Sustainability Matters Today

Series 3, episode 14 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast!  Introducing David Even, the Co-Founder of PRIMAL Soles, a company that specialises in making circular cork insoles which are endlessly reusable. According to Circular Online, 23 billion pairs of shoes are made each year and 22 billion pairs are thrown into landfill. With sneakerhead and trainer consumption only growing every year - more of what goes into our shoes is just ending up in landfills.  Shoes are one thing, but shoe insoles themselves are contaminating the environment by emitting chemicals into the soil and groundwater.  So, what is the solution to this problem? PrimalSoles shoes believe they have the answer.  PRIMAL Soles are CO2 negative and endlessly recyclable high performance cork insoles. The bottom of each insole is made from recycled cork and footwear waste. Made for a lifetime of maximum comfort without the environmental footprint. What makes it even better is you can return your PRIMAL Soles and reuse the material endlessly.  W

Series 3, episode 13 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast!  Introducing Julie Cheetham; Founding Member and Managing Director at Weeva - and Aimee Henning; Sustainability Manager at Weeva.  Weeva is a company that specialises in making tourism more sustainable. From small actional steps within an organisation that can have a big impact on the surrounding area and environment it operates from.   Weeva was designed by sustainable tourism experts from the ground up, using the latest science to ensure our efforts translate into maximum impact. They focus on using sustainability to create more efficient and resilient businesses. By bringing all this knowledge and information into one place, explained in simple language, and with clear instructions, their team has built something this industry has been waiting for: a 360° sustainability management platform. Because that's exactly what managers and those in hospitality and tourism need – something to guide them to do better without the guesswork or the effo

Series 3, episode 12 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast!  Introducing Eilecia Bovard - EU Climate Pact Ambassador and CEO & Co-Founder of The Perfect Farm. Perfect Farm is a company that specialises in helping farmers and corporations use their platform to enable EU livestock farmers to find funding, solutions providers and supplemental revenue channels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the new Industrial Emissions Directive, IED, 2027.  To reduce emissions to meet the 2030 climate agenda will require innovative thinking, backed by proper education.  Eilecia is a Master of Science student at Tomorrow University, where she had the opportunity through one of her modules at the university discover the idea behind Perfect Farms and make it a reality.  We have shown Tomorrow University on our channel earlier this year to understand their approach to educating and training learners with the knowledge to become, as they put it, ‘Change Makers’. As part of her experience studying at Tomor

Series 3, episode 11 of the Sustainability Champion's Podcast! Introducing Theo Hooker, Co-Founder of Cambium Carbon; a company that specialises in transforming fallen trees into valuable products with place-based impact! Put simply, the team at Cambium Carbon looks to source locally, save locally and reinvest in local tree planting. A circular economy model that creates new green jobs and funding support for urban canopy restoration in the communities that need it most.   The problem that Theo and his team are looking to address is that in the US alone, more than 45 million tons of urban tree waste is generated every year. With wood reuse, in the US alone, this has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 251 million tons annually.  The approach that Cambium Carbon takes is unique—reduce wood waste, create jobs in a transparent supply chain, and support equitable restoration of community forests.  This week’s podcast guest features Theo Hooker from Cambium Carbon.  Learn more about Cambium Car

Series 3, episode 10 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast!  Introducing Tom McGee, Founder and Managing Director of X-Heat, a company that specialises in making affordable low-cost and low-carbon heating systems. X-Heat is a leading company, located in the U.K., operating within the commercial and leisure industries, specialising in developing heating applications using cutting-edge catalytic technology. Their flagship product, Nano-Heat, has been designed to revolutionise the way businesses and individuals heat their spaces while reducing energy consumption by 50%. For over a decade, X-Heat have been committed to providing energy-efficient and eco-friendly heating solutions that save their customers money and reduce their carbon footprint.  X-Heat’s Nano-Heat is fully approved and compliant with the latest industry standards. Unlike traditional heating systems, their products eliminate harmful pollutants and make them safe for both the environment and people.   Energy efficient, reduced operating costs, a

Series 3, episode 9 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast!  Introducing Daniel Graham, Managing Director of Birchall Tea, a company that specialises in making fine teas with a focus on sustainability using plant-based tea bags.  For those who watch our podcast weekly, you will know that our Host, Daniel Hartz, loves, as the British call it - a cuppa.  In fact, per episode, Daniel will go through an entire pot of tea - so approximately 4 cups per episode.  So when the opportunity came about to interview a tea company, with sustainable practices and infrastructure, we (Daniel) were extremely excited! A company that’s been in the tea trade since 1872, Birchall Tea is an award winning, family-run business located in England. What makes Birchall tea stand out from their competitors is their commitment to sustainability - and this is evident in their factory, which is powered 100% by 482 solar panels - which produces twice as much electricity than their factory needs, meaning they give a lot of the energy back to

Series 3, episode 8 of the Sustainability Champion's Podcast! Introducing Sanchali Pal, Founder of The Commons Earth, a company that specialises in helping consumers measure and reduce their carbon footprint.  For Sanchali, she saw first hand the impacts the climate crisis is having on people when working in Ethiopia and India. When returning to the US, Sanchali began tracking her carbon footprint in an excel spreadsheet, and through tracking her purchasing, and other activity, was able to cut her emissions by over 30%. For Sanchali - her life is richer, healthier, and happier because of it.  “We have an intuition for other important metrics in our lives – dollars, calories, steps. Soon we’ll have an intuition for carbon, too.”- Sanchali Pal.  So how does The Commons Earth app work?  Every spending choice is a climate choice, and every purchase is an opportunity for action.  The products and services we buy require resources from the Earth to produce. Those are carbon costs, and they’re part of being al

Series 3, episode 7 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast!  Introducing Claire McGovern, Founder of Rhyme studio, a company that specialises in advisory, interior design and design manufacturing of high quality, customisable, responsible, and healthy sustainable furnishings that includes; carpets, tapestry & textile collections.  In many of our recent podcast episodes, we have discussed the textiles industry widely and the issues textile materials have on the environment. So we are always delighted to learn about new champions who are working in this space to reduce waste, introduce a circular approach in production and reuse as much as possible.  And that is exactly what Claire and her team are doing at Rhyme Studio. After the collapse of the Irish wool market in 2020, Rhyme Studio became the sole entity both inside and outside Ireland promoting the use of native Irish wool for carpet & textiles. An environmental tragedy persists today as many sheep farmers the world over dump or burn freshly sho

Series 3, episode 6 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast!  Introducing Josh Gelder, Founder and CEO of The Fision, a company that specialises in making fashionable T-Shirts with a purpose.  When our team was introduced to The Fision all we could think was ‘Looking good never felt so good’. On our channel we have been showcasing a number of fashion brands who are specialising in a circular approach, or waste reduction, to their brands' clothing.  Fast fashion and the fashion industry are contributing largely to many environmental problems. From the carbon the industry emits each year, to the landfill crisis doubling year after year with textiles, to human rights issues surrounding workers' rights in factories around the world.  More ethical, sustainable fashion brands need to be available to set standards within the industry, and that is exactly what the team at The Fision is doing! By putting intention into each and every step of its process, The Fision uses innovative methods such as regenerative

Series 3, episode 5 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast!  Introducing Louis Potok, Co-Founder & CEO at Recoolit, a company that specialises in, put simply, fighting the most neglected problem in climate change.  The planet is burning, and we need as the team at Recoolit put it “all hands on deck”. Summer after summer, we are seeing more extreme forest fires all over the world. With extreme weather changes, drought in regions and extreme rainfall in others, we need companies to innovate, and create solutions that protect our environment, communities & homes.  And that is exactly what Recoolit are on a mission to do! In 2019, guest of this week’s podcast, Louis Potok, went looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the fight against climate change.  The problem Louis discovered was that refrigerants are responsible for more warming than the entire aviation industry - with 3 billion tonnes of CO2e being emitted each year!  So, in 2020, Louis founded Recoolit and what started as a 1 man team g

Series 3, episode 4 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast!  Introducing Markku Koivisto, Chief Business Development Officer at Globhe Drones, a company that specialises in creating drones that collects imagery and information to offer a better understanding of our changing environment - in the effort to protect people and wildlife. Globhe Drones mission is simple: they are focused on one thing - providing the best possible understanding of our planet. From Drone data, the team at Globhe have created one of the largest drone data platforms.  Working with reputable organisations on climate change matters such as the United Nations, The World Bank and more - the team at Globhe are giving organisations and researchers the means and technology to collect data quicker, in the most remote parts of the world or areas that aren’t accessible.  This week, we wanted to invite Globhe and Markku onto our podcast because with forest fires becoming more prevalent each year, climate change becoming more deadly to people in

Series 3, episode 3 of the Sustainability Champions Podcast! Introducing Fabian Hühne, Co-Founder of Syllucid, a company that specialises in creating sustainable electronics that are good for the planet and look to reform the mining industry for the better.  Fabian and his team use products as magnifying glasses in the electronics industry. By researching their supply chains, they show us what challenges the industry is facing. What problems the current supply chains cause and what we must do to solve these issues.  Syllucid can’t change the industry alone or overnight, but they are steadily putting solutions in place! Fabian and his team are dedicated to fairly and responsibly sourced materials and creating planet-centric supply chains for their products. This means using recycled and fairly sourced minerals and plastics, as well as good working conditions for employees along the entire supply chain.  From durable designs, supply chain research and transparency for their customers, in this week’s episode,

Series 3, episode 1 of the Sustainability Champion's Podcast! Introducing Nick Winstone, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Biovate Hygienics, a company that is pioneering the migration to sustainable cleaning products for the past decade, using the power of nature’s biological cleaning activities.  The team at Biovate Hygienics is on a mission to develop products from the ground up - so that their products are not only good for the planet but for the people who use them too! Using the latest biological activities, surfactants, fragrances and packaging, their team are developing the next generation of biological cleaning products.  From ensuring 100% of their cleaning products are made from natural and plant based liquids to using reusable and renewable packaging to avoid any excessive waste in their products, this team is creating unique products in a sector not widely known for its sustainable actions.  On this week's episode as we begin a new podcast series, we speak to Nick Winstone from Biov

Series 3, episode 1 of the Sustainability Champion’s Podcast! Introducing Jen & Rusty Stout, Co-Founders of Healthier Homes, a company that was ‘born out of necessity’’.  To understand the story of Healthier Homes, is to know the background for the inspiration behind Jen & Rusty’s work. In 2009, when working on her MBA, Jen discovered her health was deteriorating. The cause—hidden black mold in the walls of her new Dallas apartment.  The results from this were catastrophic on Jen’s health and well being.  During Jen’s recovery, and meeting her now husband Rusty, they were inspired to rethink how we build, furnish and live inside our homes. For both our health and the environment.  For many of us, especially during the pandemic, we spent much of our time indoors surrounded by a wide variety of chemicals. So Jen & Rusty are building and decorating homes and hoping to inspire other contractors and homeowners to make smart building choices. This starts from the construction and goes to fixtures, hom

The final episode—episode 8—of our Women In Sustainability series features wildlife photographer, cinematographer, environmentalist and business owner, Shannon Wild. When planning this podcast series, ‘Women In Sustainability’, Shannon was one of the guests we wanted to feature because her work defines a Sustainability Champion. While championing real change to protecting endangered animals and educating audiences on wildlife preservation and conservation in Africa and around the world, Shannon is using her experiences ‘in the wild’ and working as an ambassador to a number of conservation charities and foundations.  Australian born, Shannon now lives in South Africa with her husband where she works as a photographer and cinematographer for channels like NatGeo, the BBC, and Disney to name a few. Through the moments she captures on camera, Shannon brings the natural world safaris to people's attention and helps to showcase the beauty of some of the most endangered species in Africa and around the world. 

Sharon Pieksma Copy for Anchor.  Headline: This former Miss Universe Netherlands is using her platform to tackle plastic pollution! Women In Sustainability Series, episode 7.  Introducing Sharon Pieksma, former Miss Universe Netherlands 2019, environmentalist and artist, who is on a mission through her work to address the global plastic pollution that is affecting our environment.  Our current series ‘Women In Sustainability’ is about showcasing the work of female led organisations and individuals who are making a real change to address the needs of climate change.  And with this week’s guest, we are showcasing a unique story of a sustainability champion!  Born in the city of Rotterdam, Sharon has fully immersed herself in the industry as an artist and model. Through everything Sharon does, she is trying to inspire and change people's attitudes and habits so that we use less plastic.  From cleaning projects with Dutch school children to educating them on the impacts plastic is having on our environment

Women In Sustainability Series, episode 6.  Introducing Stephanie & Michelle, the Authors of the book ‘Small-Scale Homesteading’. With over thirty-five years of combined experience, homesteaders Stephanie Thurow and Michelle Bruhn have taught thousands of people across the globe how to garden, preserve food, tend backyard chickens, cook from scratch and care for their families with natural home alternatives.  Now, their homesteading knowledge and instructions can be found in one place in their new book!  You might be asking - What is ‘Homesteading’? Homesteading is the term given to a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. It is characterised by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of food, and among other things.  Many of us want to be more self-sufficient, while also providing a more nutritious lifestyle for our loved ones. Books like Stephanie and Michelle’s offer us a guide to live more sustainably while learning how to grow our own foods, tap maple trees to make homemade syrup and maybe even successful

Women In Sustainability Series, episode 5.  Introducing Toni Okamoto, Food Blogger and Author of the vegan recipe book, ‘Planet-based and on a Budget: Quick & Easy’. What if we could help the environment while eating delicious and healthy meals that save both money and time?  Toni’s new cookbook makes this possible! With 100 recipes that show how easy and affordable it is to cook decadently without meat, eggs, diary—‘Planet-based and on a Budget: Quick & Easy’ is full of helpful advice whether you are fully vegan or just trying to eat more veggies. Toni’s relatable approach is all about “progress over perfection” and that’s what we are all about here at Sustainability Champions! Plant-based diets have the potential to make a huge positive impact on the environment by reducing diet-related land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water use as much as it bolsters our health and quality of life. Toni is on a mission, through her work, to share tips that support her readers to reduce the carbon footprint

Women In Sustainability Series, episode 4.  Introducing Teresa Moore, Sustainability Consultant, Investor and Sustainable Fashion Model.  Teresa’s modelling career took off when she was a teenager after appearing on the covers of W, Elle, and Shape magazines. She established herself as a model early on in her career, working with Pamela Hanson and Ellen Von Unwerth, and working with clients like L’Oréal, Diesel, Ralph Lauren, to name but a few. Whilst modelling, Teresa was interested in how brands could be more sustainable. She wanted to collaborate more with brands that aligned with her values. After graduating from NYU with a Sustainable Business Degree, Teresa has gone on to work on projects as a Sustainability Consultant. From advising clients to improve their environmental practices, energy efficiency and procurement, Teresa has developed a reputation as an active leader in the sustainability sector.  From marketing, ESG strategy and sustainable business development, Teresa is a unique figure in the wo

Women In Sustainability Series, episode 3.