In Episode 3 of The Good Shelf Standard, hosts Indie Lee and Justin MacNaughton talk with the chemist and Clement Packaging co-founder about the work that followed: developing a packaging material made with bamboo, fermentation-derived bioresins, and mineral additives.

Helen explains why packaging for liquid formulas is difficult to get right, how additives affect material choices, and why “plant-based” still needs to be followed by questions about testing.

We also get into compostability certification, the difference between home and industrial composting, and the challenge of designing for customers who don't have access to the right disposal system. Small caps and lip balm formats bring another problem into view: an item can be made from a recyclable material and still struggle to get collected and processed.

The conversation connects those questions to price, manufacturing, and the claims brands make on the shelf.

In this episode:

• The order that prompted Helen to rethink her work

• Bamboo, PHA, and the development of Clement's material

• PFAS, BPA, and the search for alternative additives

• Composting access and planning for the worst case

• Why specific, supported packaging claims matter

Explore Clement Packaging: https://www.clementpackaging.com/

Material FAQs: https://www.clementpackaging.com/faqs

Follow The Good Shelf Standard: https://www.instagram.com/goodshelfstandard/

Hosts Indie Lee and Justin MacNaughton sit down with Steve “Sneaker Steve” Patiño, founder of Ales Grey, to talk about that shift. Steve shares how his mother’s advice became a business model and how feedback from nurses and restaurant workers helped shape the shoes.

The conversation explores US manufacturing, algae-based foam, seaweed-based packaging, and the challenges of designing shoes for their next life, alongside pricing, retail partnerships, and making the numbers work.

Explore Ales Grey

https://www.alesgrey.com/

Some projects discussed were still in development at the time of recording.

In our first episode of The Good Shelf Standard, Indie Lee and Justin MacNaughton sit down with James Merrill, founder of StokedPlastics and Opolis Optics, to explore the science, supply chain and business behind turning plastic waste into useful products.

James shares how his work in international development shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, and why creating economic opportunity for communities matters to his mission.

We get into the challenges of using recycled plastic in performance products, how Opolis eyewear became a proof of concept for his materials company, and why a sustainability story alone isn’t enough to sell a product.

We also discuss:
• The science behind rebuilding degraded plastic
• Looking beyond the product to its packaging
• Traceability and the people behind a supply chain
• Getting manufacturers to try a new material
• The realities of running two businesses
• Why new materials and existing plastic waste both deserve attention

The Good Shelf Standard explores consumer products through four lenses: Product, Packaging, Purpose and Profit.

Follow the show for conversations with the people working to build better.

Website: https://thegoodshelfstandard.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodshelfstandard/
StokedPlastics: https://stokedplastics.com/
Opolis Optics: https://opolisoptics.com/

Product. Packaging. Purpose. Profit

A video podcast co-hosted by Justin MacNaughton & Indie Lee.