In this episode, we have an enlightening conversation with Joel Tasche, the visionary founder and CEO of CleanHub, a company dedicated to liberating the planet from plastic pollution. Growing up with a profound connection to the ocean through sailing and surfing, Joel’s passion for marine conservation led him to establish CleanHub with a mission to create, foster and shape waste management solutions where this infrastructure is lacking globally.
This is a subject close to the heart of podcast host and Formula Botanica CEO Lorraine Dallmeier, who is a Chartered Environmentalist and biologist. In conversation with Joel, Lorraine unravels the layers of sustainable packaging, waste management intricacies, and the environmental impact and responsibilities of the beauty industry in reducing plastic waste at source.
Join us as we explore the initiatives taken by CleanHub to address plastic pollution and create a positive change in the beauty industry.
Inspiring quote:
“Life is best lived on a clean planet, whether you’re in Berlin or a fisherman in Senegal. It’s a much, much nicer life if you’re not living surrounded by pollution.” – Joel Tasche, Founder of CleanHub
In this episode with Joel Tasche of CleanHub, you will hear:
- An overview of CleanHub’s mission which is to establish waste management infrastructure where it is lacking, emphasising the critical role of waste management in curbing plastic pollution.
- The origin story of CleanHub: Gain insights into Joel’s personal motivation for starting CleanHub, rooted in his love for the environment and a deep concern for the global plastic pollution crisis.
- The challenges in sustainable packaging: Joel delves into the challenges faced by the beauty industry in adopting sustainable packaging, citing examples of difficult-to-recycle materials and the need for a circular economy.
- About CleanHub’s partnerships with cosmetic brands: Discover how CleanHub collaborates with cosmetic brands, with a substantial 40% of their customer base coming from the cosmetics industry. Understand how brands contribute a portion of their revenue to fund waste collection and management initiatives.
- How CleanHub deploys track and trace waste tech: Explore the innovative traceability software developed by CleanHub, ensuring transparency and accountability in waste management. Joel explains the importance of backing claims with evidence to build trust and credibility.
Key takeouts include:
- Proof of impact: CleanHub places a strong emphasis on transparency, using advanced technology and third-party verification to provide evidence of the impact they claim.
- Holistic approach to sustainability: Joel discusses the need for a holistic approach to sustainability, considering factors beyond packaging, such as waste management infrastructure and circular economy principles.
- Balancing sustainability and market competitiveness: While advocating for sustainability, CleanHub acknowledges the need for brands to remain competitive in the market, striking a balance between being environmentally responsible and economically viable.
- Consumer perceptions: Joel reflects on consumer preferences, highlighting the challenge of aligning consumer values with purchasing behaviour. He emphasises the importance of educating consumers to make informed choices.
- Ethics vs. sustainability: The episode explores the consumer prioritisation of non-toxic and cruelty-free products and the potential overlap or confusion with sustainability goals.
Meet our guest
Joel Tasche is the Founder & Co-CEO of CleanHub. He grew up sailing and surfing and developed a passion for all ocean-related topics. To turn his passion into a career, he started CleanHub – a company committed to freeing the planet from plastic pollution. With CleanHub they develop waste management infrastructure where there is none to reduce the amount of plastic entering the environment.
CleanHub is a Berlin-based company using technology to keep plastic out of the sea by implementing waste recovery where there is none. Their solution enables proactive brands to fund and advance plastic recovery in coastal communities across Asia and Africa with the greatest risk of plastic entering the ocean. Collection efforts are fully transparent and openly impactful. Its TÜV SÜD ISO-verified AI technology is used to track and trace collection. Unlike alternative approaches that are focused on recovering plastic once it is already in nature, CleanHub is stopping it from getting there in the first place.
Find out more about CleanHub:
Website | Instagram | Tiktok
There’s a wealth of information in our old episodes and we encourage you to go back and listen to them. If you want to hear more about some of the topics we covered in this episode, please do delve back into the podcast archives. Go and listen to:
Episode 188: The great plastic recycling myth
Episode 187: A plastic-free future for beauty with Sulapac – innovative, sustainable packaging.
Episode 118: Plastic is not the enemy – we are
Episde 117: Should beauty go plastic free?
Episode 115: The microplastics hiding in your cosmetics
Thank you for joining us for this episode of the Formula Botanica Green Beauty Conversations podcast. If you enjoyed listening, please share, subscribe and review this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Youtube so that more people can enjoy the show. Don’t forget to follow and connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.
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Liz was Formula Botanica’s Content Coordinator between August 2020-2024. Liz worked as a professional blogger, journalist and site developer for many years and was also part of the Formula Botanica student community. Read more about the Formula Botanica Team.
