How can product leaders tackle the challenge of producing sustainable and impactful products? In this episode of the Capgemini Leaders in Innovation series with Synapse – Capgemini Invent VP Dylan Garrett, Shellworks CEO and Founder Insiya Jafferjee speaks on the role Shellworks plays in reimagining sustainable alternatives to plastic use cases. They delve into unique and environmentally beneficial product concepts and designs used by Shellworks to address the issue of plastic waste holistically and contextually. The beauty industry is likely one of the leading offenders of plastic pollution. Tune in to learn how Shellworks aims to provide sustainable packaging solutions that are petroleum-free, truly compostable, and “perform like plastic.”
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Show Notes
- Shellworks is developing sustainable alternatives to plastic waste using materials like seafood waste and mycelium.
- Plastics are commonly misused for applications they are not well-suited for.
- There are different types of plastics like bio plastics, biodegradable plastics, and compostable plastics with various properties.
- Home compostable materials are the gold standard as they fully degrade in natural environments.
- Shellworks started in the beauty industry which uses a lot of plastic packaging.
- Their customers in beauty understand sustainability nuances like certifications.
- Shellworks’ materials can replace traditional plastics, glass, and metals in beauty products.
- They aim to create solutions without compromising on sustainability.
- Shellworks uses a “fail fast” approach to quickly iterate and get feedback.
- Their goal is to scale up production and impact plastic waste at larger volumes.
- End-of-life challenges require collaboration across different systems.
- They use microbes to create biodegradable plastic alternatives.
- Manufacturing at scale while maintaining quality is technically challenging.
- Natural dyes have variability issues in cosmetics.
- Optimism drives change in addressing climate issues.
- Collaboration is important given the scale of plastic waste problems.
- Small actions can contribute to larger movements.
- Government grants can help test materials.
- Education helps consumers properly dispose of packaging.