ENTERTAINMENT PODCAST FROM RIO TINTO EXPLORES THE SCIENCE BEHIND A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Conceived and created with Studio of Art & Commerce, in partnership with Listen, ‘Things You Can’t Live Without’ examines our reliance on the earth’s resources through everyday objects – and explores sustainable alternatives for the future – via celebrity guests and scientific experts

From phones to cars, coffee to music, bikes to books, there are some things in life each of us really rely on, have you ever thought about what our everyday essentials are made of – what is the impact of using these objects, and what needs to happen for us to keep using the things we love? Mining Group Rio Tinto, who are focused on finding, mining and processing the materials the world needs is setting out to openly explore these questions and more, in a new entertaining and educational podcast series aimed at the curious-minded, to help people understand the science behind a more sustainable future.

‘Things You Can’t Live Without’, is a 10-episode series that exploresour reliance on the earth’s resources – as well as the more sustainable methods being developed to provide them – through an entertaining yet informative lens: The everyday objects that we take for granted.

Conceived with independent creative studio, Studio of Art & Commerce and produced in partnership with podcast producer, Listen, ‘Things You Can’t Live Without’ marks Rio Tinto’s first foray into the fast-growing educational entertainment sector, drawing on the company’s broader commitment to sustainability and purpose to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs. The company wanted to share the facts about the materials required for both our everyday items and the energy transition – how much work is being done behind the scenes and what still needs to happen.

The podcast was created in an entertaining format in order to make the complex topic of materials science more accessible and interesting to listeners around the globe. The London based Studio focuses on harnessing the power of entertainment to generate emotional responses which are memorable and shareable.

Featuring a range of celebrity talent from across the worlds of literature, sport, music and food, including musician Cerys Matthews MBE, Paralympian Rudy Garcia-Tolson and lexicographer Susie Dent, alongside Rio Tinto’s own scientific experts. The podcasts, which are aimed at a global audience with an interest in science and sustainability, tackle sustainability issues in an engaging, entertaining and accessible way – while remaining anchored in real science.

Independent, award-winning materials scientist, author, presenter and comedian Dr. Anna Ploszajski hosts the series, drawing on her extensive experience in engaging traditionally underserved audiences with materials science and engineering to explore the role of materials like titanium, copper, steel and lithium.

Each episode will see a celebrity guest nominate an everyday object that they can’t live without, kickstarting a discussion around why it contributes so much to their lives, the materials currently required to create it, and going on to explore more sustainable alternatives.

Emmy Award-winning actress and writer Alie Ward’s everyday essential is her Bison hip flask, crafted from steel; Paralympian triathlete Rudy Garcia-Tolson nominates his prosthetic legs, made from titanium, famed for its strong yet light properties; Lexicographer and author Susie Dent’s choice is, naturally, the dictionary, originally printed on presses made from copper (a material which is now crucial in electronics); while musician, author and Desert Island Discs host Cerys Matthews MBE, who is also a keen climber, opts for her trusty carabiners and harness. 

According to a report by Grand View Research, the podcast market is currently worth $ 23 B. With science podcasts exploding in popularity, ‘Things You Can’t Live Without’ taps into the trend of educational entertainment. Importantly, it is also underpinned by serious sustainability credentials.

As the first major mining company to stop mining coal, to be fully transparent on water management and to co-produce zero carbon aluminium, Rio Tinto is now heavily focused on decarbonisation, driving innovation and continuous improvement to produce the minerals and metals used in everyday life a safe and more sustainable way.

Episodes 1 and 2 of Things you Can’t Live Without (Series 1) are now available to stream on platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, with episodes released weekly. Listeners can also connect with the podcast on social media for updates. See note to editors for direct links to podcasts.

The podcast series is supported by a launch campaign on social media channels, also created by Studio of Art & Commerce & Listen, which will run on Instagram in key cities across the US (San Francisco, Boston, New York, Washington D.C), Canada (Montreal, Ontario, Toronto, Vancouver) and Australia (Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Sydney), as well as Rio Tinto’s own communication channels.

Podcasts are here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKmZm8JPWnNRQm3ge0MvOmo9lSL_2lrs3

Nigel Steward, Chief Scientist at Rio Tinto commented: “Through this series, we’re aiming to raise awareness of the contribution science, metals and minerals make to everyday necessities, in an entertaining way.  We hope to provide listeners with greater insights into the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition and showcase the great work being done by scientists and technical experts both inside Rio and more broadly.”

Heide Cohu, CEO Studio of Art & Commerce added: “If you entertain people you can open hearts and minds.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re a consumer, a business executive or a scientist, your audience will respond to innovative storytelling.

Rio Tinto understands this and has leant into it, providing us with extraordinary minds to deliver a format that is both informative and entertaining, to help the world to understand the challenges we face in the global energy transition.”

Josh Adley, MD of Listen said: “Podcasting provides brands the opportunity to talk to an engaged audience in a way that is unmatched by other mediums. Where sustainability content can often feel dry or worthy, we worked with Studio of Art & Commerce to take the opposite approach and create ‘Things You Can’t Live Without’ – a genuinely entertaining format with where big-name personalities offer insights about the objects they rely on, from bikes to dictionaries to prosthetic limbs.”

Source: Rio Tinto

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