Invasive Plants with CEO Sydney Rodman (Green Revival)

https://greenrevival.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydney-rodman/

Did you know invasive plants can cause forest fires? 
How can these plants be used for good instead? 

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This podcast is an independent production and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2022.

Transcript

Cory Connors: 0:31

Welcome to Sustainable Packaging with Cory Connors and Brodie Vander Dussen. We are very excited today to have Sydney Rodman, the CEO of Green Revival. How are you, Sydney?

Sydney Rodman: 0:45

Good, thanks.

Cory Connors: 0:46

Thanks for taking some time to be on the show. Brody, any initial thoughts before we start?

Brodie Vander Dussen: 0:53

I have done some research on you since we booked this, and I'm really excited to get to hear more about Green Revival, you, your journey. let's get into it. I'm excited. It's

Cory Connors: 1:02

an impressive story. Yeah, I think the listeners will enjoy that today. And, so yeah, Sydney, tell us a little bit about your background before we start and then tell us about your company.

Sydney Rodman: 1:12

Yeah, I don't have a super long background. I'm 22 years old and I started Green Revival at 21 after a summer job as an invasive species technician. I was scuba diving in one of the clearest lakes in the U. S., a lake called Lake George. In the Adirondacks of New York, and I spend an entire summer of 2021 underwater weeding, getting rid of a plant called Eurasian water milfoil. And I saw the waste at the end of every day and wondered what we did with it. It was a dream job that I didn't want to do ever again. It was fun to do once. I don't want weeding to be my career, but I saw that. We, it's necessary everywhere there's plants, we need to get rid of invasive species. And part of that needs the full process of, waste solutions. And so I looked into, What was what the plants were being used for and they weren't being used for anything. They were going to the landfill or rotting or being burned in piles. And so I actually took that job because I was working in a lab. A marine biology lab, and my counterparts were scuba diving field researchers. So I thought I need to go scuba diving and get paid to do it. So I took that job and realized that most of research isn't out in the field. And I really like the fields. out in nature, but also talking to people and changing industry. So I started Green Revival to give plants a full purpose rather than being used as trash.

Cory Connors: 3:08

Love that. Well done. Good for you.

Brodie Vander Dussen: 3:11

Yeah, that's incredible. I think A full purpose, I think, is something that is often overlooked when we talk about product life cycle, in the consumer side of things, but also when we look at natural life and the full purpose of it, I think is an amazing way of looking at it. So as CEO of Green Revival, what's your company mission? What are you guys aiming to do?

Sydney Rodman: 3:32

Yeah, really the mission is simple. We want to solve the invasive plant crisis. And it just so happens that to solve an overabundance of plants that hurt industry, society, and ecosystems, we have to scale up removal and utilization of those plants. So getting those plants to go into industries. Is part of solving the invasive plant crisis to make these plants that come from other continents and create wildfires, biodiversity collapse, extinctions, just from sitting there and doing nothing, they spread like a virus. solving that has to do with taking action and comes back again to the circular economy and

Brodie Vander Dussen: 4:24

giving

Sydney Rodman: 4:25

the plants a purpose. Thank you.

Brodie Vander Dussen: 4:26

Wow. That's amazing. I had, I think prior to doing some, brief research from this interview. I had no idea about the, you said invasive plant crisis. Crisis is a big word. I think it's used a lot, but I think in this case is from my limited research. It's true. of the people that, that don't know about it. how would you explain the magnitude of this crisis?

Sydney Rodman: 4:48

Yeah, this is a crisis because invasive plants threaten every part of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Shelter, food, and water. The invasive plants are decreasing agricultural input by taking over the space. Ruining waterways, and I think most important for a consumer to know, and that affects them the most relevant way is homeowners insurance. Rates are increasing in California. 20 percent and 30 percent at different points of time, state farm has decided to not 2 months ago, they decided not to renew 30, 000. Homes, and then a few months before 72, 000 homes and. That California, their wildfires, a big part of their wildfires is. Started from invasive plants, so we're seeing in California. A problem that can take place in other states as well. And for the packaging community Extended producer responsibility. Yeah. Yes.

Cory Connors: 6:01

Sounds like a real sense of urgency here. That's a very insightful. I think. Thank you. Great question, Brody.

Sydney Rodman: 6:06

Yeah, it's interesting because you can actually see it. You can't see covid. You can't see bacteria, but this is it works in a very similar way. It spreads and, got to get rid of it and weed it out.

Cory Connors: 6:20

Yeah, well, I know you're spreading the message in many ways, but like, number one, it seems to be speaking at events and you're often, asked to speak at different events. You'll be speaking with, Hafner Energy soon. can you tell us about what they do?

Sydney Rodman: 6:36

Hafner Energy is a customer, but I'm speaking at sustainable brands and scaling up the bio economy are two conferences that I'm traveling to in person.

Cory Connors: 6:49

they're a customer of yours. what do they do? They are an energy company and you're helping them by, getting rid of the invasive species that are affecting their business.

Sydney Rodman: 7:01

the invasive species aren't affecting their business. They are creating energy, hydrogen to charge EVs, and part of the input into their technology is biomass or plants. And nearby their production facility, we're solving the crisis there. wherever we're doing a sustainable production, we can also restore the ecosystem. Thank you for listening. That sounds

Cory Connors: 7:29

like a great partnership. Yeah. So when

Brodie Vander Dussen: 7:32

you're at events like that, you mentioned, what was the topic that you're speaking on?

Sydney Rodman: 7:35

So at sustainable brands, I'm speaking about intergenerational collaboration. I think a lot of times my age is very apparent. And so there are differences. I'm talking with someone that's been part of longstanding industries. With and translating between all the way between someone like them and people that just came out of college and are using new terminologies and, more active on social media. how do you bridge the gap and still make. movements truthful and make progress without getting distracted in, like fear mongering.

Brodie Vander Dussen: 8:23

Wow. That's so impressive. I'm, with ya in that my age feels apparent, putting it, and I think sometimes that makes things challenging when working with people who have been are way more experienced than I am and have been in the industry for longer than I've been alive, because I do work with so many people who are like that. And I think that bridging that gap is so important because. I think often we find both ends of the spectrum look at the other and say, you don't have anything to say, or any value to bring to the table, both sides, for sure. But both have so much value and such a unique perspectives on individual challenges, but then also just, everything it seems like at times, but I think finding that collaboration, bridging that gap, like you said, I think is, Critical in order to move forward and actually evolve and innovate and create something new and, solve challenges. So that's incredible. I'm, wasn't planning on going to that show, but now I really want to, because I really want to hear what you got, what you guys have to say. So that's great. That's

Cory Connors: 9:29

in San Diego, right?

Brodie Vander Dussen: 9:30

Yes.

Cory Connors: 9:31

Yeah, very exciting. And I totally agree. This is a big reason Brody and I decided to team up is our different perspectives. I've been in the industry for 27 years and that's really Longer than he's been alive, and, that's, that's okay, but we have very different thoughts on very different things and very different experiences. And I think the only way to really make a huge impact, like you're doing, thank you. Sidney is to bridge that gap and work together with our different strengths because I was very candid with Brody. Like, I'm not good at these things. And you're really great at these things. Let's work together. And so it's been a great partnership. Well, then, so I'd like to talk to you, Sydney, a little bit about your perspective as how can consumers help with your mission? what can regular people like me and you do to help with this process?

Sydney Rodman: 10:27

I think just what makes them excited of. All the new ideas and offerings of what's sustainable and, everything you buy could have sustainable packaging or sustainable story. along the way there, there's an opportunity everywhere and which is also an opportunity to either not get excited or not look into the truth. So I think consumers have the power to a ask for the truth and ask for. An alignment of claim and reality from the companies that they're buying from and not get scammed.

Cory Connors: 11:08

Well said. That's it. That's it. Vote with your wallets, right? That's it. That's the answer. And I think, like you were saying before, educate yourself on what is. better what's a better alternative? what's an issue? And what's something that you could help with and do your part. I think we can all chip in. Yeah, we'll say and

Sydney Rodman: 11:26

get excited about what really is exciting

Brodie Vander Dussen: 11:30

for

Sydney Rodman: 11:31

the advancement of sustainable packaging and sustainable supply chains and not just. Manufacturing excitement for on a word that says sustainable.

Brodie Vander Dussen: 11:43

Those buzzwords are tricky there. They do actually grab attention and they do make a change when it comes to consumer behavior. But, more and more, I'm finding that. it's not exactly what they claim it to be. And it's, there's a lot of vagueness in there. So I like that get excited about what is exciting. Cause there is so much that is exciting in the industry that we're proud of. So that's on the consumer side, but on a brand side, I'm curious, what do you think is a way that, Consumers, but what do you think is a way that brands can make their packaging more sustainable?

Sydney Rodman: 12:14

Well, definitely work with me and Green Revival to, invasive plants are everywhere and have so many uses. if you want the local community to understand the impact you're having, because it's more important for the people that are nearby and to sustain that trust rather than, have a claim overseas and not be verified. But I think for a brand to tell the story of origin and where they have is from will really, will create a really strong connection between the consumer and really everyone that they work with. And for them, it'll be so easy to do business if their values are the values that they have that go above and beyond. And differentiate them from other companies that want to do the same thing, but when they take that step to not just be sustainable and maintain, but to restore ecosystems and to prevent. Disasters that have such an easy root cause, like, pulling a weed out of the ground can. Like, can save many species and people from, economic downturns and ecosystem collapses.

Brodie Vander Dussen: 13:33

That's powerful.

Cory Connors: 13:34

It is powerful. I agree. And what it almost seems like there's potential here to use some of that material, to be made into packaging, there's things like wheat straw that's used to make molded pulp and printed chipboard products, things like bamboo that's used all the time. what if we could use these, this, these invasive species and turn it into something. Valuable. have you thought about that?

Sydney Rodman: 14:03

Yeah. Yeah. And every plant can be used for something else, whether it's the wood or the cellulose and what's in the leaves, each part, it's like a solar panel or direct air capture without having to maintain it. You just have to. Let it grow and you don't have to use energy or water to grow it. And it's just there waiting for you to use it.

Cory Connors: 14:26

Yeah.

Sydney Rodman: 14:27

EPR doesn't just mean the end. And what you do with your materials and packaging after it, it also starts at the beginning of, where is it from? not we're net zero. We're tree free. We're free of this, but actually, what is it? And where is it from? And what impact does it have? And, it's the dream to be a homeowner. And when you can't close a deal because an insurance company won't Take the contract contracts. Yeah, the insurance company won't take a contract then just everyday lives are changed and where we live is less secure and we, food, shelter and water is threatened.

Cory Connors: 15:12

Very well said. It's so important that we remember that sustainability isn't just a fun word to say, and that this will affect us all, physically, our health, our living situation, like you just mentioned, it is, has massive impact on day to day life. Yeah, well said, Sydney. Thank you. And,

Sydney Rodman: 15:32

yeah, I want to say, I think, A big part of sustainability is the storytelling. We have to actually communicate what is sustainable and there are in any mission based, impact oriented. Initiative, there are going to be people that. that take advantage of people's hopes and motivations when, someone's motivated to do good. There are people that. take advantage of that capitalize off of someone's. Deep hopes for the world. And it's really important to tell that story in, in the marketing of packaging.

Cory Connors: 16:10

Excellent. Yeah. We're all in this together, right?

Sydney Rodman: 16:13

Yeah.

Cory Connors: 16:14

Thank you. Thank you so much for your time. where do you want to?

Brodie Vander Dussen: 16:19

Yeah, I learned a lot from this. I think, I hope companies or anyone else who's listening that have. A, an interest in this, or could see a partnership with green revival in the future has. is inspired by this and reaches out. How can they best, contact you?

Sydney Rodman: 16:34

Who is one is the website, www. greenrevival. co no M just C O or on LinkedIn. you can find me Sidney Rodman. That's great.

Cory Connors: 16:50

Thank you, Sidney. Thank you, Brody. Appreciate you both so much. I love to see our next generations doing impressive things like the both of you. So well done. Nice job.

Brodie Vander Dussen: 17:00

Thanks for having me. Sounds great.