88. Julia Marsh on Seaweed-Based Plastic Packaging

Purpose and Profit with Kathy Varol

Julia Marsh is the CEO and co-founder of Sway, a clean tech startup scaling seaweed-based, home-compostable packaging. Sway’s patented products match the vital performance attributes of conventional plastics and are designed to plug into existing infrastructure, enabling scale and massive impact. Julia’s work is driven by a deep passion for regenerative design and biological circularity.

In 2023, Sway won first place in the TOM FORD Plastic Innovation Prize. In 2021, Sway also won the Beyond the Bag Challenge sponsored by Closed Loop Partners and a consortium of major retailers. Sway’s solutions have garnered recognition from Vogue, Condé Nast, Forbes, Business Insider, and Fast Company. As a member of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, and 1% for the Planet, Sway is working holistically to scale their product for a thriving, equitable future.

Learn more at swaythefuture.com.

In this episode, we discuss:

● Why recycling won’t fix our plastic problem

● The properties of seaweed that make it a flexible plastic film substitute

● The “Amazon Rainforest” ecosystem you never considered

Key Takeaways:

● Seamless Integration for Easy Adoption: Introducing a new material into established supply chains and factory processes can be challenging. Take a page out of the Sway playbook. If possible, create a plug-and-play solution that works with existing machinery. This lowers the barrier for manufacturers to test and adopt the new product, making it significantly easier to scale and implement across their industry.

● Understanding Product Lifecycles: To truly grasp the benefits and costs of any product, it’s crucial to examine its entire lifecycle. Take plastic, for example. The visible litter on beaches is just the tip of the iceberg. Microplastics in our oceans and bloodstreams are harming marine life and human health. The environmental impact of extracting petroleum for plastic production, and the long-lasting waste clogging our landfills, are often hidden from view but equally damaging. Out of sight should not mean out of mind—these unseen costs are critical to our understanding of plastic's true impact.

● The Power of Innovative Thinking: We need more people like Julia innovating new ways to do things. People who question the status quo. People who notice the cost of continuing to do things the same way, and aren’t ok with that cost. People that are curious enough to lean in, tinker, and innovate new solutions that are better for everyone. The next time you notice something off, don’t dismiss it. Instead, explore it—maybe you’re the one who will come up with the next groundbreaking solution. Your curiosity could lead to innovations that make a better future.

References:

● Connect with Julia on LinkedIn

● Sway

○ Keep up with Sway on Instagram

● Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize

● Lonely Whale

● Beyond the Bag Challenge

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