We can’t design better products if we don’t understand the materials they’re made from.

In this episode of Unbottled, Manuela sits down with Dr. Carolyn Carta — materials scientist, educator, and founder of CArtLab Solutions — to bring a scientific lens to one of the most emotional conversations in sustainability: what our products are actually made of.

With a career spanning conservation science, animation preservation at Disney, medical device 3D printing, and next-gen hardware systems, Dr. CC has built her reputation on asking better questions, and demanding better data. She’s on a mission to bring more scientific method (and a lot less greenwashing) to how we evaluate materials, risk, and real-world performance.

Together, they unpack why so many material debates miss the mark — and how consumer fears like “all plastic is toxic” can distract from what really matters: testing, precision, and responsible system design.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the scientific method is essential to building responsible, effective hardware
• What’s missing from most public conversations about plastic, polymers, and toxicity
• Why early, rigorous R&D determines whether a product succeeds or fails at scale
• How additives, trace chemistry, and real-world use conditions change the material safety conversation
• Why “natural” doesn’t automatically mean safer
• What better questions founders, consumers, and policymakers should be asking about materials like plastic
• How to evaluate sustainability through performance, durability, and system design — not headlines

Dr. CC also challenges popular narratives around microplastics and material risk, sharing how precision testing leads to better products.

Because when you look closely, the issue isn’t just plastic — it’s whether we’re measuring, testing, and designing systems responsibly in the first place.

💧 Unbottled is brought to you by Kadeya — building closed-loop beverage systems for a world beyond single-use.

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If this episode got you thinking about plastic systems change, product innovation, or how we build a better future - don’t just listen. Be an owner.

Kadeya is raising a community round on Wefunder. You can invest with as little as $100 and help bring closed-loop hydration to more people, in more places.

👉 Learn more and join our investor community at: https://www.wefunder.com/kadeya

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Follow Dr. Carolyn Carta

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccarta/

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Follow Kadeya: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kdy/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kadeya.club/ 

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kadeya.club 

Website: https://www.kadeya.com/ 

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Follow Manuela: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuelasweb/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manuelasweb/ 

Substack: https://manuelazoninsein.substack.com/

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