In this episode, Sean Lee-Davies speaks to Franziska Trautmann, otherwise known as ‘@ecofran’ or ‘the sand girl’ on TikTok, about her viral efforts to recycle glass into sand through her company, Glass Half Full. The duo discuss why glass is better than plastic, whether TikTok is a viable medium for change and tips for other young social entrepreneurs.

As seniors at Tulane University, Trautmann and her co-founder Max Steitz were disappointed by the lack of glass recycling in New Orleans, so they decided to do something about it. Rather than tackle the current system, the duo implemented their own grassroots glass recycling program, calling it Glass Half Full. Glass Half Full is a social enterprise which recycles glass, turning it into sand and gravel for disaster relief sandbags, coastal restoration and eco-construction, amongst other products.

The key moments in this episode are:

(00:00) - Introducing Glass Half Full and Its Mission

(01:05) - How Glass Sand Can Replace Natural Sand

(02:57) - The Business Model of Glass Half Full

(07:27) - The Need for Glass Sand and Climate Crisis Impact

(09:43) - Scaling Glass Recycling and Coastal Restoration

(15:42) - Impact of Coastal Restoration Projects

(16:33) - Funding Needs for Expansion

(17:27) - Environmental Impact of Sand Extraction

(19:13) - Glass vs. Plastic Debate

(27:22) - Influence of TikTok for Environmental Change

(30:59) - Contrasting Social Media Platforms

(31:22) - Misinformation

(33:26) - Individual Action and Community Building

(43:15) - Social Media's Role in Global News Coverage

(47:11) - Shifting Corporate Mindset

(49:10) - Leading by Example

(51:35) - Tips for Young Entrepreneurs