Rethinking the Future of Plastics with Xampla and DePoly

Entrepreneur Talks by STATION F

There could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050, according to an Ellen MacArthur Foundation report. Plastic pollution is a huge problem — but it's not one that is irreversible if we act quickly enough.

In this episode, we explore and address the issue of plastics with two founders that are striving to make a change: Samantha Anderson, CEO of DePoly, and Simon Hombersley, CEO of Xampla.

Both companies are looking to eliminate plastic pollution but tackling the problem from two different angles. DePoly (STATION F startup in the L'Oréal Program) has developed a cutting-edge technology to recycle PET plastic. Xampla (Cambridge University spin-out) has developed a plant-protein material that provides a natural alternative to single-use plastic.

Topics:

01:16 — What made Samantha and Simon want to go into plastic?

05:11 — The recycling technology behind DePoly

05:46 — How plastic recycling currently works

07:30 — Xampla’s plant-protein material

09:22 — How Xampla compares to existing plant-based solutions

10:37 — Can Xampla’s material be eaten?!

10:46 — Xampla targeting consumer markets

11:56 — Samantha on where we use plastics today and how to address the plastic problem

13:15 — Simon and Samantha on what’s necessary for large-scale change to happen

16:15 — Samantha on the role of startups in the new plastic economy

17:03 — Simon on the big companies’ change of attitude towards plastic

18:30 — Simon’s background: serial cleantech entrepreneur

19:54 — Samantha’s academic background and the DePoly team

22:10 — The importance of practicality in solutions

24:25 — Other exciting companies in the new plastics

This episode is hosted by Roxanne Varza and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre.

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