Can you eat the packaging instead of throwing it away?

Hello, hello!

In this episode of the Good Garbage Podcast, host Ved Krishna sits down with Naama Nicotara, founder of NakedPak, to explore a radical rethinking of food packaging, one where the wrapper disappears entirely.

From her early inspiration to the material science behind algae-based films, Naama shares the journey of building NakedPak and challenging the very idea of what packaging should be. What began as a response to plastic pollution evolved into a bold innovation that merges food, material science, and design.

This conversation dives into the realities of building a breakthrough sustainability product. From behavioural shifts and market confusion to food safety certifications and scaling production, Naama explains what it truly takes to move from concept to consumer.

Together, Ved and Naama discuss:

• The origin story behind NakedPak

• Why algae became the material of choice

• How edible packaging is developed in the lab

• The science behind taste, shelf life, and food safety

• Consumer psychology and behavioural change

• Market positioning and the blurred line between meal and packaging

• Certifications and regulatory hurdles

• Accessibility, pricing, and commercial viability

• Collaboration and the future of zero waste food systems

• The episode closes with a reflection on what it really means to eliminate waste; not by replacing plastic with another material, but by questioning whether packaging is needed at all.

🎙️ Good Garbage features conversations with founders, scientists, and builders working to leave the planet cleaner — while asking one essential question: What is Good Garbage?

📌Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Naama Nicotara and NakedPak

03:12 The origin story and early inspiration

07:45 Why algae and edible materials?

12:20 Inside the lab: how the packaging is made

18:05 Taste, shelf life, and food safety concerns

24:30 Certifications and regulatory approvals

30:10 Market positioning: meal or packaging innovation

38:45 Pricing and accessibility

44:20 Consumer behaviour and comfort zones

52:15 Challenges in building a breakthrough idea

59:40 Collaboration and industry response

01:07:30 Scaling production and factory vision

01:15:00 The future of edible packaging

01:22:10 What is Good Garbage?

Naama's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naama-nicotra-1b9232174/?originalSubdomain=il

NakedPak: https://www.nakedpak.com/

NakedPak LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nakedpak/

NakedPak Instagram: https://share.google/n03pqrTXGwcu7z9vv

Producer: Palakshi Aggarwal

Video Producer: Sargam Krishna

📺 Subscribe on YouTube: /@GoodGarbage

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

📸 Follow on Instagram /@goodgarbagepodcast

📩 Send us your questions: palakshi.aggarwal@pakka.com

Hello, hello!

In this episode of the Good Garbage Podcast, host Ved Krishna sits down with Dr. Alexey Vishtal, a scientist and industry expert in pulp, paper, and sustainable packaging, to explore thematerial reality behind sustainability.

From growing up in Russia to building his career in Finland, Alexey shares the journey that led him into material science — including a PhD focused on the stretchability of paper and years working inside a global corporation like Nestlé. Along the way, he gained rare insight into how sustainability actually moves (or stalls) inside large systems.

This conversation goes beyond surface-level sustainability narratives and into the physics, constraints, and trade-offs that define packaging today. From water vapor barriers to economic viability, Alexey explains why materials — not intentions — ultimately decide what works.

Together, Ved and Alexey discuss:

Why paper performance is more complex than it seems

What stretchability, barriers, and material limits really mean

How regulation and consumer demand shape sustainability efforts

What working inside Nestlé revealed about innovation at scale

How nature offers clues for better material design

Why collaboration is essential for the future of sustainable packaging

The episode closes with a reflection on good garbage — and what it would take to design materials that truly belong in natural and industrial systems.

🎙️ Good Garbage features conversations with scientists, founders, and builders working to leave the planet cleaner — while asking one essential question: What is #GoodGarbage?

📌 Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Alexey Vishtal

03:04 From Russia to Finland: early influences

05:46 Discovering pulp & paper

09:00 The science of paper stretchability

12:10 Inside Nestlé: sustainability at scale

17:56 Regulation, consumers & real change

21:11 India, culture, and perspectives

29:52 Innovation in sustainable packaging

50:06 Why water vapor barriers are so hard

54:13 Learning from nature

01:01:20 The future of sustainable materials

01:24:19 Vision for the future of packaging

Producer: Adriana Sánchez Uebelhoer

Video Producer: Sargam Krishna

📺 Subscribe on YouTube: / @goodgarbage

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify

📸 Follow on Instagram: / @goodgarbagepodcast

📩 Send us your questions: adriana@pakka.com

Hello, hello! In this episode of the Good Garbage Podcast, host Ved Krishna sits down with Neha Jain, Founder & CEO of Zerocircle, to explore how seaweed-based materials could transform the future of sustainable packaging.

Imagine a world where packaging doesn’t end up stranded on beaches, but instead safely dissolves back into nature. That’s the future Neha is working toward.

Neha shares her journey from working at Google to building Zerocirlce, a company focused on developing natural polymer materials from seaweed as an alternative to plastic packaging. This conversation dives deep into material science, the challenges of scaling sustainable packaging solutions, and why true sustainability must work commercially, not just environmentally.

Together, Ved and Neha discuss:

- How seaweed is used to create home-compostable packaging materials

- The science behind natural polymers and plastic alternatives

- Why collaboration is critical in the sustainable materials ecosystem

- What it takes to scale climate-positive solutions globally

- Why “good garbage” means designing systems where waste doesn’t exist

Zerocircle’s vision goes beyond packaging aiming to become a core material provider for manufacturers worldwide, helping reduce plastic waste at scale.

→ Find out more about Zerocirlce: https://www.zerocircle.in/

🎙️ Good Garbage features conversations with founders, scientists, and innovators working to leave the planet cleaner - while asking one essential question: What is #GoodGarbage?

📌 Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Neha Jain and Zero Circle

02:50 Early life, curiosity, and career path

09:24 Entrepreneurship lessons from Flyby Night

15:21 Discovering sustainability and material science

29:57 Founding Zero Circle

54:14 Why seaweed? Properties and potential

01:00:44 Extraction, processing, and scalability

01:10:13 Commercialization challenges

01:22:00 Investors and funding climate solutions

01:30:03 Collaboration in the seaweed ecosystem

01:34:08 The future of sustainable packaging

Neha’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehajn/

Zerocircle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/zerocircle/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zerocircle_in/

Producer: Adriana Sánchez Uebelhoer

Video Producer: Sargam Krishna

📺 Subscribe on YouTube: / @goodgarbage

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotif

y📸 Follow on Instagram: / @goodgarbagepodcast

📩 Send us your questions: adriana@pakka.com