation - (37:46)
The ClearCarbon tool for the food sector - (41:10)
How the field of sustainability has evolved over the years - (42:38)
John's bold predictions about the future of sustainability - (44:51)
Sustainability SmartPod - Plastics, Recycling and the Circular Economy
Transcript
(Note: This transcript was creeated using aritificial intelligence. It has not been edited verbatim.)
Sean McMahon 00:00
Today's episode of the Sustainability SmartPod is brought to you by the Circulen family of sustainable solutions from LyondellBasell. LyondellBasell helps its customers develop more sustainable products, lower their carbon footprint and unlock the circular potential of plastics. Visit LyondellBasell.com/Circulen To learn more, or click on the link in the sh
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/sustainability-smartpod-253429/plastics-recycling-and-the-circular-economy-30610137"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to plastics, recycling and the circular economy on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy