Episode 705

705: A Plastic Pollution Solution: How PlantSwitch’s Bioplastics Lead the Way, with CEO Dillon Baxter

Published on: 4th June, 2024

Ever get annoyed when you order takeout and they give you the obligatory plastic wrapped napkin and plastic cutlery? If you’re like me, you politely decline, but most just take them and dispose of them directly in the waste bin.

The world is drowning in plastic waste, and current solutions to a useful alternative aren't cutting it. 

PlantSwitch, a North Carolina-based startup co-founded by Dillon Baxter, uses agricultural byproducts to create a durable, plastic-like resin. With it, they aim to tackle the world of disposable cutlery. Their products are 100% compostable and decompose naturally, even without the need for commercial composting facilities.

If your response to compostable cutlery is an eye-roll because they are neither reliable nor compostable, you’re in good company with Dillon.  That’s why when he takes a potential investor out to dinner, he invites them to cut into a thick steak with one of his compostable knives…they usually invest. And with those investments, PlantSwitch is opening a new facility in Sanford, North Carolina, where they can produce 50 million pounds of truly compostable bioplastic resin annually! Until now, there was really nobody providing a wide-scale alternative to single-use plastics; Tune in to hear how PlantSwitch is pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the biodegradable plastics industry.

Expect to learn:

  • How traditional plastic recycling is broken.
  • How PlantSwitch uses agricultural waste to create compostable products.
  • The real story behind consumer recycling (it’s more sinister than you might think).

Discover how PlantSwitch is transforming the plastic industry. Listen now!

If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.

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Mentioned in this episode:

CPS July 2024 V2

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About the Podcast

SunCast
Your resource for developing a clean energy or climate tech career
Nico Johnson takes you into conversations with those at the forefront of Renewable Energy.

SunCast gives an inside look into what is happening in renewable energy. From conversations with the biggest Solar Panel manufacturers in the world to the small startups creating the future of renewable energy, such as carbon capture and battery technology breakthroughs.

SunCast is dedicated to providing the knowledge, research, tools and expert guidance you need to understand, grow and be ahead of the curve in the fastest-growing markets in the world.

Featuring over 600 conversations, Nico has interviewed people from Tesla, SolarCity, Trina Solar, Meyer Burger, Conergy, SunEdison, Energy Vault and even the US Government... to name a few. Covering topics such as Solar Power, Wind Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Carbon Capture, Finance, Hydrogen, and more.

You can watch SunCast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunCastMedia

...or view the full archive of SunCast episodes here: https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes