PODCAST · science
Plastic. Climate. Future.
by Mat Wielopolski & John Sewell
Plastic. Climate. Future. enables engagement among industry members, climate activists, innovators, and the rest of world (the general public) to ultimately achieve positive changes related to plastic and the climate. In their podcast, Mat & John host guests from these groups of stakeholders and talk about their views, activities and opinions to foster trustful communication and learn from each other. Check out more at www.plasticclimatefuture.com
Episodes
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The Unexpected Ways Plastics Change Lives
When we talk about plastics, we often think about packaging, recycling and waste. But what about the plastics that become part of the human body — sometimes for decades? In the latest episode of our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland, we speak with Alexander Paasche and Marc Knebel from…
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What It Takes to Make Circularity Mainstream
Circular plastics are no longer just a sustainability ambition. They are becoming a strategic business opportunity. But what will it take to move from early adopters to industry-wide adoption? In the latest episode of our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland, we speak with Dirk Langhammer from...
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Looking at PVC with Fresh Eyes
PVC has been around for decades — and so have many of the perceptions surrounding it. But how much has the material, and the industry behind it, changed? In the latest episode of our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland we speak with Alexander Kronimus from VinylPlus Deutschland about taking a...
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A CRISP Vision for the Future of Manufacturing
What does it take to make industry truly future-ready? In this episode, we speak with Gunther Weidinger, founder and chairman of Estanium and former Siemens executive, about how manufacturing can become more connected, resilient, intelligent, sustainable and people-centric — or, in one word…
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When Recycling Starts with Design
Another episode of our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland is out! This time, we look at why successful recycling often starts long before a product reaches the end of its life — at the design stage. We speak with Dr. Alexander Azzawi from Evonik about the technologies that can make plastics...
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Beyond Sustainability: The Strategic Value of Circularity
In this episode, we speak with Dr. Jens Hamprecht, VP Global Plastics Steering Committee & Sustainability at BASF, about the transformation of the plastics industry and why circularity is becoming increasingly important for Europe's industrial future. From innovative recycling technologies to...
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Scaling What Matters: From Innovation to Industry
Last week in Berlin, Germany’s innovation ambitions took center stage. Our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland continues with another example of the technologies and companies shaping its industrial future. We speak with Melanie Hackler and Eva Kamp from matterr about what happens after you...
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Turning Germany’s Industrial Strength into Action
This week, Germany’s plastics industry takes its innovation story to Berlin — and our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland looks at what it will take to turn industrial strength into action. Ahead of this week’s innovation press conference, we sit down with Christine Bunte from Plastics Europe...
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A Front-Row Perspective on the Plastics Industry
Our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland continues with a perspective from someone who has been observing the chemical and plastics industries from a front-row seat for more than three decades. Michael Reubold is a polymer chemist by training — but instead of working directly in the plastics...
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The Invisible Chemistry Behind Safer Materials
Flame retardants rarely get much attention. Yet they play an important role in enabling the plastics used across electronics, electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, buildings and many other high-tech applications. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Adrian Beard from Clariant to...
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When Conventional Recycling Isn't Enough
Our series with Plastics Europe Germany takes on another key question for the future of plastics: What happens when conventional recycling isn't enough? In this episode, we sit down with Marcel Beermann, CEO of ARCUS GreencyclingTechnologies, to explore the role chemical recycling can play in...
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Building the Energy Infrastructure of Tomorrow
The energy transition isn’t only about generating renewable energy. It’s also about how we transport and distribute that energy — and the materials that make this infrastructure possible. In this episode, we sit down with Dr.Matthias Pursch from Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics to explore the...
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Rethinking How We Innovate Materials
New episode of our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland, exploring “What HighTech is made of – Plastics as the Enablers of German Innovation Goals,” is live. Episode 2: Rethinking How We Innovate Materials How do we turn promising material ideas into solutions that actually work at industrial...
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Building Circularity at Industrial Scale
Germany’s future technologies share one common denominator: plastics. In our series with Plastics Europe Deutschland, we talk to the people turning that into solutions — from material volume to material competence, the core idea behind The Plastic Shift. For our first company conversation, we sit...
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The Next Chapter for Germany’s Plastics Industry
Germany doesn't have an ideas problem. Eight years of shrinking industrial production. Christine Bunte, Managing Director of Plastics Europe Deutschland, calls it what it is: not an economic dip, but a structural crisis. And yet — the universities are excellent. The research is excellent. The…
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The Plastic That Fades Away, and Ends Up Saving Coral Reefs
What started as an effort to create a better alternative to conventional plastic straws led to something nobody expected. In this episode, we speak with Brad Laporte and Michael Winters from WinCup, the team behind PHADE®—a PHA-based material designed to biodegrade in environments where...
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Are Circular Plastics Ready for the Mainstream?
Circular plastics have moved beyond pilot projects. Today, companies are investing in mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, renewable feedstocks, and even CO₂-based materials. But are these solutions ready to scale—and what will it take to make them mainstream? In this episode, we sit down…
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Is Seaweed a New Hope for Sustainable Packaging?
In this episode, we speak with Neil Morris, founder of Kelpi, about how seaweed-based materials could help reshape the future of packaging — and what it really takes to move beyond fossil-based plastics. We discuss: Why seaweed is attracting attention as a renewable feedstock The challenge of...
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Is Plastic Recycling in Europe Really Broken?
What if the problem isn’t that we’re failing to recycle, but that the system itself is working against it? In this episode, we speak with Joan Marc Simon, founder of Zero Waste Europe and one of the leading voices shaping circular economy policy across the EU. With decades of experience bridging...
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Can Design Thinking Change the Future of Plastics?
What if the future of plastics doesn’t start in a lab, but in a design studio? In this episode of Plastic. Climate. Future., we speak with Beat Karrer, founder of FluidSolids, who took an unconventional path from industrial design into material innovation — developing high-performance materials...
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Electrifying the Future: Can Power Drive Circularity?
Circularity isn’t just about materials. It’s about energy. In this episode of Plastic. Climate. Future., we speak with Constantine Lau from Schneider Electric, who is leading electrification strategies for some of the world’s most energy-intensive industries. With decades of experience across…
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Are Enzymes the Missing Link in Plastics Circularity?
What if the breakthrough in plastic recycling doesn’t come from higher temperatures or bigger reactors — but from biology? In this episode of Plastic. Climate. Future., we speak with Oliver Borek from Entzimatiko, a company developing a novel enzymatic technology that goes beyond conventional...
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The Packaging Puzzle: Will Digital Twins Bring Us Closer to Circularity?
We’re kicking off the next series of Plastic. Climate. Future. —𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 — a 12-month journey exploring the innovations, systems, and people shaping a circular plastics economy. 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟏: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝘂𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗲: 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹…
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YEAR-END WRAP UP (2025)
New Year, New Episode – But First, Let’s Rewind. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰. 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲. 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. – 𝙔𝙚𝙖𝙧-𝙀𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙥 𝙀𝙥𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙙𝙚 (2025) We’re kicking off 2026 with something different: a raw, reflective conversation about the episodes that changed how we think about circularity. Three...
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Is This the Most Unexpected Sustainable Material Yet?
What began as a curious design experiment has grown into a pioneering materials company, one that’s rethinking circularity, material value, and how we deal with overlooked waste streams. In this episode, we speak with Zsofia Kollar, founder of Human Material Loop, a startup turning human hair…
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The Lignin Solution: From Forestry Waste to Plastic Innovation
What if plastic could be made — not from fossil fuels — but from forestry residues? In this episode of Plastic Climate Future, we speak with Fredrik Malmfors, CEO of Lignin Industries, about how this abundant, underused natural material is being transformed into a scalable alternative to...
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Is This the Future of Sustainable Food Packaging?
In this episode, we speak with Ved Krishna, the visionary behind Pakka, a company creating compostable food packaging from sugarcane waste — and aiming to scale regenerative packaging across the food industry. With deep roots in India and global ambitions, Ved shares how Pakka is building local...
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Conference Countdown: Why CRE Forum 2025 Matters Now
In this episode of Plastic Climate Future, we speak with Valentijn de Neve, CEO of BlueAlp and President of Chemical Recycling Europe, ahead of the 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 (𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗙 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱) — taking place 16 September in Brussels, with a networking reception…
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Circular by Design: What It Takes to Rethink Plastics
In this episode of Plastic Climate Future, we speak with Dr. Christine Bunte, Managing Director of Plastics Europe, about what it really means to make plastics circular — and why achieving it is far more complex than simply recycling more. Christine brings a unique perspective, blending a...
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Policy Meets Practice: Scaling Circularity Through Regulation
In this episode of Plastic Climate Future, we speak with Olivier Van Volden, a leading expert in plastics regulation and circular policy across Belgium and the EU. With a PhD in polymer science and a career spanning sustainable logistics, packaging legislation, and industry advocacy, Olivier…
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Voices of the Ocean: Turning Trash and Data into Action
What if every bottle cap, cigarette butt, or food wrapper washed up on a beach was more than just waste? What if it represented a data point, a story, and a call to action? In this episode of Plastic Climate Future, we speak with Sarah Weller from Ocean Conservancy, whose work transforms global...
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Serious Fun: The People Behind Plastic Progress with Antero Ahvenainen
At just 30 years old, Antero Ahvenainen was trusted to lead the most critical technology project in his company — a polyethylene innovation that would eventually power some of the largest polymer plants in the world. He didn’t have formal training in plastics. What he had was curiosity, courage,...
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Bio-Based and Beyond: Pioneering the Future of Sustainable Chemistry with BASF
In this episode of Plastic Climate Future, BASF experts Dr. Ivana Krkljuš, Dr. Christian Krueger, and Prof. Peter Saling discuss the future of sustainable chemistry through the lens of bio-attributed products, mass balance, and industrial decarbonization. Drawing from their recently published…
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Transforming Waste into Wonders: WildPlastic's Mission with Christian Sigmund
In the second episode of the podcast series Plastic. Climate. Future: A Journey into Circular Solutions for a Sustainable World, Christian Sigmund discusses WildPlastic’s mission and its innovative approach to transforming plastic waste into sustainable packaging solutions. He also reflects on…
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Can You Reimagine Performance Through Circularity in Sportswear? with Christian Goldhahn from On Running
In the first episode of this new podcast series: Plastic. Climate. Future.: A Journey into Circular Solutions for a Sustainable World. , we are joined by Christian Goldhahn, a material scientist at ON Running, to explore how circularity is reshaping the sportswear industry. Key Highlights: •...
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The Tight Knot of Sustainability in Fashion with Nicolò Giusti from Tommy Hilfiger
In the latest episode of the Plastic. Climate. Future. podcast, we sit down with sustainability expert Nicolo Giusti to untangle some of the toughest challenges facing the fashion industry as it strives to become more sustainable. This insightful conversation covers some of the most pressing…
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Carbon Cuts at the Core: BASF’s vision for a Greener Chemistry Future Ivana Krkljuš from BASF
In the latest episode of the Plastic. Climate. Future. podcast, we sit down with Ivana Krkljus from BASF to discuss the company’s innovative approaches to sustainability. As a leader in the chemical industry, BASF is at the forefront of efforts to reduce carbon emissions and transition toward...
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Shaping the Future of Carbon with Michael Carus and Lara Dammer from Nova Institute
In our latest Plastic. Climate. Future. podcast, Michael Carus and Lara Dammer from Nova Institute shed light on the vital work of the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) and its role in transitioning to a sustainable, circular carbon economy. Key Highlights from the Episode: • Leading the Way with...
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Into the Mycelium (R)Evolution with Timo Van Vooren and Steff Van Loy from Citribel
Join us in our latest Plastic. Climate. Future. podcast episode with Timo Van Vooren and Steff Van Loy from Citribel, where we had the chance to discuss the impact of mycelium in the future of the materials industry. Check out the key topics: Discover how Citribel's unique fermentation process is...
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Sustainable Threads: The Journey of Plastic Waste to Eco-Friendly Textiles - with Emil Pettersen from Reparell
Our latest Plastic. Climate. Future. podcast features Emil Pettersen, visionary founder of Reparel. Discover how Emil is tackling the issue of plastic waste while rethinking business models for sustainability. Catch Emil as he shares: The critical role of storytelling and customer engagement in...
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Scuba Diving into the Circular Economy - with Karel Golta from Indeed Innovation
This week on the Plastic.Climate.Future podcast, we welcome Karel Golta from Indeed Innovation for a thought-provoking conversation on the future of sustainable innovation. Karel shares insights into the shifting landscape of circular economy initiatives, the business models driving these…
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Rethinking Plastic Waste - with Eric Appelman from Aduro Clean Technologies
In this podcast episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Eric Appelman from Aduro Clean Technologies. Join us to explore how Aduro is revolutionizing plastic recycling with their cutting-edge technology. Key episode highlights: The story behind Aduro Clean Technologies: From Canadian roots…
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Sustainability of plastics - a journey with Jeff Wooster
In this podcast episode, Jeff Wooster, retired Sustainability Director at Dow, shares over three decades of experience turning plastics into value while advocating for sustainability. His insights offer a unique view of the evolving world of plastics and environmental responsibility. Highlights…
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The in’s and out’s of the packaging revolution - with Cory Connors from Orora Packaging Solutions
In this podcast episode, we had the pleasure of sitting down with Cory Connors, Director of Sustainable Packaging at Orora Packaging Solutions, to discuss the future of packaging and its role in driving sustainability. Cory shared his wealth of experience and offered insightful solutions to some…
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Unwasting for a Change - with Akshay Gunteti from Green Worms
The latest episode of Plastic.Climate.Future is live! 🌊✨ Join us as we dive deep with Akshay from Greenworms! Discover how they're tackling plastic pollution and poverty with innovative waste management in rural India. 🏞️👩🌾 Tune in to explore: The incredible journey of Greenworms: From…
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Waste Management: Everywhere, Everyone - with Joel Tasche from CleanHub
n this podcast episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Joel Tasche, founder of CleanHub. Joel's passion for surfing ignited his entrepreneurial spirit, leading him to establish CleanHub, a waste management franchise dedicated to combating the global plastic crisis. Key insights from our...
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Making Sustainability Stick - with Sjoerd Dijkstra from Henkel Adhesive Technologies
"The challenge isn't carbon itself, but the source of the carbon." Take a look at this freshly released recording from the WBM on stage interview with Henkel featuring Sjoerd Dijkstra, Director of Sustainability Strategy & Excellence at Henkel Adhesive Technologies, Mat and John, about the...
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Turning Waste into “Like a Virgin” plastics! - with Outi Teräs from Neste
In this podcast episode we had the opportunity to meet Outi Teräs from Neste, a leader in transforming plastic waste into valuable resources through chemical recycling. During this episode we had the chance of getting to know how Neste is tackling plastic pollution and shaping a more circular...
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From Plastic Waste to Concrete Solutions - with Ben Norton, Simon Teede, and Rainer von Urff Kaufeld from Ele Collection
Warning: This week's podcast episode contains an extreme story features a raging elephant, a rock and plastic pollution! This story resulted in Ele Collection, an organization founded to tackle plastic pollution in Southern Africa’s ecologically sensitive areas. We are joined by Ben Norton, Simon...
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The Impact of Small Everyday Acts - with Hunter Lovins
In the latest Plastic.Climate.Future. episode, we dive into the world of sustainability with the incredible Hunter Lovins. As the founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions and a key figure in NOW partners, Lovins brings a wealth of experience and insights to the table. Throughout the episode, we...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Plastic. Climate. Future. enables engagement among industry members, climate activists, innovators, and the rest of world (the general public) to ultimately achieve positive changes related to plastic and the climate.
In their podcast, Mat & John host guests from these groups of stakeholders and talk about their views, activities and opinions to foster trustful communication and learn from each other.
Check out more at www.plasticclimatefuture.com
HOSTED BY
Mat Wielopolski & John Sewell
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Plastic. Climate. Future. have?
Plastic. Climate. Future. currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Plastic. Climate. Future. about?
Plastic. Climate. Future. enables engagement among industry members, climate activists, innovators, and the rest of world (the general public) to ultimately achieve positive changes related to plastic and the climate. In their podcast, Mat & John host guests from these groups of stakeholders and...
How often does Plastic. Climate. Future. release new episodes?
Plastic. Climate. Future. has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Plastic. Climate. Future.?
You can listen to Plastic. Climate. Future. on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Plastic. Climate. Future.?
Plastic. Climate. Future. is created and hosted by Mat Wielopolski & John Sewell.
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