Episode 14: Final-ly Ditching Single-Use Plastics

In 2018, Emma Rose Cohen quit her job in waste minimization at Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop alternatives to single-use plastics. 

Before she knew it, a simple Kickstarter with a dream goal of $12,500 became a $2 million reality. Her first product, FinalStraws, jumpstarted her journey in entrepreneurship with an appearance on ABC's Shark Tank. Since then, Cohen has continued to develop Foreverables - portable solutions such as sporks, different straws and disposable wipes. 

In this episode of Stef Talks Trash, Cohen and Editorial Director Stefanie Valentic discuss the challenges of product development, extended producer responsibility's role in reducing plastic waste and more.