Life in plastic, un-fantastic! Rethinking Recycling and Circular Economy (ft. Daan Van Kassel, Fund manager at Polestar Capital)

Episode notes

How about doing away with plastic? Drifting in the Central North Pacific Ocean is the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, a collection of marine debris with a mass so large it has been ranked as our eighth continent. Nature is “circular by design” - balanced and sustainable - but our modern lifestyle is simply not. Beginning with a nostalgic nod to the iconic Lion King, Kokou Agbo-Bloua embarks on an investigative journey into the complexities of recycling and the circular economy. With only 9% of global plastic waste being recycled, tough questions are raised about the efficacy of current recycling practices. Delving deeper, the discussion explores the alarming statistics surrounding waste generation and its staggering environmental impacts. From the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to the proliferation of e-waste, the narrative paints a vivid picture of the dire need for systemic change. Through expert insights from Daan van Kassel, fund manager at Polestar Capital, listeners gain valuable perspectives on financing innovations and scaling up circular economy initiatives. Key issues such as reducing, reusing, and the necessity for global cooperation are dissected with clarity.

Related episodes across the Index

Other episodes covering the same guests and topics, from across The B2B Podcast Index.

• #192 - Slowing Things Down to Speed Up Research with Jared Forney of OktaAwkward Silences · on research90 / 100
• Why your research needs a “thinking cave” with Sarah KlingThe Curiosity Current: A Market Research Podcast · on research89 / 100
• OLLY Agentic Commerce Optimization: MarTech & Digital Compliance Director Jennifer Peters On Building an AI Foundation the Right WayRetailgentic · on trends79 / 100
• EP1012: The current trends in B2B payments for 2026IBS Intelligence Global FinTech Interviews · on trends79 / 100
• Are You Training Your AI, Or Is It Training You?Beyond High Performance · on education75 / 100
• Building Self-Accelerating AI with MirendilAI + a16z · on research65 / 100

• The Safest of Them All: What If Safe Assets Aren't Safe? (ft. Vincent Mortier, Group CIO of Amundi and Deputy CEO of Amundi AM)81 / 100
• Brace for Impact! The Age of Adaptation & Resilience (ft. Carine de Boissezon, Chief Impact Officer at EDF)76 / 100
• "I Learn, Therefore I Evolve": Rethinking Human Learning in the Age of AI (ft. Dr. Barbara Oakley)78 / 100
• Data Centers: Where AI builds Its Brain (ft. Sikander Rashid, Global Head of AI Infrastructure at Brookfield)87 / 100
• REPLAY · The Original Sin of Sovereign Debt: Budget deficits & Debt crisis (ft. Anatoli Annenkov) | Sustainability, Central Banks77 / 100