The "Why" of Plastics with John Skabardonis

Host Justin Riney welcomes John Skabardonis, a PhD chemist turned marketer who recently retired from corporate life and now runs Optimist Consulting and writes the Tech Nuggets newsletter.They discuss how technical experts can better reach non-technical audiences through “scientific storytelling,” doing audience homework, and improving delivery (including Toastmasters) so messages resonate.The conversation focuses on plastics industry marketing failures, fear marketing (e.g., “BPA-free”), chemophobia, and the need to frame issues in terms of risk rather than jargon. John recounts Bayer/Covestro’s BPA water-bottle controversy, argues human behavior drives problems like pollution and PFAS exposure, critiques microplastics headlines and contamination, and calls for coordinated, grassroots, multi-platform advocacy—also noting the importance of accurate AI data sources. They close with mentions of SPE, mentoring, and how to find Tech Nuggets on LinkedIn.John Skabardonishttps://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/tech-nuggets-7426792352763056128/https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnskabardonis/Redefining Plasticshttps://www.redefiningplastics.com/https://www.brvind.com/redefining-plasticshttps://rss.com/podcasts/redefining-plastics-with-justin-riney https://www.instagram.com/redefining_plastics/https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-ryan-%F0%9F%A6%85-77057322a/https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-riney-mba-67685940/ https://youtube.com/@redefiningplastics?si=KvG4dTvY1lALbwIm