Materials Deep Dive

From “Sustainable" to Sustainable: How to future-proof your business (ft. Laura McDermott, Colectivo)

Sustainability is a priority for some companies, a nuisance for others and a concern for most. And with all of the environmental regulations coming out, being sustainable can feel like an obligation to fill the ESG reports. But what if being more “sustainable” could make your company more sustainable? In this deep dive, I speak with Laura McDermott from Colectivo, a sustainability consultancy that coaches companies on how they can become future-proof, through engaging their employees and redesigning their products and services. Besides working with companies, Laura teaches Design Thinking and Sustainability at the IE Business School in Madrid. So be ready to take some notes. Listen till the end to find what type of sustainability persona you are and let us know in the comments. In this episode we cover: * What sustainability means for a company * The steps to make your company future-proof * Intention-action gap * Types of sustainability personas * The “COM-B” model * Automatic motivation vs. Reflective motivation * New Year’s resolutions, Atomic Habits and biking to work * Transparency as a business model * How can engineers impact their companies If you want to get the "Behavior Change for Sustainability" course that Laura mentioned for FREE, you can do it here [https://www.udemy.com/course/behaviour-change-for-sustainability-with-colectivo/?couponCode=BCSIEAPR2026] until May 23rd, 2026. Follow Colectivo on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/colectivo-impact/] and check out their site colectivo.ie [https://www.colectivo.ie]. You can also follow Laura on her LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode, follow Materials Deep Dive on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/materialsdeepdive/] and ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@materialsdeepdive] @materialsdeepdive for behind-the-scenes and more conversations with founders and engineers reshaping the materials world.

Can Algae-Based Bioplastics actually replace plastic? (ft. Eylül Er, Palgae)

What if the solution to plastic pollution was growing in the ocean all along? Eylül Er, founder of Palgae, is engineering algae-based bioplastics that can slot directly into existing manufacturing lines. No factory overhaul required. Eylül is a Turkish bioengineer who started Palgae after her thesis in bioengineering, and has since navigated the startup ecosystems of both Istanbul and London while building in one of deeptech's most challenging spaces. In this episode, we go beyond the buzzwords — what does "biodegradable" actually mean, which algae species produce useful polymers, and what does it really take to build a biotech company from scratch? In this episode, we cover: * What bioplastics and biodegradable materials actually mean (and how companies misuse these terms) * How different algae species are used to produce plastic alternatives * How Palgae's materials integrate into existing factory infrastructure * The startup ecosystem in Istanbul vs London — what's different, what's harder * What it's like to be a woman founder in biotech and bioengineering * The personality traits that determine whether you should start a business Check here [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/carolina-carreira5/episodes/Have-a-plastic-waste-problem--Fall-in-love-with-it-ft--Luenne-Coelho--Reefaire-e3f6e8c] the interview with Luenne Coelho on plastic waste. Topics: bioplastics | algae-based materials | biodegradable plastics | sustainable materials | biotech startup | women in engineering | circular economy | polymer alternatives Follow Palgae on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/palgaeco/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/palgae/]. If you enjoyed this episode, follow Materials Deep Dive on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/materialsdeepdive/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@materialsdeepdive] @materialsdeepdive for behind-the-scenes and more conversations with founders and engineers reshaping the materials world.

Materials Deep Dive Is... Changing? From Student Podcast to CEO Interviews

Materials Deep Dive is evolving. The truth is that I'm graduating, and taking the podcast to the next level with me. Materials Deep Dive is shifting from two-host educational episodes to in-depth video interviews with CEOs and innovators in sustainable materials, green manufacturing, and materials engineering. If you've been following along, here's what's changing and why. Follow the podcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/materialsdeepdive/] and TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@materialsdeepdive] @materialsdeepdive to see the behind the scenes.

Have a plastic waste problem? Fall in love with it (ft. Luenne Coelho, Reefaire)

Today we have another interview!  Plastic waste is one of society's biggest problems, so Luenne Coelho decided to make furniture out of it. As founder of Reefaire, she's turning discarded plastic cups into high-performance composite panels for architecture and design. Together we talk about the importance of loving a problem, the need to do the work if we want to see change and why selling an imperfect product is actually better. Join us to hear about: * One smart idea to help with the plastic waste problem * Going from frustration to innovation * Falling in love with a problem in order to solve it * The waste in civil construction * How Reefaire turns plastic cups into amazing decoration * and Portuguese speakers forgetting words in English (it’s a bottle cap btw) Follow the podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/materialsdeepdive/] and ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@materialsdeepdive] @materialsdeepdive Check out the books we mentioned: The Lean Startup [https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898] by Eric Ries ⁠Escape from Nexus Labs⁠ [https://amzn.to/45yiiiv] by Carolina Sofia Carreira Luenne Coelho is a Brazilian architect and urban planner from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Finance and Controllership at the University of São Paulo (USP). She is the founder of Reefaire, a deeptech startup focused on developing high-performance sheets and composites from plastic waste, with applications in architecture, design, and civil construction. She works at the intersection of materials science, circular design, industrial innovation, and business strategy, focusing on scalable solutions to climate change. If you want to know more about Reefaire follow their work through their ⁠website⁠ [https://www.reefaire.com] and ⁠LinkedIn page [https://www.linkedin.com/company/reefaire/]⁠. You can send a message to Luenne through her LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/luennecoelho/].

Electromagnetic Waves Explained: Refractive Index, Brewster Angle & Penetration Depth

How do electromagnetic waves behave when they travel through different materials? In this episode we explore the refractive index, critical angle, and Brewster angle, derive the Fresnel equations, and explain the Poynting vector for wave energy. We also cover wave attenuation in conductors, skin depth, and how frequency affects material behaviour. Perfect for students in electromagnetism, optics, or photonics. Topics: electromagnetic waves | refractive index | Brewster angle | Fresnel equations | Poynting vector | skin depth | wave attenuation. Don’t forget to follow and share the podcast with anyone that you think might profit from it, so more people can deep dive into materials engineering. Follow the podcast on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/materialsdeepdive/] and ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@materialsdeepdive] @materialsdeepdive to see the behind the scenes.