Sustainability Defined Ep. 88: The Plastic Trail of Your Online Order - and the Seaweed Alternative
Jun 7, 2025
Join Alyssa Pace, Communications Lead at Sway, a cleantech startup revolutionizing packaging with seaweed-based alternatives. She shares the hidden environmental costs of online shopping, detailing the shocking plastic footprint from deliveries. Alyssa also highlights Sway's innovative solutions that aim to combat plastic pollution with compostable packaging. Tune in to learn how seaweed can reshape sustainable shipping and meet eco-conscious consumer demands, all while promoting environmental health and local communities.
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Weirdest Online Shopping Find
- Cecilia shared that she once found a bag of air from a concert sold online, showing the extent of online shopping items.
- Fans often buy strange merch, illustrating the vast and sometimes bizarre online marketplace.
Online Shopping's Sustainability Trade-offs
- Online shopping offers unmatched convenience but carries significant environmental costs.
- Its global reach and 24/7 accessibility drive consumption, creating vast plastic and packaging waste.
Poly Mailer Plastic Origins & Longevity
- Poly mailers, made mostly from virgin polyethylene plastic, take over 1,000 years to degrade.
- Plastics originate from fossil fuels, tying the plastic industry firmly to fossil fuel extraction.