Talk Green to Me Talk Green to Me

Solar panels make clean energy, but are they actually green at the end of their life? Right now very few recyclers globally and in the U.S. can truly recycle solar panels into clean commodities. In the next few years, as first generation solar panel farms start getting repowered, millions of tons of material will need to go somewhere. We speak with Brett Henderson, CEO and Co-Founder of SolarPanelRecycling.com, on the brand new recycling technologies they are developing to make sure all the parts of solar panels can be separated with low energy processes. He tells us about the challenges of recycling and predictions that landfills may not have the capacity for this massive new waste stream. We discuss upcoming legislation at federal, state, and local levels to address this challenge. Brett gives us practical tips on what we can do to make sure getting clean energy from solar panels is truly good for the planet.

Bacteria give alternatives to fossil fuels and cellulose from trees. In this episode we talk Isabel Alvarez-Martos, CEO and co-founder of Cellugy on how their company started as an idea in grad school and turned into a company making biodegradable and compostable materials. She tells us why bacterial cellulose is such a unique, beneficial, but also challenging material to use. We discuss why this cellulose source may be better than trees in this new developing industry, how these materials can be used in your shampoos and more, and how Cellugy navigated the start-up company space with this nanotechnology.

Have you heard of cellulose nanomaterials? From the bacteria in your kitchen to the trees in your backyard, we discuss the history and discoveries of this new class of materials. Learn why these renewable alternative to plastics are taking the world by storm and where you might seem in the future in the products you use everyday.

In the face of plastic bag bans, how do you ensure your family business adapts? We interview Trent Romer, former co-owner of a plastic bag converter, on his remarkable sustainability journey. We discuss what inspired him to change, what he learned, and how he lead his business to make dramatic sustainability improvements for themselves and for the planet. He describes his books “This is Our Home” to help you start your own eco-friendly journey and “Finding Sustainability” to help you learn how your organization can apply sustainability practices.

Where do plastic bags come from? How are they made? How are they recycled and are the bag bans effective? In this episode we discuss the life of a plastic bag from fossil fuels to recycled decking material or to the ocean....and the steps in between!

You asked, we answered. What is greenwashing? For this year's winter bonus episode, we answered our listeners' questions about greenwashing. Listen in as we give examples of companies that have been caught greenwashing and what you can look out for. Are those strawless Starbucks lids better, what's up with those laundry sheets, should I get bamboo toilet paper, what's the FSC and B corp labels mean and more!