David Katz
David Katz is a dynamic, inspirational speaker described by many as “the best in the sustainability industry.” He is globally renowned for The Plastic Bank’s solution to make plastic waste a currency that transcends poverty while stopping the flow of plastic into our oceans. Salt Magazine’s list of The World’s Top 100 Compassionate Business Leaders recognized David as #4 between Dr. Muhammad Yunus and Elon Musk.
David has made appearances in the award-winning documentary A Plastic Ocean, the reality TV show Dragons Den and countless news interviews. He performs globally, with frequent keynotes for Sustainable Brands, World Forum for Circular Economy, and the Entrepreneurs Organization. David has also spoken at various corporate events for organizations such as Unilever, Seventh Generation, Dow Chemical, and World Vision. Katz delivers a genuine paradigm shift that inspires his audience to see opportunity, where others see problems.
287: David Katz, part 1: Stopping ocean plastic
David’s TED talk has over 2 million views. I recommend watching it to learn about his project, Plastic Bank, though he describes it in our conversation.
Regular listeners know my views on importance of reduction first. I wanted to know if Plastic Bank’s putting a value on plastic, increasing demand. His TED talk talks about turning off the valve if you’re flooding, but maybe he’s just moving the water around, not shutting the valve.
But you’ll hear in our conversation that he clearly states his goal is to stop virgin plastic production.
David is leading, working with people, beliefs, goals—what I believe is where we should work.
Most people tell me what they can’t do on the environment, how others have to change, why they shouldn’t change.
David shares the opposite—how to live how you want in every way.