156 - Can Tru.Earth eliminate plastic from the home? Brad Liski thinks so!

People of Packaging · 26 Sept 2022 · 27m

What this episode covers

Brad Liski, co-founder and CEO of True Earth, explains how his company eliminated plastic from home cleaning products by innovating with water-soluble sheets packaged in cardboard sleeves. He details the rapid scaling from a garage startup to 78 countries and 6,000 retail locations, highlighting the supply chain challenges of transitioning from plastic to paper-based materials. Liski also discusses the company's 'clean giving' ethos, including donating millions of loads of detergent to vulnerable communities and organizing coastal cleanups to combat plastic pollution.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 43m

    Making garbage useful with Tom Szaky of TerraCycle

    Tom Szaky, co-founder and CEO of TerraCycle, recounts his journey from a Princeton dorm room to building a multimillion-dollar recycling enterprise. He details the early pivot from selling worm poop fertilizer in reused soda bottles to solving the broader waste crisis by partnering with brands like Stonyfield and Clif Bar to collect non-recyclable packaging. Szaky explains the economics of voluntary funding for waste management and introduces Loop, TerraCycle’s reusable packaging initiative, which aims to make traditional recycling obsolete by enabling infinite reuse of containers from brands like Tide and Häagen-Dazs.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 33m

    Founder Feature: Woo Pailet of LOO

    Woo Pailet, co-founder and head of marketing for LOO, explains how a four-person founding team created a plant-based, flushable wipe brand with fully recyclable packaging to combat microplastic pollution. She details the rigorous R&D process, including GD4 compliance testing for flushability and the selection of natural plant pulp fibers, as well as the challenges of finding manufacturers willing to produce a novel format. Pailet discusses the company's bootstrapped financial model, their strategy of destigmatizing wipes through premium design and targeted sampling in New York City, and their upcoming participation in Expo West.

  • How I Built This · 28m

    HIBT Lab! UNLESS Collective: Eric Liedtke

    Eric Liedtke, former Global Brand President at Adidas, explains his transition from revitalizing a major sportswear brand to founding UNLESS Collective, a startup creating 100% plant-based, biodegradable apparel. He details the environmental failures of the fashion industry, specifically the persistence of plastic waste and the limitations of recycling, which drove his decision to leave Adidas. Liedtke discusses the technical challenges of sourcing non-plastic materials, such as cellulose-based threads and water-based inks, and the supply chain complexities of manufacturing in the US and Portugal while maintaining a zero-waste ethos.

  • How I Built This · 24m

    Meet The HIBT Fellows: Dinesh Tadepalli & Jennifer Zeitler

    Dinesh Tadepalli, co-founder of Incredible Eats, explains how he leveraged his semiconductor engineering background to automate the manufacturing of edible cutlery, using compression molding and trade-secret molds to solve the plastic pollution problem. Jennifer Zeitler, founder of Let's Goat Buffalo, describes her land management service that uses rescued goats and converted school buses to clear invasive plants without heavy machinery or chemicals. Both founders discuss their bootstrap financing strategies, including Tadepalli selling his home to fund machinery and Zeitler pricing her services competitively against traditional landscaping. They detail their pivot to retail and B2C channels during the pandemic, securing orders from major retailers and concert venues while navigating supply chain and operational challenges.

  • How I Built This · 47m

    Advice Line with Chet Pipkin of Belkin International

    Chet Pipkin, founder of Belkin International, joins Guy Raz to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs: Daniel Moll of EarthSuds, Meredith Hudson of Sideline Bags, and Ryan Helrigo of Rolflex. Pipkin advises EarthSuds on elevating their plastic-free shampoo tablets through luxury design and hospitality partnerships, suggests Sideline Bags build trust with manufacturers to manage inventory constraints, and recommends Rolflex use grassroots 'inside job' strategies to penetrate B2B markets. The episode highlights the importance of solving real consumer problems, managing cash flow creatively, and staying true to a company's unique DNA rather than following generic business advice.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by People of Packaging. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.