# The Race to Replace Plastic: 2026 SF Climate Week

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2026-06-04
- Length: 47m
- Episode: 100
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/x812vlqn-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week

## Summary

Julia Marsh, CEO of Sway, and Molly Morse, CEO of Mango Materials, discuss replacing petroleum-based plastics with seaweed-derived polymers and methane-derived PHA bioplastics. They explain how these materials integrate into existing manufacturing infrastructure and address the complex lifecycle analysis (LCA) required to win over brands. Ryan Starling of frog Design adds that overcoming industry inertia requires proving performance and aligning sustainability with brand storytelling to bypass supply chain resistance.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week#t=0) Introduction and Guest Backgrounds
- [4:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week#t=288) Sway's Seaweed-Based Materials and Infrastructure
- [6:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week#t=381) Mango Materials' Methane-to-PHA Process and LCA
- [10:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week#t=626) Design Challenges and Lifecycle Analysis Trade-offs
- [13:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week#t=827) Scaling Production and Customer Adoption Drivers
- [22:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week#t=1348) Supply Chain Resistance and Composting Policy Barriers
- [35:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week#t=2132) Health Impacts, Microplastics, and Formulation Nuances
- [41:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week#t=2496) Stakeholder Engagement and Brand Storytelling

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Sway (company)
- Mango Materials (company)
- frog Design (company)
- PHA (material)
- J. Crew (company)
- Burton (company)
- Dr. Bronner's (company)
- Natura (company)
- Allbirds (company)
- Stella McCartney (company)
- Alex Crane (company)
- PLA (material)
- Synapse (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [271 - Packaging Today Show - vegan plastics, Amazon no plastic, and plastic in your penis??](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-06-28-271-packaging-today-show-vegan-plastics-amazon-no-plastic-and-plastic-in-your-pe) (People of Packaging)
- [The Human Driver of Sustainable Manufacturing w/ Mark Remmert](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-04-25-the-human-driver-of-sustainable-manufacturing-w-mark-remmert) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [201 - Jonathan Cage is Crazy About Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-07-05-201-jonathan-cage-is-crazy-about-packaging) (People of Packaging)
- [243 - Tony Perrotta on why we need to move beyond just talking about sustainability](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2024-02-06-243-tony-perrotta-on-why-we-need-to-move-beyond-just-talking-about-sustainabilit) (People of Packaging)
- [40. Why Plastic Eating Enzymes Will Save Our Oceans](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-10-19-40-why-plastic-eating-enzymes-will-save-our-oceans) (The Next Byte Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-06-04-the-race-to-replace-plastic-2026-sf-climate-week. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Hardware to Save a Planet.