Most of us toss a plastic bottle into the recycling bin without thinking twice. But where does it actually go? Does recycling really work? And what happens after the truck drives away?

What does the future of American manufacturing look like? In Akron, Ohio, it looks like innovation rooted in legacy. In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn sits down with Akron Mayor Shammas Malik to explore how the city is transforming its historic rubber industry into a modern hub for polymers, advanced materials, and sustainable manufacturing.

In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn sits down with former Commissioner of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Vaishali Udupa and Jennifer Ronk, a plastics and sustainability expert at Dow, to explore how STEM careers are opening doors far beyond the lab. From supervising crews on job sites to leading ~10,000 people at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Jennifer and Vaishali share candid stories about leadership, resilience, and the mentors who changed their lives. They unpack why sustainability is "everybody's job," how patents fuel innovation, and why the next generation shouldn't be afraid of AI.