Plastics - Part 2

Plastics are everywhere – but can they ever be truly sustainable? In this episode, host Joe Hanson asks how plastics fit into a circular economy – a system designed to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency. From the familiar mantra of reduce, reuse, recycle to innovative strategies that go far beyond recycling, this conversation dives into what it takes to create a sustainable future for plastics and how waste can become a resource.

Joe hears from Talke Schaffrannek of BASF on driving circular solutions and of Jabir Karat, the founder of the recycling facility Green Worms, on tackling waste challenges in rural India.

Jabir Karat, a social entrepreneur from Kerala, describes how he saw plastic waste as both a problem and an opportunity to create employment and reduce poverty whilst reducing waste. His efforts highlight the urgent need for infrastructure and innovative solutions to prevent valuable resources from ending up in landfills.

Talke Schaffrannek, Director of Circular Economy at BASF, shares how becoming a parent made her think deeply about the future and the resources we are handing over to the next generation. Talke emphasizes her role in driving BASF’s transformation toward circular solutions, leveraging the company’s innovative power and responsibility to change processes and resource intake.

Discover why circularity is more than recycling and how innovative solutions can shape a greener and better future.

If you have just joined SUBSTANCE, check out Episode 2 which shines a light on chemical recycling, a cutting-edge approach that could give new life to plastics that are currently considered unrecyclable – like the complex mix of materials found in old cars.

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More info about this episode: www.basf.com/substance-podcast More info about Green Worms: www.greenworms.org/

SUBSTANCE is a podcast by BASF, produced by TERRITORY Agency, in collaboration with Wake Word and Joe Hanson. Research and scripting by Danielle Sedbrook, Claudia Doyle, Hardy Röde and Joe Hanson.