Ep. 48: FDA Insights on Recycled Plastics for Food Packaging w/ FDA Regulatory Review Scientist Sean Fischer
Release Date: 09/10/2025
Ep. 49: Inside Colgate-Palmolive’s Journey to a Recyclable Toothpaste Tube w/ Dr. Jun Wang
Recycled Content
In Recycled Content’s fourth episode spotlighting APR’s Recycling Leadership Award winners, host Kara Pochiro sits down with Dr. Jun Wang, Director of Packing Innovation at Colgate-Palmolive, winner of the Design Innovation Award. Together, they explore how Dr. Wang led the team behind Colgate-Palmolive’s innovative mono-material toothpaste tube, which earned APR Design® Recognition and helped shift an entire product category toward recyclability. The two discuss how Colgate turned a long-standing non-recyclable package into one compatible with existing recycling systems, the importance...
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Ep. 48: FDA Insights on Recycled Plastics for Food Packaging w/ FDA Regulatory Review Scientist Sean Fischer
Recycled Content
In this episode of Recycled Content, APR Technical Director Scott Trenor takes over hosting duties to explore the FDA’s role in ensuring recycled plastics are safe for use in food packaging with guest Sean Fischer, an FDA Regulatory Review Scientist within the Division of Food Contact Substances. The two dive into the evaluation process, and critical need behind the FDA’s No Objection Letters (NOL), an official statement from the FDA signaling that the agency has reviewed a recycling process and has no concerns about its ability to produce material suitable for food-contact use. The...
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Ep. 47: Painting a New Future for PCR Utilization w/ Darren Scholl, Chief of Operations at KW Container
Recycled Content
In the third episode of our series highlighting APR’s Recycling Leadership Award winners, host Kara Pochiro is joined by Darren Scholl, the Chief of Operations at KW Container, winner of the PCR Utilization Award. The two highlight KW Container’s work transforming the paint-and-coatings industry by creating fully recyclable paint cans made with recycled plastics and driving demand by consuming over 1 billion pounds of curbside-collected polypropylene in the last 14 years. With more than 30 years of experience in plastics, Darren offers a behind-the-scenes look at KW’s latest innovations,...
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Ep. 46: Transforming Post-Consumer Plastics and Textiles into Sustainable Fiber and Resin w/ Meredith Boyd of Unifi
Recycled Content
In this episode of Recycled Content, host Kara Pochiro is joined by Meredith Boyd, Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer at Unifi, to discuss the innovation behind REPREVE®, which received the APR Recycling Technology Innovation Award. Together, they explore how REPREVE® has transformed textile recycling by leveraging multiple sources into different sustainable fibers. Meredith shares insights on the importance of transparency, sustainability, and market diversity in building a true circular economy, as well as why textile recycling is about longevity,...
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Ep. 45: Advice from an Influential Leader in Recycling w/ APR’s Outstanding Leadership Award Winner Debra Wilson
Recycled Content
Debra Wilson, Materials R&D Director at Amcor and recipient of the inaugural APR Recycling Leadership Award for Outstanding Leadership, joins Recycled Content host Kara Pochiro to discuss Debra’s 33+ years of commitment to plastic standardization activities. The two dive into Debra’s influential role in aligning APR Design® Guidance with RecyClass standards, as well as her work with ASTM International and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Debra reflects on her proudest accomplishments during her tenure and the importance of collaboration and...
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Ep. 44: Designing for the Future - Celebrating 30 years of the APR Design® Guide with APR’s Megan Byers and Chris Max of Kraft Heinz
Recycled Content
In this episode of Recycled Content, host Kara Pochiro is joined by Megan Byers, Program Director at the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR), and Chris Max, Research Lead in Sustainable Packaging Innovation at Kraft Heinz company. Kara, Megan, and Chris dive into the APR Design® Guide for Plastics Recyclability as APR celebrates 30 years of shaping how brands design packaging with a focus on sustainability and recycling. During the discussion, Megan walks through the evolution of the APR Design® Guide from a simple technical manual to an internationally recognized tool influencing...
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Ep. 43: Seeing is Believing: Recycling in Action with Pia Baker
Recycled Content
To kick off Recycling in Action Month, Recycled Content host Kara Pochiro is joined by Pia Baker, APR’s Director of Marketing and leader of the Recycling in Action initiative. Throughout the month of May, Material Recovery Facilities (MRFS) and recyclers will offer tours for an up-close in-person look at the journey recyclables take from collection, sortation, and transformation. The two deep dive into common and harmful myths about recycling and the thought process behind launching Recycling in Action this year. Want to hear more about how you can get involved in this inaugural initiative...
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Ep. 42: Unraveling the Future of Textile Recovery with Maite Quinn, Marisa Adler, and Beth Forsberg
Recycled Content
In this bonus episode of Recycled Content, guest host and leader in the recycling space, Maite Quinn, President of Re-Colab and Resource Recycling, Inc. interviews Marisa Adler, Senior Consultant at RRS, and Beth Forsberg, Senior VP & Chief Sustainability Officer at Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona, to highlight Resource Recycling’s first-ever Textile Recovery Summit at the Plastics Recycling Conference. The conversation explores the growing importance of textile recovery, the innovative solutions driving circularity in the textile industry, and the role of synthetic fibers in...
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Ep. 41: Traceability and Transparency in Plastics Recycling w/ Bill Robberson of KAMILO, Inc. & Antoinette Smith of Resource Recycling, Inc.
Recycled Content
In this second bonus episode ahead of the , guest host and reporter at Resource Recycling, Inc., Antoinette Smith, interviews Bill Robberson, Co-Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer of KAMILO, Inc. Together, they dive into KAMILO’s work in digital tracking and traceability within the recycling industry and how it impacts Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies. Antoinette and Bill also discuss the importance of transparency in supply chains while maintaining confidentiality, and the need for authenticity to drive efficient recycling practices. Want to hear more about...
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Ep. 40: The Business of Recycling: Extended Producer Responsibility and Upcoming Policies w/ Marissa Heffernan, Associate Editor at Resource Recycling, Inc.
Recycled Content
As the Plastics Recycling Conference (PRC) approaches, Recycled Content host Kara Pochiro is joined by Marissa Heffernan, Associate Editor at Resource Recycling, Inc. They discuss key industry topics, focusing on how Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is reshaping recycling by shifting the burden from consumers to producers. With EPR, Bottle Bills, Minimum Recycled Content and other legislation gaining momentum across the U.S., they explore its impact on policy, business, and the future of recycling. Want to hear more sneak peaks on what will be discussed during the PRC? Then tune in!
info_outlineIn this episode of Recycled Content, APR Technical Director Scott Trenor takes over hosting duties to explore the FDA’s role in ensuring recycled plastics are safe for use in food packaging with guest Sean Fischer, an FDA Regulatory Review Scientist within the Division of Food Contact Substances. The two dive into the evaluation process, and critical need behind the FDA’s No Objection Letters (NOL), an official statement from the FDA signaling that the agency has reviewed a recycling process and has no concerns about its ability to produce material suitable for food-contact use. The conversation also tackles common misconceptions, international alignment with Europe’s EFSA, and how recyclers can better navigate regulatory pathways. Tune in to hear how recycled plastics move from curbside collection to safe, food-contact applications, and what it means for the future of circular packaging.