Category: california

• COMMONS

  

  This company helps track users’ carbon footprint through an app in order to help them make more sustainable and climate-friendly choices, turning everyday purchases into climate action

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  December 11, 2025

  app, california, carbon footprint education, digital, digital platform, reduce, USA

  carbon footprint, climate action, climate app, digital platform

• COCOPLUM

  

  This company upcycles used prescription bottles into frames for sunglasses

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  August 26, 2025

  beauty, california, consumer product, fashion, plastic diversion, plastic waste, prescription bottles, recycle, upcycling, USA

  beauty, fashion, plasticrecycling, upcycledplastic, upcycling

• MATTER OF TRUST

  

  This nonprofit repurposes human hair, pet hair, fleece and other materials to clean up oil spills in the oceans

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  May 2, 2025

  california, coastal restoration, conservation, habitat restoration, hair, nonprofit, oil spills, upcycling, USA, waste solutions

  conservation, donate hair, habitat restoration, hair, human hair, human hair mats, oil spills

• CLEMENT PACKAGING

  

  This company creates compostable packaging for consumer products.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  April 11, 2025

  bamboo, california, Compostable, compostable packaging, new material, packaging, plastic-free, USA

  bamboo, new material, plastic alternative

• FULL HARVEST

  

  This company is creating a marketplace for produce that connects commercial produce buyers to farms, thereby reducing inefficiencies associated with surplus and imperfect produce.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  January 22, 2025

  california, digital, digital platform, food industry, food rescue, food waste, logistics, online marketplace, USA

  b2b, digital platform, digital-marketing, food rescue, food waste, marketing, online marketplace, sustainability

• MYCOWORKS

  

  This company is creating biodegradable leather and other textile alternatives using mycellium mushrooms.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  January 16, 2025

  california, leather alternative, mushrooms, mycellium, new material, textiles, USA

  Biodegradable, leather alternative, mushrooms, mycellium, new material

• LIQUIDONATE

  

  This company creates technology enabling retailers to donate returns and excess inventory to nonprofits.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  December 12, 2024

  california, digital, digital platform, excess inventory, Re-use, reuse backend infrastructure, software, USA

  digital platform, environment, excess inventory, matching, nonprofits, software platform

• WISDOM SUPPLY COMPANY

  

  This company provides plastic-free and zero-waste stationary supplies.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  November 29, 2024

  B corp, california, plastic alternative, plastic-free, Re-use, recycle, social enterprise/b corp, stationary, USA

  environment, plastic, plastic-free, recycling, sustainability, waste management, zero waste

• REFIBERD

  

  This company utilized artificial intelligence (AI) and hyperspectral imaging to sort discarded textiles for recycling.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  June 24, 2024

  artificial intelligence, california, clothing recycling, recycle, textile waste sorting, textiles, USA, waste sorting

  recycling, textile recycling, textile waste sorting

• MI TERRO

  

  This company is creating compostable bioplastics from food waste and other organic waste.

  Vandana Balakrishnan

  May 15, 2024

  agricultural waste, biopolymers, california, Compostable, compostable packaging, food waste, new material, packaging, plastic alternative, USA

  agricultural waste, bioplastics, compostable materials, compostable packaging, packaging, plastic alternative