Sustainably Speaking

Investing In Sustainable Technology with SK Capital's Anne Kolton

Biodegradable water-soluble films. Recycling that reuses molecules over and over. AI that can develop more sustainable polymers. In this conversation, Sustainably Speaking host Mia Quinn sits down with Anne Kolton, Chief Sustainability Officer at SK Capital Partners, to explore the next wave of innovation in manufacturing and materials. Anne shares how her team invests in companies developing breakthrough products, how U.S. manufacturing can launch smarter, more efficient processes, and why engineering and AI will transform the materials we all use every day.

Designing More Recyclable Vehicles

What if your car was easier to recycle? Hyundai’s Amanda Nummy is helping make it happen.  In Episode 52 of Sustainably Speaking, we explore how biomimicry, recycled plastics, and smart design choices are helping the auto industry tackle its waste footprint — and what that means for the next generation of our cars and trucks. In this episode, you’ll hear:          •           How Hyundai’s goal is to use 20% recycled plastics by weight in vehicles by 2030          •           Why designing for disassembly is key to making cars easier to recycle          •           What we can learn from beetles and tree bark about sustainable design          •           How advanced recycling could reshape the auto supply chain

Restoring Historic Greenwood Cemetery

Greenwood Cemetery is the final resting place of over 50,000 African Americans whose legacies stretch back generations. But for years, erosion and neglect made the site nearly impossible to access. That changed when a group of volunteers decided not to let history disappear. In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, we visit with the Greenwood community about how they worked with engineers, nonprofits, and recycled materials to reopen the cemetery's main road and preserve the stories buried there. In this episode, you'll hear: ● How recycled materials and permeable pavers were used to restore the cemetery for years to come ● Why Engineers Without Borders, the ACC and the community came together to support the project ● What the restoration has meant for families across the country ● How Greenwood is now inspiring similar restoration efforts nationwide

AI Powered Recycling

Recorded live at SXSW, this episode brings together leaders from Van Dyk Recycling Solutions, Dow, and Greyparrot to explore how AI is reshaping the recycling system. From real-time data and material tracking to smarter packaging design and policy reform, it's a conversation about what's working, what's broken—and what could finally close the loop. In this episode you’ll hear: * How AI helps sort waste faster, better—and more accurately than humans * What the data tells us about redesigning packaging for recycling and remanufacturing * Why transparency tools like QR codes matter for consumers * How companies test products for recyclability before they hit the market

Moonshot Madness and Smarter Textiles: Inside X, the Moonshot Factory

In the second installment our SXSW conversation with Rey Banatao and Peter Chauvel from Google X, we explore what it looks like to build ambitious ideas from the ground up. This episode dives into early ‘Moonshot’ experiments with textile recycling, the role biology could play in the future of materials, and how big ideas move from the whiteboard to the real world. We also go behind the scenes of Moonshot Madness — a company-wide tradition at X to identify big ideas that could change everything. In this episode, you’ll hear: * How clothing could be transformed into new, reusable materials * How bioplastics and synthetic biology could shape the next era of manufacturing * How teams at Google’s X, the Moonshot Factory test ideas— and learn as they go * What Moonshot Madness is, and how it fuels a culture of experimentation * How Rey and Peter’s experiences have influenced their approach to sustainability and innovation This episode encourages you to imagine what a circular future could look like across industries — from plastics to fashion and beyond.