Good Garbage with Ved Krishna

India is banking on something too small for the naked eye to see for advancement in fields that matter most: microbes! 🦠

These tiny creatures are responsible for development across medicine, agriculture and industry. And who better to learn about microbes from than the first female director of CSIR-IMTECH, Dr. Alka Rao?

Dr. Rao is one of the most accomplished scientists in India today, with over 16 years of experience in R&D and regulatory affairs. She is a former FSSAI Advisor for Science, Standards & Regulation, two-time representative of 24 Asian countries at the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and a recipient of over 15 awards and fellowships. On top of this amazing list, she has also lead the development of Indian Sign Language, especially in relation to STEM subjects! 

Last month, we flew to her office in Chandigarh to have this conversation with the force of a woman that is Dr. Rao– and we are so excited to finally bring it to you guys! 🎧

🔬 In this episode with Dr. Alka Rao:
• CSIR-IMTECH's history and contribution to Indian scientific development
• What microbes are and how they can be used across various sectors
• A scientist's process
• Can creating fake meat and leather from animal cells work?
• Dr. Rao as a person and her work with the hearing impaired community and ISL

🎙️ Chapters:
0:00 Trailer & intro
01:55 Dr. Rao's experience as CSIR-IMTECH Director
02:20 CSIR-IMTECH as an institution
03:55 What are microbes?
08:00 How cultures are made
10:50 Can microbes degrade plastic?
15:30 Repercussions of dealing with microbes
17:10 Using microbes to make polymers
26:30 Lab-made meat and leather
32:10 Collaborations between industry & microbiology
42:00 Alka, the person
47:10 Dr. Rao's work with ISL
53:45 What does Good Garbage mean to Alka Rao?
54:55 Conclusions

Good Garbage is a podcast about sustainable materials, packaging and regeneration, hosted by Ved Krishna — conversations with the innovators, scientists and founders building a cleaner planet. The question behind every episode: what is good garbage?

▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGarbage
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple: https://linktr.ee/goodgarbagepodcast

CSIR-IMTECH: https://www.imtech.res.in/en
Website: https://www.goodgarbage.info
💌 Contact us: sargam.krishna@goodgarbage.info

What is flexible packaging? Why can't we recycle MLPs? Is the future of packaging paper, plastic, or something else entirely? If you've ever asked yourself any of these questions, don't miss the chance to get answers from a senior VP at the biggest sustainable packaging company in all of North America! 🧻

This week on Good Garbage, Ved Krishna meets Allison Scales, the first female VP of Printing and Graphics at Atlantic Packaging: an 80 year old company that started as a newspaper exposing the KKK, and now leads the charge in sustainable packaging. Allison teaches us all about the challenges, achievements and hope for the future in the world of packaging from her 14 years of experience at Atlantic! 
🎧 Full episode on Spotify & Apple: https://www.goodgarbage.info

In this episode with Allison Scales:
• Flexible packaging: Basics and Evolution
• Materials and equipment used in flexible packaging
• Sustainability and end-of-life challenges
• Innovations in paper and biopolymer packaging
• Atlantic's history and growth in the packaging industry
• Challenges in converting and alternative materials
• Future trends in sustainable packaging

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Allison Scales and Atlantic Packaging
01:59 Allison's leadership journey and early influences
06:06 Career trajectory and key learnings in printing industry
11:03 Basics of flexible packaging and its importance
12:00 Materials and equipment in flexible packaging production
13:45 Evolution and significance of flexible packaging in daily life
16:52 Multilayer structures and their role in shelf life extension
18:51 Industry standards and decision factors for packaging structures
21:59 Challenges of recycling multilayer flexible packaging
24:04 Complexity of printing and converting flexible materials
27:05 Atlantic's equipment innovations for sustainable packaging
36:55 Atlantic's history from newspaper to diversified packaging company
43:58 Atlantic's initiatives in sustainable packaging solutions
49:56 Future growth plans and industry evolution
56:06 Challenges in customer adoption and industry change
57:06 What does Good Garbage mean to Allison?

Good Garbage is a podcast about sustainable materials, packaging and regeneration, hosted by Ved Krishna — conversations with the innovators, scientists and founders building a cleaner planet. The question behind every episode: what is good garbage?

Atlantic Packaging:  https://www.atlanticpkg.com

▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGarbage
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple: https://linktr.ee/goodgarbagepodcast
🔗 More: https://www.goodgarbage.info

💌 Contact us: sargam.krishna@goodgarbage.info

Hello, hello! It's Good Garbage News! 🗞️September was a month filled with groundbreaking transformations in the packaging and sustainability world. Learn about everything from cookies made out of plastic bottles to Oman giving zero duty access to 99% of India's exports in this episode! 🌐🎙️ Hosted by Sargam Krishna & Kumar Niketan 🔬 Innovation:• Ellen MacArthur Foundation launches the PaperFlex Consortium• Lactips & SmartSolve team up to launch the PureNil 0, the world's first 100% plastic-free, dispersible, printable, flexible packaging substrate• Mondelez International replaces their PET trays with paper trays for their flagship European cookie range across 25 markets• Researchers at Southern Illinois University develop a groundbreaking upcycling process, turning PET bottles into edible cookies (Funded by NASA)• SWM International launches the FIVE™, a fluorine-free, oil & grease resistant paper🌐 Industry:• The India-EU Trade Deal has been sent to the European Union Council for approval to sign• GST on Indian paper bags has come down to 5%, while plastic stays at 18%• India-Oman Trade deal: Oman gives zero duty access to over 99% of India's exports and is set to push out plastic bags• US tariffs on Indian goods have fluctuated between 50-10% over the last year, and a new law opens up the possibility of tariffs going up to 100%• Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal visits the US to push for an Interim Trade Deal• India's DGTR recommends an anti-dumping duty of up to $376 on Indonesian multi-layer paperboard💌 Reach out to us at ⁠sargam.krishna@goodgarbage.info⁠ for feedback or questions!🔗 Never miss an episode by following us on all our socials by clicking on the links below:Website: https://www.goodgarbage.infoInstagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/goodgarbagepodcast/⁠YouTube: www.youtube.com/@GoodGarbage Powered by Pakka

Is branding simply marketing, sales and manipulation, or can it go beyond the superficiality into value systems, transparency and even hope? According to this week's guest, branding, is "being". 

In this Good Garbage episode, Ved Krishna sits down with Raphael Bemporad, Founder of BBMG- a branding consultancy working with companies the world needs. Raphael believes in the ability to use business to create positive change for a more just, equitable and sustainable society. Having worked with huge brands like Nike, Target and PepsiCo (to name a few), Raphael brings to this conversation over two decades worth of expertise from the world of marketing! 📊

🎧 Full episode on Spotify & Apple: https://linktr.ee/goodgarbagepodcast

🧠 In this episode with Raphael Bemporad:
• Raphael's background in philosophy and family influence
• The origin story of BBMG and its mission
• The role of branding in social and environmental impact
• Case studies of brands like Just Salad and North Face
• Strategies for small startups to scale impact
• The New Story of Nature and the culture code
• Challenges and opportunities in sustainable packaging
• The importance of radical transparency and trust
• Cultural signals influencing environmental engagement
• The nature loop: reconnect, act, belong

🎙️ Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Raphael's background
02:06 From family roots to social justice and business
03:46 Raphael's journey from philosophy to branding
06:47 Founding BBMG and early projects
12:03 The gelato business and entrepreneurial spirit
18:54 Core principles guiding impact-driven business
24:02 Working with mission-driven brands like Seventh Generation
29:05 Case study: Just Salad and sustainable impact
36:02 Challenges in scaling sustainable packaging
40:47 The new story of nature and culture signals
47:09 Influencing regulators and consumer activism
53:08 The importance of trust, transparency, and honesty
01:00:08 Building resilient brands and community impact
01:05:01 The role of mentorship and community in propagation
01:20:00 The new story of nature and the culture code
01:29:00 Closing thoughts and future outlooks

Good Garbage is a podcast about sustainable materials, packaging and regeneration, hosted by Ved Krishna — conversations with the innovators, scientists and founders building a cleaner planet. The question behind every episode: what is good garbage?

BBMG Website: https://bbmg.com
Raphael's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com

▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@GoodGarbage
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple: https://linktr.ee/goodgarbagepodcast
🔗 More: https://linktr.ee/goodgarbagepodcast
💌 Contact us: sargam.krishna@goodgarbage.info

Hello, hello! It's Good Garbage News! 🗞️

Every month, in addition to our regular episodes with Ved's interviews, we post an industry update with the latest updates in both sustainable packaging and packaging regulations all across the world.

🎙️ Hosted by Sargam Krishna & Kumar Niketan 

🔬 Innovation:
• Zerocircle's heat-sealable coating as a potential replacement for PE coatings on paper cups
• The Starbucks Global Innovation Challenge to help the company look for a compostable material to replace their plastic cups and lids
• Researchers at Hassanuddin University have developed a biodegradable film for food packaging out of coconut cellulose
• Polymateria has created a technology that helps plastic degrade within 2 years
• Cirkla to open its first fiber food-tray manufacturing facility in Georgia, United States

🌐 Industry:
• The UN Global Plastic Treaty ensures production caps as binding and looks into financing the transition away from plastics
• Europe's packaging and packaging waste regulations (that apply to all 27 member states) have come into force starting this August
• The federal court in Oregon, United States has upheld the state's recycling modernization act in full
• Paper and paperboard packaging have been brought into the Extended Producer Responsibility Framework for the very first time in India
• FSSAI's Packaging Amendment Regulations now require small format packaging used for tobacco products to be made out of biodegradable materials
• The governments of Korea, Japan and Taiwan have mandated a minimum of 10% recycled content in all plastic products, which is set to rise to 30% by 2030

💌 Reach out to us at sargam.krishna@goodgarbage.info for feedback or questions!

🔗 Never miss an episode by following us on all our socials by clicking on the links below:
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