In today's episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, Dylan talks to Insiya Jafferjee about the role Shellworks plays in reimagining sustainable alternatives to plastic use cases. They delve into unique and environmentally beneficial product concepts and designs used by Shellworks to address the issue of plastic waste holistically and contextually.

Insiya is the CEO of Shellworks, a company comprising a team of scientists, engineers, and designers focusing on reimagining the future of packaging by working with nature. Before founding Shellworks, Insiya worked at Apple as a Manufacturing Design Engineer, where she learned to appreciate quality designs that improve people's lives and are produced at a massive scale.

Shellworks introduced a plastic that was created using bacteria that are common in soil and marine environments. Insiya adds that when you discard a product made of Vivomer, bacteria that live in the soil and ocean perceive it as food and consume it, allowing it to decompose in nature without requiring additional infrastructure.

Insiya reveals the rationale for Shellworks' current emphasis on cosmetic products. According to Insiya, the beauty industry is likely one of the leading offenders of plastic pollution. Shellworks aims to provide them with sustainable packaging solutions that are petroleum-free, truly compostable, and "perform like plastic" but decompose in about a year, all at a good cost and scale without compromising aesthetics and performance.

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