Welcome to Season 2 of the Animalia podcast, where we cover all things conservation, climate, and sustainability. We’re opening this season with a long overdue chat about waste and recycling. How much progress are we actually making here? What should and should not be recycled? Is recycling the only way out of our waste problem?
We sit down with Erik Osmundsen, CEO of The NG Group in Norway, one of the leading global innovators in recycling and waste management. Erik answers some of our common recycling questions, and clues us into what he thinks is perhaps as important if not more important than simply consuming less and recycling more: actually changing the materials we make products and packaging with.

In This Episode
2:42 My Friends Answer Common Recycling Questions
7:34 Setting up the waste problem with Eric
15:05 What is preventing developed nations from making more progress
18:18 Defining a Circular Economy
21:10 Government, Corporate, and Individual Action
26:45 Gypsum: A Circular Economy Example
35:40 Consumers Should Get Paid to Recycle Properly
40:26 Debunking some common rules with recycling
53:50 Role of Subsidies
57:12 Erik’s Accomplishments with the NG Group

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