The future of materials with the MOA podcast

Podcast

Jul 10

Join us for the final plasticky episode of the Carbon Lab podcast! Our latest nerdy journey explores the delicate balance between the race for sustainability and real environmental impact. We'll dive into bio-based materials, discuss the potential pitfalls of seemingly great solutions, and geek out over coccolithophores. Because we might live in an era of science, but nature still holds valuable lessons. Don't miss the discussion between Oliver, Made of Air's head of research and innovation, and Barnabas, our brand manager.

In our previous episodes, we talked about the origin of polymers and we also discovered why they are so great and why they are not so great. However, until now we haven’t talked about how can we make our industry and materials better. This is exactly what we set out to do in our 3rd episode.

The Problem with Our Current System

To create a better future, first, we have to understand the issue we currently have. In our latest episode, we delve into the significant issues plaguing our current manufacturing and material production systems. We discuss how centralized, large-scale facilities benefit from economies of scale but come with substantial drawbacks. These mega facilities require high investment and are resistant to change, making it challenging to adapt to new, sustainable technologies. This rigidity in the manufacturing sector leads to slower innovation and a sluggish response to environmental and socio-economic changes, such as climate change. Our reliance on fossil fuels for synthetic materials is a major problem, as it adds to atmospheric CO₂ levels, causing climate change.

Sometimes Even Good Ideas Can Be Bad

We also delve into the complexity of what seems like good ideas at first glance. For instance, bio-based materials derived from crops like sugarcane and corn can seem like a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. However, these can lead to unintended consequences such as deforestation, displacement of agricultural land, and even higher greenhouse gas emissions compared to incumbent solutions. While bio-based materials have potential, their large-scale implementation could result in negative environmental impacts. This demonstrates that even well-intentioned solutions need careful evaluation and balance, especially if we try to deploy them globally.

We Have to Learn to Be Careful and Listen to Nature

At Made of Air, we emphasize the importance of learning from nature. One great example is how coccolithophores sequester CO₂ and turn it into solid, protective shells for themselves. Nature already created several amazing carbon sequestration techniques, and we can learn from them and use them to create our own materials. While doing it, we might not find one silver bullet, and that’s fine. We should focus on finding smart, adaptable solutions that suit specific applications while being mindful of long-term sustainability and environmental impacts. By carefully listening to and learning from nature, we believe we can develop innovative solutions that benefit both humanity and the planet. Luckily, there are more and more companies that do just that.