Episode 11: Transforming plastic waste into sustainable building materials with Rui Peng

Pictured above: Rui Peng and Lilah McDonald.

Welcome back to Sustainably Ever After, the NZBusiness podcast exploring sustainability and entrepreneurship, proudly brought to you by the Milford Foundation. In this episode, host Lilah McDonald speaks with Rui Peng, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Critical., a clean-tech company turning plastic waste into durable construction panels called Cleanstone.

Rui co-founded Critical. with the goal of building an enduring company that exists to manaaki (care for) people and land. He shares his inspiring journey from studying architecture to creating an innovative Māori-owned company that tackles plastic waste and carbon emissions in the construction industry.

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Episode highlights

• The shocking reality of plastic waste in New Zealand and how Critical. is repurposing it.
• Rui’s journey from an immigrant upbringing to becoming a sustainability entrepreneur.
• The devastating tornado that nearly destroyed his business – and how he rebuilt.
• The role of architecture and design in driving sustainable change.
• How the Critical. Cleanstone panels are shaping the construction industry.
• The future of sustainable building materials and what needs to change in society.

“We want to be good ancestors. The decisions we make today should benefit generations 1,000 years from now.” – Rui Peng

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Find out more about Critical.

Website – criticaldesign.nz
Facebook – @Criticalnz
Instagram – @bluntumbrellas
LinkedIn – Critical.

A special thanks to sponsors of this podcast, Milford Foundation that is supporting education, youth and the environment to build a better tomorrow for all New Zealanders.