Good Garbage with Ved Krishna

Can you eat the packaging instead of throwing it away?

Hello, hello!

In this episode of the Good Garbage Podcast, host Ved Krishna sits down with Naama Nicotara, founder of NakedPak, to explore a radical rethinking of food packaging, one where the wrapper disappears entirely.

From her early inspiration to the material science behind algae-based films, Naama shares the journey of building NakedPak and challenging the very idea of what packaging should be. What began as a response to plastic pollution evolved into a bold innovation that merges food, material science, and design.

This conversation dives into the realities of building a breakthrough sustainability product. From behavioural shifts and market confusion to food safety certifications and scaling production, Naama explains what it truly takes to move from concept to consumer.

Together, Ved and Naama discuss:
• The origin story behind NakedPak
• Why algae became the material of choice
• How edible packaging is developed in the lab
• The science behind taste, shelf life, and food safety
• Consumer psychology and behavioural change
• Market positioning and the blurred line between meal and packaging
• Certifications and regulatory hurdles
• Accessibility, pricing, and commercial viability
• Collaboration and the future of zero waste food systems
• The episode closes with a reflection on what it really means to eliminate waste; not by replacing plastic with another material, but by questioning whether packaging is needed at all.

🎙️ Good Garbage features conversations with founders, scientists, and builders working to leave the planet cleaner — while asking one essential question: What is Good Garbage?

📌Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Naama Nicotara and NakedPak
03:12 The origin story and early inspiration
07:45 Why algae and edible materials?
12:20 Inside the lab: how the packaging is made
18:05 Taste, shelf life, and food safety concerns
24:30 Certifications and regulatory approvals
30:10 Market positioning: meal or packaging innovation
38:45 Pricing and accessibility
44:20 Consumer behaviour and comfort zones
52:15 Challenges in building a breakthrough idea
59:40 Collaboration and industry response
01:07:30 Scaling production and factory vision
01:15:00 The future of edible packaging
01:22:10 What is Good Garbage?

Naama's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naama-nicotra-1b9232174/?originalSubdomain=il 
NakedPak: https://www.nakedpak.com/
NakedPak LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nakedpak/
NakedPak Instagram: https://share.google/n03pqrTXGwcu7z9vv

Producer: Palakshi Aggarwal
Video Producer: Sargam Krishna

📺 Subscribe on YouTube: /@GoodGarbage
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
📸 Follow on Instagram /@goodgarbagepodcast
📩 Send us your questions: [email protected]

Hello, hello!
In this episode of the Good Garbage Podcast, host Ved Krishna sits down with Dr. Alexey Vishtal, a scientist and industry expert in pulp, paper, and sustainable packaging, to explore thematerial reality behind sustainability.
From growing up in Russia to building his career in Finland, Alexey shares the journey that led him into material science — including a PhD focused on the stretchability of paper and years working inside a global corporation like Nestlé. Along the way, he gained rare insight into how sustainability actually moves (or stalls) inside large systems.
This conversation goes beyond surface-level sustainability narratives and into the physics, constraints, and trade-offs that define packaging today. From water vapor barriers to economic viability, Alexey explains why materials — not intentions — ultimately decide what works.

Together, Ved and Alexey discuss:
Why paper performance is more complex than it seems
What stretchability, barriers, and material limits really mean
How regulation and consumer demand shape sustainability efforts
What working inside Nestlé revealed about innovation at scale
How nature offers clues for better material design
Why collaboration is essential for the future of sustainable packaging

The episode closes with a reflection on good garbage — and what it would take to design materials that truly belong in natural and industrial systems.
🎙️ Good Garbage features conversations with scientists, founders, and builders working to leave the planet cleaner — while asking one essential question: What is #GoodGarbage?

📌 Chapters 
00:00 Introduction to Dr. Alexey Vishtal
03:04 From Russia to Finland: early influences
05:46 Discovering pulp & paper
09:00 The science of paper stretchability
12:10 Inside Nestlé: sustainability at scale
17:56 Regulation, consumers & real change
21:11 India, culture, and perspectives
29:52 Innovation in sustainable packaging
50:06 Why water vapor barriers are so hard
54:13 Learning from nature
01:01:20 The future of sustainable materials
01:24:19 Vision for the future of packaging

Producer: Adriana Sánchez Uebelhoer
Video Producer: Sargam Krishna
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: / @goodgarbage
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
📸 Follow on Instagram: / @goodgarbagepodcast

📩 Send us your questions: [email protected]

Hello, hello! In this episode of the Good Garbage Podcast, host Ved Krishna sits down with Neha Jain, Founder & CEO of Zerocircle, to explore how seaweed-based materials could transform the future of sustainable packaging.

Imagine a world where packaging doesn’t end up stranded on beaches, but instead safely dissolves back into nature. That’s the future Neha is working toward.

Neha shares her journey from working at Google to building Zerocirlce, a company focused on developing natural polymer materials from seaweed as an alternative to plastic packaging. This conversation dives deep into material science, the challenges of scaling sustainable packaging solutions, and why true sustainability must work commercially, not just environmentally.

Together, Ved and Neha discuss:
- How seaweed is used to create home-compostable packaging materials
- The science behind natural polymers and plastic alternatives
- Why collaboration is critical in the sustainable materials ecosystem
- What it takes to scale climate-positive solutions globally
- Why “good garbage” means designing systems where waste doesn’t exist

Zerocircle’s vision goes beyond packaging aiming to become a core material provider for manufacturers worldwide, helping reduce plastic waste at scale.
→ Find out more about Zerocirlce: https://www.zerocircle.in/

🎙️ Good Garbage features conversations with founders, scientists, and innovators working to leave the planet cleaner - while asking one essential question: What is #GoodGarbage?

📌 Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Neha Jain and Zero Circle
02:50 Early life, curiosity, and career path
09:24 Entrepreneurship lessons from Flyby Night
15:21 Discovering sustainability and material science
29:57 Founding Zero Circle
54:14 Why seaweed? Properties and potential
01:00:44 Extraction, processing, and scalability
01:10:13 Commercialization challenges
01:22:00 Investors and funding climate solutions
01:30:03 Collaboration in the seaweed ecosystem
01:34:08 The future of sustainable packaging

Neha’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehajn/
Zerocircle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zerocircle/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerocircle_in/

Producer: Adriana Sánchez Uebelhoer
Video Producer: Sargam Krishna
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: / @goodgarbage
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotif
y📸 Follow on Instagram: / @goodgarbagepodcast
📩 Send us your questions: [email protected]

Hello, hello! In this episode of the Good Garbage Podcast, host Ved Krishna sits down with Neha Jain, Founder & CEO of Zerocircle, to explore how seaweed-based materials could transform the future of sustainable packaging. 
Imagine a world where packaging doesn’t end up stranded on beaches, but instead safely dissolves back into nature. That’s the future Neha is working toward.
Neha shares her journey from working at Google to building Zerocirlce, a company focused on developing natural polymer materials from seaweed as an alternative to plastic packaging. This conversation dives deep into material science, the challenges of scaling sustainable packaging solutions, and why true sustainability must work commercially, not just environmentally.
Together, Ved and Neha discuss:
How seaweed is used to create home-compostable packaging materials
The science behind natural polymers and plastic alternatives
Why collaboration is critical in the sustainable materials ecosystem
What it takes to scale climate-positive solutions globally
Why “good garbage” means designing systems where waste doesn’t exist

Zerocircle’s vision goes beyond packaging aiming to become a core material provider for manufacturers worldwide, helping reduce plastic waste at scale. → Find out more about Zerocirlce: https://www.zerocircle.in/ 
🎙️ Good Garbage features conversations with founders, scientists, and innovators working to leave the planet cleaner - while asking one essential question: What is #GoodGarbage?
 📌 Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Neha Jain and Zero Circle
02:50 Early life, curiosity, and career path
09:24 Entrepreneurship lessons from Flyby Night
15:21 Discovering sustainability and material science
29:57 Founding Zero Circle
54:14 Why seaweed? Properties and potential
01:00:44 Extraction, processing, and scalability
01:10:13 Commercialization challenges
01:22:00 Investors and funding climate solutions
01:30:03 Collaboration in the seaweed ecosystem
01:34:08 The future of sustainable packaging
Producer: Adriana Sánchez Uebelhoer
Video Producer: Sargam Krishna 
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: / @goodgarbage
🎧  Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify
📸  Follow on Instagram: / @goodgarbagepodcast 
📩 Send us your questions: [email protected]

Sammy Davies, Director of Sustainability & Brand at EcoSafe Zero Waste, is a regenerative leader who bridges the gap between high-level brand strategy and deep ecological advocacy. With over a decade of experience in cleantech, she brings a "systems change" mindset to the heart of the circular economy.

What if the secret to fixing our broken industrial systems isn't found in a boardroom, but in the ancient wisdom of the earth? We explore how a background in herbalism and ancestral medicine can fundamentally reshape our approach to environmental leadership and personal connection.

Modern waste management is full of promises, but how much of it is actually working? We take a closer look at the innovative tools driving real diversion and the specific household items that are quietly revolutionizing how we handle our daily footprint.

The journey toward zero waste is rarely a straight line. We dive into the uncomfortable truths regarding the "green" products we rely on and why true transformation requires us to fall in love with the very systems we often overlook.

Join host Ved Krishna as he learns from inspiring guests and experts in the industry of sustainable packaging about ways to leave the planet cleaner and answer what is #GoodGarbage?

Check out the Good Garbage podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you listen to podcasts about making the planet cleaner! Check out more on our journey! Get involved at pakka.com

#composting #sustainability #packaging #environment #compostable

Producer: Sargam Krishna

Subscribe to Good Garbage Podcast on Apple Podcasts

Subscribe to Good Garbage Podcast on YouTube: @goodgarbage

Follow us on Instagram: @goodgarbagepodcast

Good Garbage Podcast, Ved Krishna, Samantha Davies, EcoSafe Zero Waste, Sustainability, Circular Economy, Composting, Compostable Packaging, Regenerative Agriculture, Systems Change, India Sustainability, India's Future, Family Business, Innovation, Technology, Modernization, Legacy, Future Vision, Waste Diversion, Zero Waste, Environmental Advocacy, Cleantech, Climate Action, Sustainable Branding, Green Innovation, Soil Regeneration, Nature Connection, Ayurvedic Medicine, Herbalism, Waste Management, Growth Strategy, Global Sustainability