Welcome to the Sustainable Design Lab podcast by Veritiv. Hosted by Chris Bradley and Brodie Vander Dussen, this show is your go-to resource for cutting-edge insights into the world of sustainable packaging. Join us as we reimagine packaging innovation and turn every decision into a powerful act of sustainability.

In this episode, Emy Kane and Tim Silman of Lonely Whale dive into radical collaboration, the magic of seaweed-based materials, and how real-world testing, brand partnerships, and storytelling are creating ripple effects across global packaging.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to structure innovation prizes that drive real-world adoption, not just awareness
• Why end-of-life performance and supply chain responsibility matter more than single-metric solutions
• The radical collaboration framework for moving sustainability from corporate positioning to measurable impact
• How storytelling creates cultural momentum for unfamiliar materials
• Why infrastructure and policy gaps demand human-centered system design, not just consumer responsibility
• How to start piloting next-generation materials in your organization today
  
  

Emy Kane is an Executive Director at Lonely Whale, a nonprofit organization pioneering innovative solutions to ocean plastic pollution since 2015. With a background in marine biology and ecosystem science, Emy brings a passion for interconnected environmental systems and community engagement to her work. She has been instrumental in developing Lonely Whale's radical collaboration framework, which brings together brands, policymakers, scientists, and cultural leaders to drive systemic change.

Tim Silman is an Innovation Programs Director at Lonely Whale, bringing expertise in circular economy systems, waste management, and venture-scale sustainability solutions. With a background in sustainability innovation and prior experience designing and running prize-based programs, Tim has led the rigorous evaluation and acceleration of next-generation packaging materials, including the Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize. His work focuses on translating scientific validation into real-world market adoption, bridging the gap between promising innovations and scalable corporate deployment.

The information presented in this episode is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. 


Previous guests include: Sam Boex & Bella Collins of Flexi-Hex, Nathan Pajka of Metsä Board, John Felts of Cruz Foam

Check out our three most downloaded episodes:

1. Plastic-Free Paper Packaging: Flexi-Hex on Designing for Luxury and Sustainability
2. How Metsä Board Is Redesigning Packaging From Forest to Shelf with Nathan Pajka
3. The Future of Foam: Compostable Materials That Perform with John Felts