Ep 22: Plastic Recycling Conference Predictions with Dan Leif
Release Date: 03/01/2023
Ep. 32: Design for Recyclability & the Evolution of the APR Design® Recognition Program w/ Rebecca Mick & Ruben Nance
Recycled Content
Recycled Content Host and the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro, is joined this episode by two fellow APR colleagues, Rebecca Mick, Program Director for Film & Packaging Innovation, and Ruben Nance, APR Program Director responsible for the management and growth of APR’s Preferred Design Recognition (PDR) Program. The team discusses the APR Design® Guide , as well as the growth and expansion of the APR Design® Recognition Program over the past year. Tune in to hear how the APR Design® Guide is helping companies find success in...
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Ep 31: Recycle More, Use Less: A conversation with the U.S. Plastics Pact’s Emily Tipaldo.
Recycled Content
The Recycled Content Podcast welcomes back Emily Tipaldo, Executive Director of the U.S. Plastics Pact, for a sit-down with show host and VP of Communications & Public Affairs at APR, Kara Pochiro. With the Pact turning four, as well as Earth Day and INC-4 just around the corner, the two discuss the meaning of the current moment in the plastic recycling industry’s efforts to manage material that could otherwise be waste. Kara and Emily highlight the need for both voluntary and mandatory commitments to improve recycling. Tune in to hear about these strategies and the important goals and...
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Ep 30: Getting ready for the Plastic Recycling Conference w/ Maite Quinn & Steve Alexander
Recycled Content
Ahead of the 2024 Plastic Recycling Conference, Recycled Content is back with a new episode hosted by the Association of Plastic Recycler’s (APR) VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro as she sits down with Steve Alexander, President & CEO of APR, and Maite Quinn, a lead member for Resource Recycling’s Plastic Recycling Conference planning team. Kara, Steve, and Maite discuss the upcoming Plastics Recycling Conference, a gathering of over 2,000 power players in plastics and recycling industries, including key speakers who will discuss the annual plastics recycling study,...
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Ep 29: How Recycling Works at KW Plastics with Stephanie Baker
Recycled Content
Host and APR's VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro, is joined by Stephanie Baker, Director of Market Development for KW Plastics' Recycling Division. Kara and Stephanie discuss how KW got its beginnings from the disposal process for automotive battery casings and has now turned into a closed loop recycling business in Alabama, revitalizing the recycling economy with over 500 employees. The two also focus on the process of creating recycled resin that can be used in common products like shampoo bottles to unconventional items like deodorant sticks. They also talk about KW’s...
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Ep 28:The Year in Review with APR President and CEO Steve Alexander
Recycled Content
APR President & CEO, Steve Alexander, is back on Recycled Content with host Kara Pochiro to discuss and reflect upon 2023. The two give updates on their predictions and resolutions from earlier this year, talk about the current state of the recycling industry, and how APR is a key component of progress made. Steve and Kara break down the recycling industry’s main issues in 2023 including changing the narrative about recycling and increasing supply for recyclers. They discuss the extensive policy work, both domestic and international, that APR does to make sure the regulatory...
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Ep 27:Examining the EPR Legislation Wave and CA SB 54 with Bruce Magnani
Recycled Content
Host and APR's VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro, is joined by Bruce Magnani, APR’s Legislative Advocate in California, and VP of Houston Magnani Associates. Kara and Bruce start by breaking down the basics of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and California’s SB 54 that focuses on packaging. The two discuss the EPR wave that is passing through various state legislatures, why it took multiple legislative sessions for it to pass in CA, catalysts for the bill, covered materials, key targets, and timelines. They then answer member’s questions about SB 54 regarding...
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Ep 26: A New Model for Plastics Circularity - The Full Recycling Process Under One Roof at Firststar Fiber
Recycled Content
Host and APR's VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro, is joined by Dale Gubbels, the 2023 Advocacy Champion Award recipient and CEO of Firstar Fiber. Dale and Kara break down Dale's early days of recycling and how Firstar Fiber has evolved into one of the largest materials recycling facilities (MRFs) in the Midwest. They decode Firstar's successful business model - diversifying sources other than single stream, enhancing people's awareness of recycling, and value-adding to hard-to-recycle plastics with the Hefty® ReNew® orange bag program. They also talk about the...
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Ep 25: Package Design for Recyclability – A Deep Dive into PET Plastics
Recycled Content
On this week’s episode, APR’s VP of Communications and Public Affairs, Kara Pochiro, is joined by Curt Cozart, Chief Operating Officer of APR and lead of the APR Design® Guide Training Program and other technical projects. Kara and Curt continue the conversation on package design from the last episode, diving into the world of PET, a plastic often used for beverage bottles, and also one of the most commonly recognized types of recyclable packaging. The discussion focuses on what packaging features can affect recyclability, APR’s recyclability categories, the collection, sortation, and...
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Ep 24: Designing with Detail: A Look at Package Design for Recyclability with Ruben Nance
Recycled Content
On this episode of Recycled Content, host Kara Pochiro is joined by Ruben Nance, Program Director for the Meets Preferred Guidance (MPG) Recognition Program at APR. Ruben and Kara talk about what makes packages truly recycling compatible through an examination of APR’s Design Guide, the different Recognition Programs that APR offers, and the current strides being made by companies, including APR members, to push the industry in the right direction. Based on extensive work with reclaimers, designers, and a wide variety of technical experts the APR Design® Guide, along with the MPG and...
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Ep 23: Improving Recycling in a Comprehensive Way: The Positives Behind PCR, Recycled Content Requirements, and EPR
Recycled Content
This week on the pod, APR’s VP of Communications and Public Affairs Kara Pochiro is joined by not one but two Kates- APR’s Chief Policy Officer Kate Bailey and APR’s Program Director Kate Eagles. Kara sits down with both Kates to discuss their recent APR blog post highlighting the importance of post-consumer resin (PCR) as an integral part in reducing the environmental impacts of plastic packaging. They also chat about new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, post-consumer recycled content requirements, and their ability to encourage homes and businesses to recycle more. To...
info_outlineAs we get ready for this year’s Plastics Recycling Conference, a gathering of over 2000 power players in plastics and recycling industries, the Recycled Content team welcomes back Dan Leif, managing editor at Resource Recycling, Inc. Host Kara Pochiro and Dan discuss hot topics in plastics recycling that will be covered at the conference, including the issues that keynote speaker Monica Medina, Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the State Department, will address. Tune in to hear insights from Dan on how to improve plastics recycling to keep up with the times, the latest market trends, and how universities are vital to recruiting the next generation of industry innovators.