Megan Zack shares her journey from the insurance industry to becoming a sustainable architect. She discusses the evolution of green building practices, the challenges of promoting sustainability in architecture, and the importance of the circular economy. Megan emphasizes the need for smarter decision-making in design and the significance of reusing materials. The conversation also touches on client perspectives, municipal reuse challenges, and the necessity of educating architects and engineers on circular economy principles. Finally, they explore potential policy shifts that could facilitate sustainable practices in the industry.

Garr Punnett and Jon Strassner delve into the world of podcasting, sustainability, and the challenges of circular economy practices. They reflect on their experiences at conferences, the serendipitous nature of podcasting, and the importance of building relationships within the industry. Jon shares insights from his six years of podcasting, emphasizing the evolution of their discussions from environmental issues to broader societal topics, including gender gaps in leadership and the need for more inclusive design practices. The conversation highlights the significance of vulnerability in sharing ideas and the necessity of open dialogue to foster understanding and collaboration in tackling systemic issues.

What if the key to a more sustainable manufacturing future has been sitting in dusty warehouses this whole time?

In this episode, we sit down with Martin Weber, CEO and co-founder of SpareTech, who left a dream job at Porsche to tackle one of manufacturing's most overlooked problems: the hundreds of billions of dollars in spare parts collecting dust across factory floors worldwide.

Martin takes us inside the hidden world of industrial spare parts, a massive, fragmented industry that most people don't even know exists. He reveals why factories hoard parts "just in case," how a single missing component can cost millions in downtime, and why the lack of a simple barcode system for industrial parts has created chaos across the global supply chain.

From building a catalog of 40+ million parts to helping manufacturers discover they already own what they're desperately trying to buy, Martin shares the seven-year journey of turning an obvious-yet-unsolved problem into a company now expanding from Germany to the U.S. Plus, he drops the surprising advice a fellow founder gave him about what Americans really think of German engineering.

If you've ever wondered what "circular economy" actually looks like in practice or why your car, phone, and frozen pizza all depend on a system held together by gut feelings and email chains, this one's for you.

What happens when 60% of U.S. apartments have zero recycling access? You build your own solution. Ryan Smith started Recyclops after discovering his college apartment—and every apartment he visited—had no recycling. Twelve years later, he's running an Uber-style recycling network across 30 states, picking up everything from residential recyclables to dirty diapers to Amazon's unsellable inventory. In this episode: the $1 that started it all, why bags actually reduce contamination, storing 800 lbs of diapers in his garage, and Amazon's "100% out of landfill" mandate.

What happens when the sustainability executive who built Walmart's first corporate sustainability program tells us we've been asking the wrong questions about circular economy all along?

Andy Ruben—founder of Trove, innovator of Walmart's omnichannel strategy, and a pioneer who's been in the trenches of sustainability since 2004—joins Garr and Sabira for a candid conversation about why circular economy has exploded in awareness but failed to truly scale.

From debunking the cannibalization myth that paralyzed brands for a decade, to revealing why "founder-market fit" matters more than most entrepreneurs realize, Andy shares hard-won lessons from building companies at the intersection of commerce and sustainability. He challenges the circular economy community to stop talking to themselves and start reframing the conversation in ways that actually move executives to action.

It's Andy's bold prediction about AI-powered shopping agents that might change everything you think you know about the future of resale—and why the winners won't be the ones with the prettiest storefronts.

With Garr out for the Thanksgiving Holiday, Sabira reconnects with former colleague Vishal, who leads Waste Warriors—a nonprofit tackling the overwhelming waste crisis in India's Himalayan region. From his journey working at Saahas Zero Waste to now managing 200 team members across remote mountain communities, Vishal shares what it truly means to build a career in waste management—and why it's so much more than a job.The conversation explores the unique challenges of collecting waste in villages without road access, where single-use plastics have arrived but reverse logistics haven't followed. Vishal reveals the cultural stigma that educated women on his team face for choosing this work, how recognition and awards eventually transformed their families' shame into pride, and why 60% of waste in the Himalayan states is simply burned or dumped in forests and glacial streams.

Christopher Hale shares his journey in the electronics recycling and refurbishment industry, discussing the challenges and opportunities within the circular economy. He emphasizes the importance of sustainability, the competitive landscape in recycling, and the role of affiliate marketing in driving consumer attention toward refurbishment options. Chris also advocates for the right to repair movement and highlights the need for education in the industry. The discussion touches on innovations in technology, the future of trade-ins, and the untapped potential in electronics recycling.

What if the key to a multi-million dollar business was hidden in corporate America's trash bins? Meet Damon Carson, CEO of Repurposed Materials Inc., who built a nationwide empire by betting on industrial waste that others pay to destroy.

In this revealing conversation, discover why major corporations choose landfills over reuse, learn the surprising economics behind the "fast nickel or slow dime" approach to waste management, and explore how one entrepreneur's "Reese's moment" transformed into six warehouses full of materials waiting for their second life.

Damon pulls back the curtain on the dirty secrets of corporate sustainability, challenges our assumptions about recycling versus reuse, and shares why he considers himself a "curator" in the high-stakes game of industrial repurposing.

Whether you're an entrepreneur seeking untapped markets, a sustainability advocate wanting to understand the real economics of waste, or simply curious about the hidden world of industrial materials, this episode will fundamentally change how you see the potential in everything destined for the dumpster.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Aliya Marder from Ridwell as we explore how one company is transforming the recycling landscape from grassroots community sessions to a groundbreaking national mail-in program. Discover why passionate recycling advocates are the secret vectors of change in their communities, learn about the patchwork of solutions emerging across America, and understand why doing things imperfectly might be our best path forward. This episode reveals the human side of waste management innovation and offers a renewed sense of hope for anyone feeling overwhelmed by our environmental challenges.

Join Garr and Sabira as they dive deep into the complex world of recycling & EPR policy with John Hite. Explore how America's patchwork of state laws creates both opportunities and challenges for waste management reform, from California's groundbreaking standards to Montana's youth-led climate lawsuit. Learn why a major constitutional challenge could reshape the future of recycling programs nationwide, and discover what's driving momentum for change despite the legal and political hurdles ahead.