The Sustainable Jungle Podcast is a mission driven show, focusing on solutions for the world’s sustainability challenges. Host, Joy McConnochie talks with some of the most interesting and inspiring consumer brands who are innovating and leading their respective industries.
Episodes
Monday May 19, 2025
Monday May 19, 2025
We’re continuing our series of conversations with the founders and leaders behind the brands we’ve rated—this time with Aram Terry, the Co-founder of MasayaCo.
MasayaCo is a regenerative furniture brand rooted in reforestation, craftsmanship, and long-term impact. Top Rated through our Brand Rating System, MasayaCo is built on a vertically integrated model that largely controls its entire supply chain—from seedlings to finished furniture—ensuring both environmental and social responsibility.
In this episode, Aram shares his journey from his Peace Corps service in Nicaragua to founding MasayaCo, and how the company grew into a full ecosystem that now includes Masaya Homes and Masaya Teak, and what it really takes to build a values-led business.
We talk about:
✔ Reforestation, regenerative design, and vertical integration
✔ The realities of supply chain control and staying mission-aligned
✔ What helped MasayaCo become a Top Rated brand
✔ Why long-term thinking and transparency are so important
🎧 Members-only bonus: Aram reflects on the challenges of leading a mission-driven business, how he manages difficult trade-offs, and what he believes needs to shift in our culture of overconsumption. Stay tuned for details on how to access this exclusive content or register your interest here: https://forms.gle/cJEE2Q1vAxW6yYpdA
Important Links
- See MasayaCo's Rating: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/brand-ratings/masayaco/
- Visit MasayaCo (affiliate link): https://www.sustainablejungle.com/masayaco-brand-rating/
- Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/newsletter
- Show notes: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/podcast/episode-75/
- Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/DQJ1jKhnlqg
- Find other rated brands: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/brand-directory/?rating%5B%5D=any
- SJ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustainablejungle/
How to Support the Podcast
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please:
- Follow or subscribe wherever you listen
- Leave us a review on your favorite platform
- Share it with someone who cares about conscious consumption
Your support helps us keep the conversations going 💚
Monday May 05, 2025
Monday May 05, 2025
We’re continuing our new chapter of the Sustainable Jungle Podcast—where we dive into the real stories behind the brands we’ve rated on their sustainability efforts.
In this episode, we’re joined by Jennifer Roberge, co-founder of The Kind Pet— the first online marketplace devoted exclusively to sustainable pet products—and co-owner of Boba & Vespa - a plastic-free, zero-waste pet toy brand made in the USA that was recently Top Rated by Sustainable Jungle. Jennifer shares how her passion for conscious consumerism and animal welfare led her to launch The Kind Pet. We explore her journey from founding the retail platform to acquiring Boba & Vespa.
We talk about:
- What makes a more sustainable pet brand
- Why circularity and end-of-life design matter
- How to build trust in an industry full of greenwashing
- The challenges—and rewards—of staying true to your mission
🎧 Members-only bonus: In our extended conversation, Jennifer opens up about the personal challenges of running a mission-driven business, tough trade-offs, and what it really takes to keep moving forward. Stay tuned for details on how to access this exclusive content or register your interest here: https://forms.gle/cJEE2Q1vAxW6yYpdA
Important Links
- See The Kind Pet Rating: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/brand-ratings/the-kind-pet/
- Visit The Kind Pet: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/the-kind-pet-brand-rating-review/
- Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/newsletter
- Show notes: https://www.sustainablejungle.com/podcast/episode-74/
- Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hwFIi3V_Jtg
How to Support the Podcast
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please:
- Follow or subscribe wherever you listen
- Leave us a review on your favorite platform
- Share it with someone who cares about conscious consumption
Your support helps us keep the conversations going 💚
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
We’re back! In this relaunch episode, we introduce the new direction for the Sustainable Jungle Podcast—one that dives into the real stories behind the brands we rate for their sustainability efforts.
Joining us is Sara Redmond-Neal, founder of Small Mighty CSR, a sustainability consultancy that helps small and medium sized businesses build practical, credible, and values-driven sustainability strategies. With nearly two decades of experience, Sara makes sustainability accessible to every business with low-cost resources and practical training.
Through Small Mighty CSR, she offers services such as sustainability strategy development, ESG maturity assessments, coaching for internal teams, and communication support to help avoid greenwashing and build trust. Sara also provides practical free resources including her Quick Start Checklist, CSR Check-up and Sustainability Strategy DIY Guide.
Sara provided valuable feedback in shaping our sustainability rating framework. We talk about Sara's career path, what she sees as critical for more sustainable brands, what businesses often get wrong, and why credible sustainability claims are more important than ever.
Sara also shares actionable advice for brands working to improve their impact and thoughts on how the industry can shift toward real change.
🎧 Members-only bonus: In our extended conversation, Sara shares some of the emotional challenges of working in sustainability—including eco-overwhelm—and shares practical strategies for staying grounded and optimistic in the face of slow progress... along with even more advice for brands and consumers. Stay tuned for guidance on how to join!
💚 Learn more about our brand ratings
📹 Watch on YouTube
🔒 Member content coming soon – stay tuned or register expression of interest here
👩💼 Connect with Sara
✉️ Subscribe to our newsletter
📝 Show notes
How To Support The Podcast
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please:
- Follow or subscribe!
- Leave us a review on your favorite platform
- Share it with someone who cares about sustainability
Your support helps us keep the conversations going 💚
Friday Mar 29, 2024
Friday Mar 29, 2024
Meg Carney is an outdoor and environmental writer with a passion for environmental advocacy. She primarily covers topics within the outdoor industry ranging from the best new products and greenwashing to the scientific coverups of hazardous chemicals. Her work can be found in digital publications such as Field and Stream, Popular Mechanics, and GearJunkie, and her environmental journalism extends into podcast production with her original shows, Outdoor Minimalist and Forever Chemicals.
We discuss Meg's deep connection to the natural environment, her book, The Outdoor Minimalist and her podcast by the same name but mostly we focus on her current original podcast show called Forever Chemicals which dives deep into the history and impact of PFAS and the direct actions we can take to make a difference to planet and people.
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Find the show notes here and the video here.
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Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Thursday Dec 21, 2023
Dr. Saleem H. Ali is currently Chair of the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences and the Blue & Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware (USA). His career in academia, industry and as a National Geographic explorer has exposed him to a range of industries, professions and over 160 countries. Dr. Ali is a Member of the The United Nations International Resource Panel and a nonprofit board member for Adventure Scientists and Mediators Beyond Borders. He has written several books that deal with sustainability themes and his latest book Soil to Foil: Aluminum and the Quest for Industrial Sustainability delves deep into the significance of aluminum in our lives and its profound implications for our planet's health.
In this episode, we cover his educational and career highlights, we go deep on his new book which is applicable to a wide range of audiences from industry professionals to consumers. We also touch on COP28, climate change anxiety and actions we can all take to build a better future.
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Find the show notes here and the video here.
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Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Thursday Nov 09, 2023
Kate Flynn is an entrepreneur passionate about creating a more sustainable future. She is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sun & Swell, a Certified Women-Owned, B-Corp based in Santa Barbara, CA with a mission to eliminate single-use plastics from the packaged food industry and build a more circular food system.
Kate earned her MBA from Harvard and holds a BA in Economics from University of California - Santa Barbara. Prior to launching Sun & Swell, she was a Management Consultant and CPA. She lives in Ojai, California with her husband and co-founder, Bryan, two small children, and labradoodle.
We cover a bunch of juicy topics including: the evolution of Sun & Swell into a mission based B-Corp, making low waste living more accessible, Kate’s personal journey, sustainability in the food industry, Kate’s advice on building a business with meaning and so much more.
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Find the show notes here and the video here.
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Saturday Oct 14, 2023
Saturday Oct 14, 2023
Daphna is the co-founder and CEO of TIPA, a global compostable packaging company providing innovative solutions for the fashion and food industries. Daphna established TIPA in 2010 and was ahead of the curve when she recognized that there was an urgent need to revolutionize packaging systems and reduce plastic pollution around the world. Daphna has received multiple awards for her work, including being named as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum in 2019.
In this episode we cover Daphne’s journey, TIPA and their product range, the complexity and nuances of the industry, what it takes to be truly compostable and Daphne's advice for budding entrepreneurs.
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Find the show notes here and the video here.
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Friday Sep 08, 2023
Friday Sep 08, 2023
Before co-founding Aro Homes, Carl Gish was a "product and brand executive with a track record of driving growth, creating shareholder value and building successful teams and brands from Unilever, Amazon, Dyson, eBay and early stage companies".
Aro Homes is revolutionizing residential construction with its carbon-negative, beautiful, and efficient homes. Their mission is to "deliver beautiful homes that accelerate our progress toward a carbon-neutral future".
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Find the show notes here and the video here.
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Saturday Jul 22, 2023
Saturday Jul 22, 2023
Jenny Hu is the CPO and co-founder of SHADE by SHADY.CLUB, an online tool for finding sustainable fashion. With a background in building technology with an emphasis on human experiences and behavior, Jenny has spent the last two years building SHADE to empower consumers to choose sustainable choices when it comes to their fashion habits.
SHADY.CLUB was founded with a desire to “stick it to The Man (otherwise known as fast fashion)” and currently offers their first product (SHADE) in Beta: A simple but powerful Chrome extension that integrates visual search into a fashion customer’s shopping journey by suggesting similar, more sustainable alternatives.
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Find the show notes here and the video here.
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Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Stephanie Devine is the CEO and founder of The Very Good Bra, the world-first, zero-waste lingerie line that is so pure it can be buried in the garden and or home composted at the end of its life. Stephanie is a serial entrepreneur. One of her companies was a brand specializing in wire free bras in natural fibers and proper cup sizes, born out of being unable to find one as she went through breast cancer treatment. This experience ultimately led to the founding of The Very Good Bra as Stephanie learned about the apparel industry and its wasteful ways. She spent years sourcing and developing this product to prove it could be done, and that with some effort and forethought up front, we could produce products with their end in sight. Stephanie is now OBSESSED with leaving no post-consumer waste. The brand uses no polyester thread, nylon labels, synthetic elastic or spandex/elastane.
Stephanie has a unique and beautiful story which she generously shares in this episode including her journey with breast cancer and how it has inspired her to do more for people and the planet. We also cover her zero waste revelation, toxicity in common lingerie materials and how she’s trailblazed her own sustainability focused path in the fashion industry.
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Find the show notes here
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