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A Sustainable Mind - environment & sustainability podcast

086: Compostable Packaging & Circular Food Systems with Kate Flynn of Sun and Swell Foods

A Sustainable Mind - environment & sustainability podcast

Marjorie Alexander

Society & Culture, Science, Nature

4.6 • 588 Ratings

🗓️ 30 December 2021

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Kate Flynn, CEO & Co-Founder of Sun & Swell, has an MBA from Harvard, is a Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert, and has a background in strategy consulting in the retail food industry.

Several years ago, she set out to build a new kind of packaged food company - one that is better for both people and the planet. Sun & Swell uses only healthy, organic, whole foods that are free from harmful ingredients and chemical additives, and is a pioneer in the packaged food industry when it comes to using compostable packaging - one of the very first company's in the US to sell their foods in compostable packaging.

Kate has met her fair share of challenges along the road to transition her company to fully compostable packaging but remains focused on her goal of disrupting the food industry and pioneering a circular food system.

Special discount for ASM listeners! Use promo code "SustainableFoods25" at https://sunandswellfoods.com.


Today's Sponsors: 

Novak Hair Studios is Fort Worth's first zero-waste salon and one of the largest in the nation. With luxury amenities, Green Circle Certified sustainability initiatives, and unparalleled customer experiences, Novak is a leader in the beauty industry. Learn more at https://novakhairstudios.com/eco-friendly.

Tentree is an earth-first sustainable clothing company. Check out their selection of eco-friendly clothing and accessories at https://www.tentree.com/ and use promo code 'ASM' for 15% off your first purchase.


In this episode Marjorie and Kate discuss:

  • The many considerations and challenges of compostable packaging in the food industry.
  • Prioritizing non-negotiables in business and how that enabled Sun & Swell to thrive in the niche of organic food sold in compostable packaging.
  • Local waste, recycling, and composting infrastructure and why some composting facilities are tossing your bio-degradable items into the landfill.
  • New opportunities in the food space for eco-conscious entrepreneurs, brands, and consumers.


Resources mentioned in today's episode:

 

Connect with Kate Flynn and Sun & Swell Foods:

  

Connect with Marjorie Alexander:

Interested in sponsoring or supporting A Sustainable Mind? Visit our sponsorship page at ASustainableMind.com/sponsor!

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

93% of plastics created have not been recycled.

0:03.6

When it comes to the food industry, the food industry is responsible for nearly half of the

0:08.2

plastic that's in landfills.

0:09.8

So that's really kind of like what the numbers that we looked at that like were,

0:13.3

they're high level, but like they're so big.

0:15.8

And they're so, it's like there's so much progress to be made.

0:19.4

And I think we're very aware, you know, as consumers, we're very aware of, hey, plastic water bottles are a problem. Straws are a problem. But I think when it comes to the food industry, because there's not a lot of solutions right now in sustainable packaging, it's a really, really hard. And not all of us are, have easy access to bulk stores or the the time. Like, I have a one-year-old.

0:39.6

I used to have time to go to the grocery store, but, like, now we don't. It's like, we don't all have time to, like, spend an hour filling up all your bulk. And so that is a solution in terms of, like, sustainable packaged foods. But other than that, you know, it's just looking around me, like, there's so much opportunity to do better here.

0:55.8

Consumers only have access to it when manufacturers start to take responsibility for it and start to think about what we're packaging our products in.

1:05.8

Welcome to a sustainable mind, where we delve into the minds behind today's most impactful environmental campaigns,

1:13.7

organizations, and startups,

1:15.9

inspiring the environmental change makers of tomorrow.

1:19.8

I'm your host, Marjorie Alexander.

1:23.8

Today's episode is brought to you by Novak Hair Studios. With over 18 years in the hairstyling and hair care industry, Ben Novak Hudgens had a vision in 2018 to create a business model that had ethical and earth-conscious practices at the forefront. And that led to him founding Novak Hair Studios.

1:50.9

Ben and I get into the science and challenges of sustainable hair care and beauty products in episode 83.

1:56.7

You can take a listen at asustainablemind.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

2:03.0

Also, if you find yourself in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Novak Hair Studios has two locations there,

2:06.4

one in downtown Fort Worth and the other in Burleson.

2:13.2

And the Novak brand has been an early adopter of sustainable hair salon practices since its inception,

2:17.5

so you know that they're going to take care of you while also taking care of the planet.

2:21.4

You can check them out at Novakarestudios.com.

2:23.9

Now, let's get into today's episode.

...

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